Dress Shopping Prep

Before flipping through catalogs and visiting the local bridal shops, warehouses, department stores or special occasion stores, you can speak to each bridesmaid or set up an online chat to discuss what kinds of dresses they have in mind and what kinds of dresses are out of the question. While it is fabulous to get input from your maids remember that it is ultimately your wedding. You definitely should keep in mind cost (especially if it a style that can never be worn again). It’s wise to also take into consideration any style that your girls would be appalled to wear (you really do want them to feel comfy and beautiful on your big day). But, sometimes too much allowance for input on the dress you choose can leave your head spinning – taking away the fun in shopping and leading you to question every gown and every comment from every maid (and her sister and mom and aunt…).

To get the ball rolling, you can send pictures of dresses you like, or point to web sites where they can check out your selections online. Also, in advance of shopping, gather all of your bridesmaids’ measurements (this can be confidential if your bridesmaids are uncomfortable sharing their sizes with the group).

You should encourage your bridesmaids to have their measurements taken by an experienced tailor or seamstress, in undergarments only. If they cannot go to a professional, having a friend or relative help out is always more accurate than trying to measure themselves. When you’re ready to place the final order for the dresses, you will need the following measurements:

• bust (fullest point of bust)
• waist (natural waist – across the belly button)
• hips (fullest part – right across the derrière).

Although measurements can be tedious, they are imperative for a good fit. Remember: It is possible for everyone to be happy with her dress as long as you keep in mind that everyone wants to look good and feel comfortable. Flexibility and communication are key.

In general, brides start shopping for bridesmaid dresses shortly after they order their own gown – about six to seven months before the wedding. The reason for the early preparation is that complex orders can take awhile to be delivered: You want to leave plenty of time to deal with fittings, alterations and, of course, Murphy’s Law (whatever can go wrong will go wrong). When you do start shopping, try to be organized – especially if you have six bridesmaids with you! – so that you don’t have to labor over each dress. Shopping should be fun!

If you’re looking for bridesmaid dresses in Modesto some of the top places to check out are Mira Bridal Couture, Bianca’s Bridal and Wedding Center USA. You may want to call in advance for an appointment; as brides and their maids come in from Turlock, Oakdale, Lodi, Stockton, Ceres and beyond to find their perfect bridesmaids dresses too. Best of luck on your search!

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Will the side bun prove to be timeless or will it be an indication of the decade, like big eighties hair? What do you think?

Grab another round of flirty martinis as I share some groovy girl party inspiration from around the blogosphere to share on the wedding blog this week. Party on!

Sugar spun colors for a girly bridal shower via Style Me Pretty

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We all scream for ice cream!  Do it the Northern way and add some edge to all the pretty with a dash of vodka in your sorbet!

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Cute cupcakes via Rock My Wedding

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Challenge the girls to a bake off.  Bride wars are go… and all that sugar will keep you going on the dance floor later!

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Vintage hens via Rock n Roll Bride

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These ladies do “on tour” with style.  But where have they packed all the inflatable whoosits and flashing whatsits?!

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Vintage flapper bachelorette party via Ruffled Blog

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Anyone for a Charleston?

Looking for some more inspiration? Send me an email at Erica@ElegantAffairEvents.net or call me at 209-483-2008. We do so much more than just wedding planning!

The perfect shade of pinky-lilac to add a girly color pop to your wedding day face. .

Saint Germain lipstick by MAC

Contact Erica at An Elegant Affair Events for questions/comments.

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There are some amazing deals on wedding dresses on Ebay.   Some are bona fide bargains, some are cheap imported “knock offs” of designer gowns.  Don’t risk being disappointed when your dream gown arrives and it isn’t what you are expecting.

Ebay is over run with wedding gown listings that are imports from the far east.  They are NOT the manufacturers of the original wedding dresses you’ve seen in the bridal magazines and the bridal salons. They are not from the same factories as the original gowns.  They are offering “knock off” dresses at dirt cheap prices, with HIGH shipping fees.  The quality is inferior, the fit is inferior, the designs are either outdated or modified from the original.  I’ve seen a couple of “knock off” dresses and was amazed at what was being passed off to the Ebay customer.  Words can’t describe what I’ve seen.  Well, I CAN describe my thoughts, but this is supposed to be family friendly. 

The sellers use photos from the original designers catalog or web site.  That is a violation of copyright laws and against Ebay’s rules as well.   You are led to think that the gown is a Bonny or a Maggie, but you aren’t getting anything close to the original other than an unaurthorized photo.

Many of the major bridal manufacturers police the internet for unauthorized photos.   Maggie and Mon Cheri are vigilant with their designs and photos as are many other bridal manufacturers.  If the original manufacturer finds a knock off of their design, they’ll have the auctions taken off Ebay.  If you ordered from that company, you risk NOT getting your gown or not getting the protection from Ebay on the sale.

