Happy Anniversary!

Lorna's just passed our one year mark under new ownership and in our new location. What a year it has been!

From the time we opened our doors in Loganville, we have concentrated on how we could better be of service. Our inventory has grown dramatically, we've added "try on" tuxedos, we've stayed with appointments till as late as 10:00 at night and we've worked to give the best possible experience to our loyal customers. (Who might have driven a long distance to get the best modest dress shopping experience around!)

So it feels like the time to say, "Thanks!" to you.

Thanks to our vendors. How refreshing it is that some manufacturers are willing to make such beautiful modest dresses. They are also remarkably willing to help - whether it means making a sleeve longer, a neckline higher or sending a dress hand carried by a seamstress (who was coming to the U.S.) to take care of an emergency. (Yes, that really happened!) Some of the best customer service ever has to be in the bridal industry!

Thanks to all our brides. Thanks so much for the confidence in us and your referrals. One bride said, "I love this dress but I don't know if I should order now. This is the first place I've looked." Her friend (one of our recent brides) said, "Let me tell you something. I've done all the looking so don't waste your time. Trust me, this is the place to buy your dress." Thanks, Jennifer and thanks to all of you who have trusted us for this important purchase and allowed us to enjoy a small part of your excitement. (Maybe that's why we recently sold to the fifth bride in a group of friends getting married!)

Thanks to all the prom, homecoming, cotillion and school banquet customers. You have, each one, been so beautiful and so much fun to watch trying on! It's always amazing how much prettier a dress looks on a young lady - especially one who is making the choice to dress modestly.

Thanks to all our MOBs and MOGs. You're so much fun! (And what stories you have to tell!) One customer came in to say she was referred here for her MOB dress. When asked, "By whom?" she replied, "I don't know her name but after she picked up her dress here she came to our gym and was showing it to everyone and told us where she got it."

Thanks to our tux customers. Great as it is to be around all the estrogen day in and out, guys, for the most part, are so low maintenance! Though it still brings a smile to remember one big bear of a guy who said, "It fits great unless I pull my arms up like this." (Demonstrating a very unnatural movement.) Since tuxes aren't made to be stretchy we suggested, "Uhhh...Then don't pull your arms up like that!"

The list could go on and on naming those who deserve thanks, but we'll end by thanking the Lord for this great opportunity and for His hand in everything. Who can doubt that He is in charge?

Now, if you've read this far, here's our gift to you: if you wish us a "Happy Anniversary" between now and December 31st, 2008, we'll give you your choice of 10% off a dress (not on clearance) or 25% off an accessory item. This is for new, in stock sales only from now till the end of the year and you must mention the special.

Thanks to you all!

This and That

Can it really have been nearly two months since the last post? YIKES! Where does the time go?

We recently developed a list of suggestions for people accompanying a bride selecting her dress:

* Please refrain from bringing food or drinks (except water) to the bridal area.
* Feel free to take pictures. We encourage picture taking and find that sometimes seeing a dress in pictures can help in making the final choice.
* It’s perfectly acceptable to suggest the bride try on a style she may not have considered. Surprising, often a final selection starts with the words: “Would you just try this one on for me?”
* Beyond that, remember to support the bride in her decisions and allow her to choose what’s best for her. Many a well-meaning critique has made a bride doubt what she really wanted-and it is her dress.
* If you would like to touch the dresses or veils, please wash your hands first. (That includes straightening the train.) Most of us don’t realize how soiled our hands can become through day-to-day activities and soil shows on white items easily. We frequently sell off the rack and make every effort to keep our inventory as clean as it was when we first unpacked it.
* We appreciate your desire to help “tidy up,” but part of our service is returning items where they belong and checking their condition as we do so.

We really enjoy having moms, dads, brothers, sisters, bridesmaids, cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, future mothers in law, friends and yes, the occasional fiance in on the fun. We do want things to go smoothly so the bride to gets what makes her happy!

In other "news," we had the opportunity to attend the October Prom Show at the Atlanta Merchandise Mart and to talk to some vendors in respect to the financial aspect of the business in these scary times. It's impressive how they're really trying to hold down prices so that brides can still get their dream dress. In the Spring Bridal collections our prices will start in the $300's (for current, available for order bridal dresses-not clearance or "special purchase") and go up to the extravagent $1000 Eternity dress that we couldn't resist. So something for every budget.

Also, we made the decision to re-qualify to carry Allure Modest Bridal. It must have been wise because something funny happened. A bride from Nashville called and wanted to make an appointment. The main dress she was interested in was an Allure dress and, as she described it, I said, "Oh, I think I may have just placed an order for that dress! And what's more, I just got notification that Allure is shipping me something early. Wouldn't it be amazing if it was that dress you want to see?" Well, guess what came in a few days before her appointment. Yep, the dress the bride was interested in. It was steamed the day before she came in with her family. (And I have to say, it was GORGEOUS-much better even than in the pictures.) She tried on three dresses which she liked okay, but nothing was blowing her away until she tried on the Allure dress. WOW! It was the perfect dress for her - in every way. She looked a lot like the picture on the left - but prettier! It was even the perfect size. Needless to say, she was done! Now, would you say she was meant to have that dress? (Oh, and her fiance saw the dress so we're not spilling any secrets.)

