Wedding Gowns & Bridal Fashion

What’s new: Paris Bridal has completed its first year in its new Norco location.

What it is: A bridal store

What it offers: Bridal dresses, bridal accessories and evening gowns. The business, the culmination of a lifelong dream of owner Candi Lawrence, offers both ready-to-wear and custom-made dresses. It is unique in the variety of dresses and coordinating apparel and accessories it offers, Lawrence said. “It’s a one-stop shop for brides,” she said.

Lawrence said she purchased the business with an eye toward increasing inventory so that brides can find everything they need — such as coordinating bridesmaid and flower girls dresses — under one roof. The 1,000-square-foot space also features purses, shoes, veils and bridal jewelry. Lawrence moved the shop from Pasadena to Norco last year to shorten her commute from her home in Riverside. It is the only bridal store in the city, she said.

When it’s open: By appointment only. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

When it opened: August 2006

Where it is: 3940 California Ave. Suite A, Norco

Who owns it: Candi Lawrence

About the owner: Lawrence has been a clothing designer for more than 30 years, 25 of which was spent primarily designing childrens and juniors clothing.

Her fascination with fashion began in childhood and propelled her to obtain two fashion degrees from California Design College in Los Angeles. Lawrence said she received her first requests for formal gowns after making a prom dress for her daughter. She then began sewing and designing formal dresses, wedding gowns and a wide range of other apparel.

Lawrence has five adult children and lives in Riverside with her husband.

What’s next: Lawrence’s long-term goal is to open two more bridal stores and to incorporate wedding planning into her bridal services. She also hopes to debut her first line of bridal wear next March.

Find out more: 951-737-5444 or e-mail parisbridal@aol.com

Source: PE.com

So what really happens when a bride purchases her gown on the Internet? and why would she?

The last question is one that I ask myself over and over. Why would a woman want to buy what is perhaps the single most expensive garment purchase she may ever make in her life with a click of the mouse? The answers are varied:

“I don’t have time to shop in every store to look for my dream gown.”
“The Internet is more convenient.”
“There is more selection.”
“The prices are better.”
“I can take my time without pushing salespeople bothering me.”
“I don’t like taking my shoes off!” Yes, I actually had a bride tell me this is the reason that she purchased her gown online.

I am sure that there are more reasons and excuses but it all comes down to the individual and the choices that they make. I will confess that I urge my brides to purchase their dresses locally if at all possible. I ask them to stay away from big box national retail chains and choose a gown that can be selected from a local boutique. Why?

Again the answers are varied, but for me it comes down to customer service. (Now please keep in mind that I am only talking in generic terms as these facts, unfortunately, do not apply to every local boutique out there.) At most boutiques that I visit, I am met with a courteous smile, “Hello, how are you? What can I help you with?” They will ask my wedding date, ask about my styles, what I am looking for in a dress, and colors. They want to get to know as much about me so that the selections that they help me with are good ones. For the most part, these are salespeople that have been in the fashion and fitting industry for quite some time, so they should know what they are doing.

I don’t know about you, but I like being greeted at the door, I like knowing that my presence in their store is making a difference, an impact, or is just well noticed in case I have a question. I don’t like being ignored. Snobbery? Maybe close to it, but the point is, I like the attention. I like touching the beautiful gowns and feeling the satin slip through my fingers. I like it when the store associates ask me if I would like something to drink then brings me a glass of sparkling champagne. I like help with stubborn hooks and zippers. I like the plush seats and comfy carpets. I like looking in the wide mirrors and hearing, “Oh, my goodness! You like just like a princess!” Let’s face it ladies, this may be the only time in our lives that we are going to hear words like this directed just to us—I don’t want to miss a single moment of any of it!

I will hear from both side of the fence on this. “I just like to look. I don’t like to be bothered. I don’t like pushy salespeople trying to cram their style down my throat!” A little extreme maybe, but you get the idea. If this is the case, then the Internet option may be a good one for you, but I doubt it.

