Savvy Shopper Today

Can you sit in your wedding dress?

For some brides, comfort is key when it comes to their wedding gown and how it fits.  For others, beauty is pain!  But there can be a balance when it comes to selecting a wedding dress that looks great and doesn’t suck the life out of you or bust a seam when you sit down.  Choosing the right silhouette is important.  A tight-fitting mermaid gown may look fantastic as you stand still, but you may look silly waddling like a penguin down the aisle because the dress is too fitted through the hips and thighs.  You also may not be able to “get down and boogie” in a mermaid gown.  And even
taking a seat to enjoy your meal could be uncomfortable.  So think about what activities are important to you and be sure to choose a style that allows for the appropriate movement.

If you like the look of a mermaid, but still want the flexibility to dance and sit, look for a fit and flare gown that shapes through the hips, but flares a little higher and doesn’t constrict the legs so much.  Or consider a sheath gown that is cut straight, but doesn’t hug the curves quite so much.  If you really love that fitted mermaid, consider a second reception dress that is short and fun or has a little more flow if you want to float around the dance floor with ease.  Yes, you want to look your best on your wedding day, but you also want to enjoy the day and not be numb from pain!

Finding a "simple" wedding dress can be a challenge

I’m constantly approached by brides wondering where to find a “simple” wedding gown.  Whether it is due to budget concerns or just the formality or location of the affair, some brides don’t want to be blinged-out from head to toe.  Others don’t want layers of crinoline, excessive fabric or trains.  And some just don’t want a formal dress at all.  They are looking for a short cocktail dress or even a long dress that has the simplicity of an evening gown.  And finding it can be a challenge…especially in white or ivory.  Sometimes they will get lucky and find one in the department or specialty stores, but the best idea for brides looking for simplicity is to find a store that carries bridesmaid gowns and order a great style in your favorite wedding dress color.

Some bridesmaid manufacturers now even cater to the “informal” bride offering destination lines and little white dresses.  Jordan, the bridesmaid line I carry at Blush, has a line called Jordan Moments that features a Little White Dress line which is much less expensive than the traditional bridal collections.  They also offer most of their bridesmaid and mother of the bride gowns in shades of white, diamond white and ivory.  Of course, you’ll still need some time to order the gown and have alterations performed, but it’s a great option for brides looking for an easier style of dress for their laid-back nuptials.

Save money...buy a sample!

With the cost of wedding gowns now averaging close to $1000 with designer gowns reaching as high as the price of a new car, today’s bride on a budget is always searching for ways to find a great dress at a great price. One way she can do that is to buy a sample gown off-the-rack. What is a sample gown? Exactly what it sounds like. Every season, bridal shops have minimum sample orders they need to fill. These are the gowns they purchase from manufacturers to display in the showroom to brides-to-be. They are tried on, but if the bride wants the gown, she will order it in her size and color preference. Once a sample gown has been discontinued, the salon no longer has use for it so they will either sell it off-the-rack, consign it to a bridal consignment shop, or donate it to a charity organization.

The best way to find a sample is to call the salons and ask them if they have sample sales and if so, when they will be held. If you have a bridal consignment shop in your area, you can visit them for rotating inventory. At Blush I have several stores that consign their samples to me throughout the year. You can often find a sample at 30-50% off its original retail price. Just make sure it is in good condition. They sometimes have loose beads or make-up stains, all which can be easily repaired. For a good discount a few imperfections can be overlooked!

Enjoy your wedding reception, but don't forget to greet your guests

The age-old tradition of formal receiving lines after wedding ceremonies seems to have lost its appeal these days.  Brides and grooms are anxious to start their photo session and get to their reception to get the party started and the tradition of greeting the guests as they exit the church is not as common.  Some dislike the formality and others just don’t want to impede the schedule and take the extra time.  If you decide to forgo the receiving line, be sure you greet your guests in some way at the reception.  They have, after all, given up a precious Saturday and purchased a lovely gift to celebrate your special day.  The easiest and most common way is to wait for the guests to be seated and then go with your groom to each table to say a brief “hello” and “thank you for coming.” Most will understand that you won’t have time for more than a few pleasantries, but they will appreciate the gesture of acknowledgement.