What a great business to be in. Maybe soon you'll be in to get your dream dress!

Previewing Spring 2009

This past Monday it was off to the Apparel Mart to see some of the new fashions for Spring.


The highlight of the Mart was "Eternity." It was great to meet the new head of the company and to preview the fashions for Spring. Eternity is making many changes in the way they do business, not the least of which is the closing of their Internet sales division. To make up for that, we plan to have an awesome selection of their styles for you to view and try on.


As some of you have noticed, Eternity's web-site is still being re-designed but they hope to have it completed in the next few weeks with (also hopefully) the pictures of the new Spring fashions.


Eternity's bridal line was memorable in featuring several sweetheart neckline styles as well as beautiful beading. They have really "pumped it up" as far as their designs are concerned and are approaching a more "high-end" look. They want to be known for "that gorgeous dress," not just "that modest gorgeous dress," so you shouldn't feel as though you're sacrificing style by making the modest choice. One thing I liked (all styles aside) is the design feature of some of their new dresses including generous sleeve seams as well as gussets under the arm for those who need a little extra room through alterations. Good thinking!


Accompanying this is a wider range of price points for their wedding dresses. They are offering their first $1,000+ dress, which was so lovely, we couldn't resist ordering it. For those who are more budget conscious, they are offering a couple of dresses (really pretty, also) in a lower price point than they typically have. Look for Eternity's upcoming ad campaign to run in Brides Magazine.


Their Evenings Collection was fun and sassy. Some are up-dates on favorite looks and some are really fresh new looks. Their fluid charmeuse dresses were WOW! (As well as some really pretty taffeta styles.) The models confided that they loved wearing them! One darling was a versatile short dress of horizontal tucks which would also make a beautiful second or casual wedding dress.


The single fave prom dress we saw may have been one by Allure's "Night Moves." This stunner was a short dress that promises to be a hit! The nice thing about this market with Allure was we were able to see the modest styles completed, as opposed to seeing strapless dresses that they promised to make modest. (It was also an honor to meet the head of the company who was impressive in his desire to offer chic modest fasions.)


We'll probably pass on Bonny's version of modest prom but look forward to seeing their "Bliss" bridal collection as well as the new Venus styles soon.


All in all, not a bad way to spend a Monday off: looking at gorgeous fashions, meeting great people and topping of the day with an awesome Mexican dinner at "Mama Ninfa's.

NEW DRESSES!!!!!!

Before starting let me congratulate my SIL ("I is what I is and I ain't what I ain't") mentioned in my last post. She has recently been hired as a slightly tongue-in-cheek advice columnist in the White County News: "Ask Lula Belle." Congrats, Abi ...uh Lula Belle!

The new dresses from Venus and Bonny have shipped and they are so pretty! No, really, they are! So much so, that I basically sold two of them "out of the box" before they'd even been steamed! All of them have gotten a really positive response from the brides who have been the first to see them.

It's fun to see the styles in person as they were ordered only from pictures. The modest vendors didn't come to Atlanta for the past market. Thankfully, everything looks even better in person than their photographs.

There are a few style trends that are obvious from this new group of bridal gowns. One is BOWS. The dress pictured is by Venus, but they are certainly not the only ones to be in on the new trend. Bonny and Eternity also are using bows this season as an accent. (Though certainly not on everything lest a "bow-hater" out there should start to panic!)

As a bride last week said, "I can't believe I like it, but the bow is so cute!" Bows haven't been really "in" for a while, and that little detail is very "fresh" as well as "pretty."

The other trend in this season is LACE. Several of the "stand-out" dresses have lace, lace and more lace. Rich, beaded lace is so classic and elegant. These fulfil a need that probably wasn't adequately addressed in the last season.

Several of these styles have the "fit and flare" silhouette similar to the dress to the left. This can be so flattering to a wide variety of figure types.

If your dream wedding dress has yards and yards of sumptuous lace, this is the season for you!

And remember, any current dress you see in white is also available in ivory.

So bear with our "mess" as we'll be busy "Oooooo-ing, ahhhhhhhing" and unpacking and steaming for a little while longer. By that time, of course, the new Eternity dresses should be here!

This is what we do

My funny (and very intelligent) sister-in-law has a cute saying, "I is what I is and I ain't what I ain't."

I'm reminded of that saying in the instance of two recent customers.

