"A bride should feel like her true self on her wedding day."

Designer Joanna Amelio knows how important it is for a bride to shine through at her wedding. After all, it was her own frustrating search for "the perfect" wedding dress - one that would complement her features, personality, and style - that inspired her to create a gown in which she felt both beautiful and confident. Today, as founder of Amelio Designs, she does the same for other brides who truly want to feel their best on one of life's most important occasions.

Amelio began designing and sewing clothes at age 15, but it wasn't until 2002, after graduating from the University of Notre Dame and working in the consulting and dot-com industries, that she turned her creative passion into a business. Now, she devotes her time to designing wedding gowns, veils, headpieces, and hairpins for brides, as well as customizable jewelry and personalized handbags for both brides and wedding parties.

The daughter of an artist and an avid gardener, Amelio has based her designs on the simple elegance of nature's shapes, such as the daisies, lilacs, hydrangeas and wildflowers cultivated by her father and painted by her mother. Though she relies on clean, timeless lines as the basis for her accessories and attire, Amelio also focuses on the individual tastes of her clients, ensuring that each element of a bride's trousseau is tailored to her own personality and physique.

Amelio's gowns and accessories are made of only the finest natural materials, including 100% silk, sterling silver and gold wire, freshwater pearls, semi-precious stones and Swarovski® crystals. Her work is continually featured at Chicagoland Bloomingdale's home registry events, and her accessories are available in the Chicago area at Troupe Salon, The Left Bank, The Magnificent Bride, Jane Hamill and Gigi's Closette.