A good way to alleviate the time constraints of greeting all your guests is to have a follow-up brunch the day after the wedding.  It doesn’t need to be fancy and you don’t need to invite the entire guest list, but it is a good time to catch up with relatives you don’t see often and out-of-town guests that traveled a long distance to see you.  A more casual and relaxed atmosphere will allow you the time to catch up without worrying about when you have to cut the cake or throw the bouquet.

However you choose to acknowledge your guests, don’t underestimate the importance of a thank you note!  Not a text, facebook message or email.  A true “I took the time to hand write my gratitude for your gift and attendance at my wedding” thank you note.  It may be the 21^st century, but there are some wedding traditions that never go out of style.

How NOT to shop for a wedding dress

A bridal gown shopping experience can be the most anticipated part of planning your wedding. 
Most girls look forward to the once-in-a-lifetime event and can’t wait to get started.  But if you want to avoid being a bridezilla follow a few simple rules:

• Don’t show up at a bridal shop on a busy Saturday afternoon WITHOUT an appointment and expect great service.  Some stores will take walk-ins, but this is your wedding gown so take some time to plan out a few appointments (not necessarily on the same day) and if you want extra special treatment avoid a Saturday!
• Don’t bring every cousin, aunt, sorority sister, neighbor and co-worker you know.  Trust
  me.  The fewer, the better. 
• Don’t let your entourage run loose in the salon.  Leave it up to you and your bridal consultant to choose gowns.  If mom wants you to try on a ball gown even though you want a mermaid, you can appease her, just don’t let her pull a dozen gowns you don’t like and expect your consultant to have the time to try on all the gowns you really do like!
• Don’t wear a ton of make-up.  It rubs off on gowns as you try them on.  And don’t pet the gowns. Your fingers have oils that can transfer on to the fabric and we really want to keep the gowns looking their best.
• Do wear underwear!  Enough said.
• Don’t smoke before your appointment.  The last thing we need is a salon that reeks
  and dresses that collect the smoke odor.
• Don’t show up on an empty or full stomach.  You don’t want to be weak from starvation or
  bloated from nachos and margaritas.  You want to feel comfortable and not be thinking about your next meal or nap time.
• Don’t expect to cry.  Everyone says you will “just know” when it’s your dress and you will want to cry.  Doesn’t happen that way in most cases.  Some girls love a dress right away, others need to try it on a few times before they are ready to commit.  Don’t jump the gun because it is an emotional and FINAL purchase.
• Do have fun and bring a good attitude and open mind.  Don’t be afraid to speak up and
  take control over what you want.  It’s your wedding after all!

Can you plan your own wedding?

Well, that depends on three things: how much time do you have, how organized are you and how elaborate will the event be.  Planning a wedding can be a full-time job if you let it.  If it’s a traditional ceremony and formal reception, there can be a million little details to take care of and DIY projects to complete, or it can be a simple affair with little to stress over.  If you choose the former, you better have a very understanding boss who won’t mind if you spend half your day surfing the net for wedding inspiration.  Being a detail-oriented and organized planner is crucial if you plan to go it alone.  If you are not, enlisting the help of friends, family or a wedding planner will be necessary.

But if you have a laid-back approach to the wedding and don’t feel the need to scour Pinterest or every bridal magazine known to man, you may be able to have perfectly prepared nuptials that suit you to a tee with very minimal effort.  If you can carve out a couple of hours a week to make calls, meet with vendors and do some shopping, you’ve got it made.  It all depends on how over-the-top you intend to take things.  Of course if you’ve got crafty friends or the extra cash for a professional planner, you may want to pass off the duties and save the stress for more important things…like where you want to go on your honeymoon! Now that kind of research sounds like more fun to me.