For the next couple of days, I will explore a little more in depth why Internet wedding gown shopping is not always the best deal. But until then, most brides want the fussing over so Bridal Boutiques—bring on the champagne and attention!

Source: DesMoinesRegister.com

One of the delights of my job is to visit area wedding gown boutiques to keep on the latest fashions. Looking through rows and rows of beautiful silk and chiffon creations is a treat. I can only imagine what it must feel like to pick and choose from such exquisite gowns knowing that there is one perfect dress out there just waiting to be discovered. Every style, every color, every pattern, every adornment from beads to lace to feathers. Silks, satins, chiffon, and more are there for every bride in almost every store.

I have discovered in my travels that every bridal store is an unique as its owner. They strive to carry an inventory that will appeal to even the most discriminating tastes and sizes. Most stores carry a rather large quantity of gowns, flower girl dresses, mother’s gowns, bridesmaids dresses, and tuxedos. Then there are the shoes, hair accessories, jewelry, ring bearer pillows, unity candles, invitations, and the list goes on and on. Quite impressive for even the small mom and pop stores as well as the larger more established big-city boutiques. But regardless of the size and location of the store, all bridal inventory is expensive.

Try pricing a wedding gown today and then multiply that cost by 200-300 or more! Add in bridesmaid’s dresses, mother’s gowns, flower girl clothing, accessories, and pretty soon you get the idea that this business is not cheap! It takes a lot to open a bridal boutique and even more to keep a successful one running. In addition to all of the above, there are operating costs, advertising, alterations, hired help….well, you get the idea.

Bridal Boutiques are in business because their owners love what they do, not because they like loosing money which is precisely what happens every time a girl goes on the Internet to purchase her wedding dress. This is becoming more and more increasingly popular among current brides. The reasons why can be varied but the number one reason that I hear over and over again is to save money.

Why brides would even consider purchasing an online bridal gown is beyond me and one that we will explore in upcoming blogs.

What actually happens when you make an online wedding gown purchase?

Source: DesMoinesRegister.com

You just got engaged. Congratulations! What is the first thing you want to do? Go shopping for a dress. You can’t wait to find the perfect dress. Even brides who are strictly jeans and a t-shirt type can’t wait to shop for their wedding dress. Some have the perfect idea of how their dream bridal gown should look, others haven’t got a clue. This is where you are relying on finding the perfect shop for that perfect dress.

I am here to say that you need to kiss a lot of toads before finding your prince, and the same holds true for finding the perfect wedding dress. You need to try on lots of gowns to find the one that makes you feel like you are the most perfect and beautiful woman in the entire world. And to try on lots of gowns, you will need to visit lots of shops.

Bridal shops are not all created equal. There are small boutiques and large shops. Mom and Pop businesses and national store chains. Some stores carry exclusive lines only to them, some can get anything you want shipped in and still others opt for a more customized approach by making your gown only for you—a one of a kind creation. Whatever style, color, and material you choose please choose a store that cares about you. You will not be sorry.

You want to shop at boutiques that cater to you; bring you something to drink; ask your opinions and listen to them; help you in and out of the dresses; don’t run to answer the phone leaving you unattended; offer to alter any part of the dress that needs taking in (or out); and generally makes you feel very welcomed and special. If they don’t ask your name, ask if you getting married or make you feel welcome after 30 seconds of entering their store, then they are not the store for you.

I recently visited such a business a couple of days ago. I had 20 minutes between appointments and decided to visit a very well-known bridal store in Des Moines. Many of my brides get their gowns from this establishment so I decided to find out what the hoopla was about.
Maybe I looked too old to be getting married (I’m not) or maybe it was because I didn’t have a ring on (it could have been at the jewelers getting cleaned), but I could have been a gnat for all this store cared. Nothing–nada, no greeting or anything. I walked around the store very slowly, looked through dresses and jewelry, feigned interest in a pair of shoes (that’s not hard for me), and glanced through a leaflet on one of the side tables. I even held a dress up to me in the mirror. Nothing. After 15 minutes, I left.