One lady came in on a scouting expedition for her daughter and asked to see what we offered in bridal dresses. I began my explanation of how we do something different than most bridal shops in that we sell a more conservative, modest dress. All our dresses have a modest neckline and at least a small sleeve. She looked at me with disbelief and asked, "And the reason for this is WHY?" I began to explain that this is our niche to help those who want something different from the traditional, strapless dresses which are quite easy to find. Like I said, I began to explain because at that moment the phone rang and I was pulled away. Seconds later I heard the door close very firmly behind her. "Oh well," I thought. "Not what she was looking for."

Contrast that with a family that came in from South Georgia wedding dress shopping. Mom, Dad and bride were all there. As we walked back to the bridal area, the bride noticed that her father had lagged behind. She called, "Dad, you can come on back here." He replied, "I'll be there in a few minutes." He proceeded to wander and "examine" the store. He looked through the racks carefully. Finally, he came to join his family. He had a look of absolute wonder on his face. He said, "I have to hand it to you. I have been searching this store and looking at your dresses and I can't find an immodest dress in the store! They're all modest - even the prom dresses!"

I had to laugh and to explain that this is what we do and we are sensitive to those who have a desire for something different - something modest. We laughed and talked for a few more moments before "getting down to business" but the conversation stuck in my mind.

The typical bridal shop stocks their strapless dresses and offers to order or modify if you want a modest dress. We stock lovely modest dresses, but we'll order if you have to have strapless!

That's why I will appropriate and slightly alter the statement my SIL makes and say, "We is what we is, but we ain't what we ain't."

Movin' on

Well, as prom season draws to a close, our thoughts turn back to weddings.

This week we had our farthest bride yet. We sold a dress to a bride from ALASKA! (Before that Mississippi held the title. As our Alaskan bride joked, "Pshaw...that's practically next door!")

She had called to let us know she would be in town on business and wanted to see if there were enough "modest" wedding dresses to make it worth driving out to Loganville. Apparently there were because after trying on she narrowed her favorites down to 5, then 3, then 2 until the perfect dress was chosen. And it was on sale! (And honestly, Katie, all the dresses did look amazing on you!)

As much fun as prom has been, I have to say my heart is really into helping brides. There is something so wonderful about helping a woman pick the most important dress of her entire life. The fact that we can provide gorgeous, modest dresses which aren't readily available makes it even more special. It always brings a smile when you see someone not able to make up their mind because they have several favorite gowns in contrast to their previous forays into shops where they were told maybe a dress could be altered to make it modest.

Thanks to Eternity, Bonny, Venus and Allure for providing such beautiful, modest wedding gowns!

Prom, prom and more prom

Kudos to all the young women who have driven sometimes long distances to find a great looking modest dress for your special day. It has been so much fun to meet girls (and women) from all over Georgia. Thanks for letting us in on your excitement! From home school banquets to high school proms: you'll all be beautiful. (Modest is hottest!)



For those who still may be looking for that special dress, it's not too late! We have current styles still in stock and several of our vendors have stock available to ship arriving within a week if your size isn't here at Lorna's.



We have been blessed to have brides from some great distances recently. Congratulations to our newest long distance brides from Mississippi, Alabama, Augusta and Warner Robins, Georgia as well as those more local like Newnan, Conyers, and Atlanta.

NEW FORMALS!

To give a greater selection of formal dresses we are adding Venuses' "Bella Modest Prom." To preview, check out their website http://www.venusbridal.com/ and click on "Bella" at the bottom of the page, then "Modest Prom." There are some really pretty styles at a fair price point. We can't wait for them to arrive in the next week or so!

We are committed to making sure at Lorna's we have the largest selection of modest wedding and special occasion dresses in Georgia.

Wow! It's been a busy month. The 2008 dresses we have gotten in have all been gorgeous!

As prom season is "heating up," let me answer a question that I'm asked frequently. Yes, we are doing a prom registry for the Atlanta LDS Prom to be held at the Ga. Tech Student Center Ballroom. Any dress you purchase will not be sold to an other person attending the prom. It is a large event so there is a chance of someone having the same dress in a different color.

Anyone buying a dress for a different event who would like to have it registered, just let us know at the time of purchase. Right now we have well over 100 dresses to choose from in our prom/special occasion section, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem!

Also, by popular request, we are bringing in a selection of evening bags selected to compliment our beautiful gowns. Check them out when you're next in the store.

New Beginnings!

We're so happy to be in our new location in Loganville. It has been a busy few months!

The new fashions for 2008 have been arriving. WOW! Some gorgeous new formal dresses. The new Venus bridal line has come in and it is fabulous. One dress sold as soon as it came in - before it was even steamed. Another was ordered almost immediatly and there's another bride coming in for that same dress! Pretty details, flattering cuts at a reasonable price. Additional Venus bridesmaids dresses are on their way - this has been a very popular choice amongst our brides - large selection of colors with an array of trendy styles.

New Eternity wedding gowns should be in any day.

Also, we're looking to add accessories like evening purses and stoles for our customer's convenience.

We appreciate our customers who've driven a long way to find the modest clothes they want. