Do I REALLY need Alterations?

Always EXPECT to need some kind of alterations! Unless your figure is the perfect mannequin in the designer's factory, expect alterations! No matter what size you order, no one is a constant size in all areas of the body. Alterations most commonly needed on any dress (wedding gown or maid dress)are the hem, side seams, and straps. It is VERY rare for any Bride or Bridesmaid to get away without ANY alterations needed. In my career of seeing probably a thousand women only a few (I would say about 4 Brides and 6 bridesmaids within the past 2 1/2 years) have ever not needed a thing done!

Are Dresses Made to My Specific Measurements? No. They are made in standard generic 2,4,6,8... sizes. Alterations with your seamstress is where you will get your new dress tailored to YOUR body's needs.

Should I Expect Alterations To Be Included With The Purchase Price Of My Gown ? Never. Everyone always needs something different. In this dieing art of sewing, seamstresses work very hard for the little money they make. Sometimes people do not realize how many hours go into altering a dress no matter how "simple" or complex. Compare it to getting a hair cut. You would commonly pay about thirty dollars to get a hair cut plus a tip in 45 minutes, but would assume to pay a seamstress much less worth to the hours they worked hard at into putting into your special garment. Please ladies, seamstresses work hard and they deserve to be paid appropriatly.

When Looking For A Seamstress: ask to see examples of their work.

Would Rather Save Money? Beware: If you are putting lower price before quality, you sometimes get what you pay for! It is a pity to see customers attempt to save a small amount of money and get back a botch job dress.

If you choose not to do alterations for the sake of saving money, the photographs that you will take never lie. I have seen ill fitting gowns show their true colors in a photo just to save $30 bucks.

What If I Am Planning To Loose Weight For The Wedding? Heir on the side of caution! Get the larger "just in case" size just in case you DO NOT loose all the weight you were hoping to loose. Depending on the style of the dress, make sure to accommodate the largest part of your body. It is always possible to make a big dress smaller, but sometimes you cannot make a small dress bigger!

What Planet Is The Bridal World Sizing From?
The bridal world is commonly different from the "real" world of clothing. Don't worry if the tag of the dress you order is greater than the jeans you wear. For some strange reason, the bridal Gods on their pearl planet decided to make all us earth women feel fat. EVERY brand has a different size chart and it is important to go by your BODY measurements and do not let the number on the size tag scare you!
-For example, a woman is falling into a size 14 bust, an 8 waist, and 12 hip (She got plenty of boobs, a small waist and her mom's booty) She NEVER wears a size 14 pants in the real world!? What should she do? She should accommodate her bust size since it is the largest part of her body, and take in the other areas with alterations.

My Dress Is More Than One Size Bigger In One Or All Areas Of My Body, Should I Panic?
Nope. A seam is a seam is a seam. No matter how loose a dress is, a professional seamstress can make a big dress smaller. They have to take it in the same manner anyway! It does not matter if they have to take in 1 inch or several inches on a single seam, they still have to go about it in the same way. Don't worry, it's normal.

Bridesmaid Etiquette

The Etiquette of a Bridesmaid:
Pay For Your Own Dress & Accessories
Pay For Your Own Alterations
Expect Needing Alterations
Do Not Complain
Keep Your Negative & Stressful Opinions to Yourself
Support the Bride on Her Decisions
Alleviate Any Stress That May Come Her Way
This is HER Wedding, Not Yours
Have Fun!

Who's wedding is it anyway?...Mom!

I have heard it time after time... "My mom is paying for my wedding dress, so I feel that I have to buy the one she loves the most." Who's wedding is it anyway?

I want to remind and encourage you brides out there that are shy about, feel that your voice is overpowered, or simply do not know how to express or remind your loved ones around you that "I love you and appreciate your opinion, but this is what I love and need you to be happy for me and support my taste and decisions. I need you to be on MY team." YOU are the Bride!