Gosh, they must have been awful busy. I was the only customer in the store (not kidding).
Maybe they had bookwork to do. If talking on the cell phone is bookwork, then I’ll buy that.
They didn’t want to pressure you. Saying “hello” doesn’t threaten me, nor make me want to flee in a panic.

No, they just plain ignored me and I walked out. I will grant you, I could have asked for help, but why should I? If they don’t want my business enough to ask me my name or at least give me a courtesy greeting, then they don’t deserve my business. Give me a flash of smile and genuine interest in my visit and that store will get my business every time.

Boutique owners, don’t complain to me about not getting any business if you can’t be bothered to say hello to each and every person that walks through your door. If Quick Trip can do it—so can you!

Source: DesMoinesRegister.com

It should be the first stop for the bride-to-be seeking to create a signature style befitting the occasion. A fashion veteran with 26 years of experience—10 in bridal—Mark Ingram opened the Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier after four years as national sales director of Amsale Bridal. The New York City-based boutique is a tranquil haven amidst the inevitable drama of wedding planning. “We make brides feel relaxed and cared for, and we adorn them in gowns that put them as close to perfection as possible,” Ingram says.

Regardless of a bride’s preferred style—sexy, romantic, understated—Ingram’s full-service salon (www.bridalatelier.com) outfits brides with elegance and sophistication. The boutique’s inventory features 15 to 20 designers, including Oscar de la Renta, Monique Lhuillier, Angel Sanchez, Anne Barge, and Carolina Herrera. Clients are seen only by appointment, the first of which is an in-depth discussion. “Most women don’t know what they’re looking for [in a bridal gown], because most have never shopped for a dress of this magnitude. We expose them to various styles and educate them about construction, fit, and fabric.”

To snag fabulous gowns at below-market prices, Ingram advises shopping at sample sales and trunk shows—the showing for a limited time of a designer’s entire collection. At Ingram’s trunk shows, designers train the staff on the dresses’ ideal fit and the design philosophy. He holds sample sales three to four times a year, during which dresses are priced at up to 50% off. He also donates gowns to women’s charities for resale.

A bride must consider several important elements when creating her wedding day look, including her budget, the event’s setting and tone, and the time of year. The standard gown price is $3,800—$4,500; higher-end gowns begin at $5,000. If the event is grand, the gown must be equally so. If it isn’t, Ingram cautions, the bride runs the risk of being overshadowed at her own event. Conversely, a gown appropriate for Tavern on the Green would not be suitable for an island wedding at the shore. Says Ingram: “The bride herself must shine, not the dress.”

Source: Black Enterprise

It’s shopping as a full-contact sport. And the women who take part in the “Running of the Brides” at Filene’s Basement in Chicago wouldn’t have it any other way.
The latest bargain stampede takes place Friday at the Filene’s Basement at One North State Street at 8 a.m. Many brides-to-be and their helpers literally pounce on dresses priced from $249-$699 that might otherwise cost as much as $9,000.

“We promise our vendors that we won’t reveal the labels, but I can say that these are well-known names featured regularly on the pages of popular brides’ magazines,” said Anna Podore, the Basement’s wedding gown buyer. Which is why, when the doors open, there is a mad dash to the racks — held up by store employees so they don’t topple — and those racks are usually stripped bare in under a minute. Then it’s time for the women to strip — down to leotards, sports bras or even underwear — to try on the gowns right on the sales floor.

If it doesn’t quite fit, a seamstress can do the trick, and the bride can still come out way ahead. But what happens if a petite bride found she pounced on a size 14 dress in pink chiffon instead of a size 4 in white satin? That’s when the real fun begins, as the women start bartering to find the right designer or size. It’s a ritual that turns Filene’s Basement into an old- fashioned bazaar.

Filene’s Basement will open early for the sale at 8:00am and close at 8:00pm. Checks, credit cards and cash are accepted. For more information go to http://www.filenesbasement.com.

Source: PRNewswire