Most of the major bridal manufacturers have copyrights on their gowns and laces.  They persue the copyrights vigorously.  They employ the designer. The designer creates the original design.  The design team and the marketing team test market the gowns.  They employ models, fashion stylists, makeup artists, hair stylists and the top photographers to showcase their designs.   The manufacturers makes the gowns, they either own their own factories or are contracted to a factory.  The marketing team steps in to market the gowns.  The company owns the rights to the gowns, designs and photographs.   They use fine fabrics, they have the fit perfected  and they market the gowns themselves. Their factories DO NOT market gowns.   They are offering you the best and their name is at stake.

The knock off artists are stealing the designs, the photos and the hard work of the major bridal manufacturers.  They are churning out a look alike dress with less embellishment,  inferior fabrics, inferior fit.   You not only pay a large fee for shipping to the USA, you are also liable for customs fees once your purchase hits the USA.  Customs fees are nonnegotiable.   You pay or you don’t get your gown.   Add that onto the bargain price, and ask yourself, ”Am I saving money?”

• Don’t expect much from a $29 wedding dress.

• I saw a group of wedding dresses priced at $29, they were copies of Sweetheart gowns we sold in the 1980′s and early 90′s with a few modern gowns thrown in.  Their feedback was good, but their feedback was from selling swords.  Not one was from a wedding dress.  Hmmm.

• You get what you pay for! If you buy a dress for $29, you get a dress worth $29.00!

• The fabric may be thin low grade satin that wrinkles or thin organza that is used in the cheapest prom dresses.  It WILL wrinkle and be very difficult to press or steam.  When you steam acetate satin, the steam will leave spots and water rings on the dress that you can’t remove. Good quality bridal satin won’t leave water spots.  Cheap organza will wrinkle and crinkle and “bubble” and you can’t press it out.  Its in there for life. 

• The beading may be heat applied or the sequins may be caviar beading, heat applied silver dots instead of hand sewing of the beadwork.  You won’t get Swarovski crystals, you will get plastic beads cut to look like crystal, but they won’t have the shine and sparkle of fine Swarovski crystals.   If the beading is sewn, it may be machine done, its put on by a chain stitch.  If you shed one bead, and the entire bead area will come loose.  They may also use large faux pearls which take up more area instead of mini pearls and mini sequins which give off a more delicate look to the gown.  The embroidery is generally large and garish instead of petite and detailed.  Or they may employ large battenburg embroidery with large cut outs which was popular in the 90′s and not being shown in today’s bridal collections. 

• The bodices may not be properly boned to stay up in a strapless gown.  You need boning in the bodice of the gown to keep it up and in place.  Strapless gowns SHOULD have a good inner foundation BUILT INTO THE GOWN to keep the gown up and to enhance the bust line and slim the wasitline. Some designers even build in an elastic inner waist belt to slim the waist and to keep the gown in place when you move.  If the foundation isn’t built into the gown, the best bra and tailoring in the world won’t keep the gown up.  It will droop and make you look droopy and dumpy.  Dress tape won’t solve the problem.  

• A quality gown should be properly lined in bridal satin and include some sort of built in fullness if its needed for the dress to flow properly.    Some cheap dresses have the thin acetate lining and in white or ivory, its completely see through.  If you purchase a chiffon gown, make sure its lined in bridal satin or you’ll be transparent in the light. Straight slips are difficult to find, crinolines can be expensive.   A quality gown will make searching for lining slips an unnecessary headache.

• A revered bridal manufacturer told a group that not all sewing factories are created equal.  Some do a great job of sewing, some are horrible.  The good ones are contracted to the major bridal manufacturers if they don’t own their own factories.  

• Are you willing to gamble that that your wedding dress will be what you envisioned?  You are gambling if you don’t know anything about the manufacturers reputation and have seen the quality of the goods they are producing.

• OK….so you are only going to wear the dress for a few hours.  Why spend the money?   Hello…this is the most memorable dress you will ever buy in your life.  You will be on display in front of your guests.  They WILL remember your dress and you will have photos of the dress to show your children.  I never understood how people can spend thousands on photos, invitations, liquor and flowers and then wear expect to scrimp on the attire.

• YOU ARE THE BRIDE, its your day.  You deserve to look fabulous!  And you can without busting the budget….please read on!

And now for the good news….

There are GREAT deals on wedding dresses on Ebay!

• Look for bridal salons closing out their sample stock.

• Look for bridal salons having a clearance sale.  They all need to clear out their racks for new gowns they are expected to purchase twice a year.

The late summer is the time a lot of manufacturers discontinue their gowns.  Some of these gowns are only a few months old.  If they can’t reorder the gown, they sell them at discounts.  Huge discounts.  They have to clear our racks to make room for new stock that they are required to buy.  YOU WIN!  I’ve seen a lot just discontinued gowns on Ebay and the prices are phenomenal!