I see a girl every so often "ask for permission" to like something from thier Mother. It is wonderful to have strong independent women in our lives to look up to, but when it comes to this sentimental time in your life, you have to remember that you need to be that strong independent woman that THEY are looking up to.

We as females can be particular, opinionated, overbearing, and a little bossy on occasion, but when you are the on-looker of a bride, these traits have to stay in check! If you and your mom differ in tastes, it would be best it bring a friend with similar tastes with you to narrow your dress selections down before you have that bonding time with your mother and the dress. Or better yet, make this desision on your own to keep your sanity! (Then bring your mom to show her your dress and don't tell her that you picked it without her!)

I have heard brides many of times looking for their second wedding dress saying "You know what, my mother picked out my first wedding dress and now I am going to do it my way!" You would get support from your fiance on this subject. So why does it have to be so hard from your family?

This reminds me of that old saying "HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE!" (Start out on the right foot!)

Shopping for Bridesmaid Dresses...

can be STRESSFUL. Especially when you want to cater to everyone in your party! The best words of advise you can take are this... Shop for your bridesmaid dresses by yourself!

Trying to make everyone happy by asking your entire party to shop with you at once will not only get you nowhere, but will also get you about 10 times more confused on what to get them before you began! Asking them for their opinions and getting them all to decide on 1 dress can be near to impossible and if you give your girls too much say so, they will end up ruling the roost!

The best thing to do is to shop on your own or bring one maid that has the closest taste and style to your own. This will eliminate the "too many cooks in the kitchen" syndrom that will leave you in the "I created a monster" club!

Remember, when you asked them to be your bridesmaid they happily said yes. They would wear a paper bag if you told them too! You are the bride...so they will wear whatever you tell them to wear.

Taking into consideration the different body types your party may have, our Style Consultants will be more than happy to help you chose the right dress or dresses for your party. (We are experienced... so we're pretty good at that.)

Call us today at (719) 586-0006 to set up your bridesmaid appointment.

Having a Second wedding?

Just because this is not your first wedding does not mean you don't have to feel as special as you did the first time!! Live it up! You only have one life! An alternative to wearing white is turning to the other colors in the white family, such as Cream, Ivory, Silver, Taupe & Antique. Other colors can be worn and can symbolize the meanings of marriage, such as Red: Chinese wedding color for good luck, Blue or Sapphire: which symbolizes fidelity or fertility, or Lavender: marriage & good luck. You can wear a small veil if you are wearing a color in the white family to distinguish that you are the bride if you wish, but it is not typically worn. Hair jewelry can take the place of a veil and can successfully distinct you as the bride. The style of dress can be semi-formal or informal. The important thing to remember is that you want to feel and look special and that your guests can tell you apart from the rest of the party! The Groom: Tuxedo, Suit, or Dressy Casual

Bride Expecting Motherhood?

A wedding is twice as joyful when the bride and groom are expecting a baby! Finding a gown can be a challenge but is certainly not impossible. The best cuts to look for are waist lines that are just under your bust, called an "empire waistline". Other cuts can be bias cuts, or corset bodices with functional straps in the back to allow you to adjust the size by how much you tie it up. An "A-line skirt" or full skirt will allow for your tummy to grow. You can wear white or any color in the white family and any length of veil. The original meaning of white now of days has been mellowed out so you can indeed wear white or any color from the white family.

White vs. Ivory

Pure white is the tradition color of the bride, but it does not always look good on everyone. Your skin tone should be a determining factor to weather you wear white or ivory. For someone that is very pail or fair, white can tend to wash you out. For some darker complexions, white is too stark. Since Polyester is a man made fiber, white polyester tends to kick off a blue hue, making it look a bit artificial; "Diamond white" polyester helps to avoid this. In these cases, Ivory will bring out your warm glow. Ivory is a rich color and is a popular color that brides pick now of days. The most beautiful white comes from a white silk. White silk is never a pure white, therefore brings out a clean glow. The color that is the most photogenic is ivory.
The groom: If he chooses to wear white or ivory, he should preferably wear whichever color the bride is going to wear.