Everything old is new again

When it comes to fashion, styles are ever-changing. But one thing is certain: what goes around, comes around.  It may take decades, but the past always rears its (sometimes ugly) head!  With
titles like “retro” and “vintage,” what’s hip today is often a blast from the past.  And wedding trends often follow suit.  Thanks to Princess Kate, we’ve seen the return of lace and sleeves in wedding gowns.  We can thank the Royals for the fascinator fascination as well! The vintage theme has also inspired the return of the birdcage veil (a small netted veil just covering the face). 

Long, cathedral veils were popular mid-century and have made their way back (my grandparents wedding photo hangs in my shop from the early ‘40’s and her veil drapes well below her hem), often with lace adorned mantilla style edging.  Wraps, shrugs and boleros are also back with a vengeance.  Once a practical accessory, now brides are adding them for looks and not just
function.  And while tiaras still rule the roost, we’re also seeing the return of hair pins, floral accents and beaded combs adorning the hair.  So don’t throw away all your out-of-date pieces…you never know when it will be the next big thing again!

It's ok to show some leg on your wedding day

While beautiful princess wedding gowns will never go away, the style choices have expanded dramatically in the world of bridal gowns.  And one of the more popular trends now is short gowns!  With many brides taking a more casual approach to their weddings…beach, backyard, garden, destination, etc…they are also looking at less formal attire.  More informal knee and tea-length gowns have grown in popularity for their ease in wear, inexpensive cost and sexy appeal. And they may even be able to wear the dress again someday. Some brides would prefer to spend big bucks on a fancy pair of shoes and they want to show off those shoes instead of cover them up with layers of crinoline, tulle or satin.  And with their grooms opting for khakis, linen and even shorts, they don’t want to look mismatched in an ultra-formal gown.

Some brides that still want the traditional gown are now opting for two gowns.  One more formal
and full-length for the ceremony and one shorter, more danceable dress for the reception.  Not a bad way to incorporate form and function for the occasion.  So while our great-grandmothers may roll in their graves if they knew the bride was showing her legs, today’s modern bride is a little bolder when it comes to her fashion choices.  Sometimes showing a little leg is just her style!

Venturing into the wacky world of bridesmaids!

For nearly eight years, I’ve catered mainly to brides searching for wedding gowns, the occasional party-goer searching for a formal gown, the high-schooler looking for a prom or ring dance dress and the mothers looking for gowns to wear to their children’s weddings.  I’ve only had limited dealings with bridesmaids.  As a consignment shop, it is difficult to serve the wedding party because they often need a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, and we typically only get one of everything.  But after years of missing out on the ability to serve the rest of the bride’s party, I’ve decided it’s time to take on the bridesmaids! 

Blush is now carrying a new bridesmaid line by Jordan.  We’ve got about 20 samples in the shop for
brides and maids to peruse, plus many other styles that can be viewed online at www.jordanfashions.com.  I was hesitant to go into this foray because you have many more ladies to deal with and when ordering dresses, the potential for problems could be enormous, but I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try.  There aren’t many options in this area besides David’s Bridal, so at least it gives brides other choices in affordable price points.  So I’m up to the challenge of trying, measuring, ordering and assisting all the bride’s attendants so we can become more of a one-stop shop!  Wish me luck!

Choose a bridal hair style that is "you"

So you’ve got the dress, the veil, the shoes, and all the other details figured out.  Your bridal look
just isn’t complete without the right hair style.  Choosing the right ‘do really depends on the style
of the wedding.  A sleek, polished updo might be in order for a formal affair or maybe a low loose pull-back for a casual beach bash.  Whatever style you choose, be sure to look like yourself.  If you always wear your hair up and away from your face then choose a nice up style that keeps true to your normal look.  You want to look like yourself, just a bit more polished.  If you always wear your hair down, no need to try a fancy updo on your wedding day if it doesn’t suit your taste.  Maybe try a nice half up/half down style that can mix it up a little without straying too far from your comfort zone.

Be sure to try different styles ahead of the big day.  A trial run with your hairstylist can be invaluable.  And don’t forget to bring any accessories that may adorn your head such as pins, tiaras, flowers and even your veil.  You want to see how it all comes together so you don’t have any last minute panic attacks on your wedding day!