• Look for gowns from a cancelled wedding.  Its sad, it happens and their loss is your gain.

• Look for gowns from a closed bridal salon.  A friend of mine closed her bridal salon.  She was selling her gowns for a $49 opening bid.  The wholesale cost on these gowns is 10 times that much!  There are similar deals on Ebay!

• There are good quality replica gowns in the market.  They are “inspired” by the original design, they look similar but are not exact.  DaVinci makes gowns inspired by a major big box national bridal retailer.  I’ve also known of major manufacturers who do replicas of very couture gowns for select stores and you can barely tell the difference…except in price.

Look at the sellers feedback.  Its there for a reason.  Contact the seller if in doubt.  Ask questions.  Remember, if its too good to be true, it’s probably NOT  a deal.

Questions on where to find YOUR best dress for YOUR best price? Give me a call and I’d be happy to give you some fabulous local recommendations!

Happy Planning!

Erica

Owner/An Elegant Affair Events

209.483.2008 or Erica@ElegantAffairEvents.net

THE BENEFITS OF HIRING A WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHER

Many brides fail to see the benefits of hiring a professional wedding videographer for their special day. A professional wedding videographer will capture the sound, motion and EMOTION of all the guests attending your wedding. We all know that wedding photography is a must have and many brides spend big money on their wedding photographer. An equal importance should be placed on the wedding videographer as well.

THE SAD FACT:

Sadly, wedding videography and the wedding videographer are often un-justly pushed to the bottom of the priority list. Often, it’s the misconception of what role the videographer and wedding video will play in the overall scheme of things, that has many brides thinking of video as a low priority. Compound this with the added insult that many professional event planners actually recommend to their brides against hiring a professional wedding videographer. One SF Bay Area wedding coordinator recently went on live broadcast television and advised brides against hiring a professional wedding videographer. She tells brides to save their money and have a family friend to do the filming. This is equivalent to a wedding videographer telling a bride to not hire a wedding planning and just have your friend help you plan your wedding.

SEE THE WORK:

When a bride is given the opportunity to view a truly professional wedding video, this is often enough for them to change their minds. More often than not, it is the amateurish, home video that they have seen and may be the reason for leading them to believe they do not want a wedding video. The reality is, a professionally produced wedding video is a beautiful thing and often reflects the day as it was. Moreover, it is an opportunity for the bride to see the things that she missed or couldn’t have possibly seen..such as parents being seated, or the ceremony processional. Wedding Photography is great! But having a photographer doesn’t negate having a videographer. They are two totally different artforms, telling an entirely different side of the story

WHAT TO AVOID:

It is important to choose a videographer who will work well within the given parameters of your wedding. First and foremost is the lighting. If you are having a gorgeous, formal candle lit dinner, the last thing you want is a videographer who uses 1000 watt lights mounted on huge stands that stick out like an eyesore. These “10′ o’clock news” videographers often use bright lights in guests faces, light up the dance floor and often ask guests to speak directly into the camera offering best wishes to the couple. This style has been heavily frowned upon, but is still prevalent among lower end vendors today.

Another important factor is how well your videographer will work with you photographer. Most brides will agree that photography is paramount. Therefore, if your photographer offers a professional videography service, then it’s recommended to go with that. If your photographer offers video, but not as professional as you would like, seek out a videographer who is open minded about giving your photographer as much room to work as he or she needs.

A good videographer will be your eyes and ears for the things you are not seeing and hearing.

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Vera Wang and Monique L’huillier via Martha Stewart Weddings

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Reem Acra and Oscar de la Renta via Martha Stewart Weddings

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Color isn’t for everyone, but this is one trend that I just love.  I can even remember when Gwen Stefani did it first and rocked the pink dip dye.  Classic couture.

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Photograph of Julia by David Lawson Studios, photographs of Gwen Stefani via bridalwave.tv

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However, always one to lead the way, Vera Wang has gone one step further and unveiled a completely black bridal collection at New York Bridal Fashion Week.  While The Daily Mail (who shared the story) explains that “Until Queen Victoria popularised the trend for white when she wore the shade for her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, many brides – including royals – had worn gowns in a variety of hues [including black]”, I’m not sure what to think!  My first thoughts were that she was just in time for Halloween, but when I looked a little closer, I kinda fell in love.

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To do black bridal with aplomb, I think it will always need to be couture.  The beauty in these dresses is all in the layering of black on a peep of nude, the precise structures and the gorgeous fabrics.  Where a pale color way might have meant that intricacies in the design were bleached out, the flat black color means that the stunning workmanship can really be seen.  Very, very, clever and very, very couture.

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Ms Wang knows exactly what she is doing, but if you love this look – I urge caution, as I worry that a cheaper imitation might not cut it and you might end up looking more Scottish Widow than Blushing Bride.

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What do you think?

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Let me know where you stand on the trend for color and especially these black gowns?  Leave a comment with your thoughts.

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Videographer David Robin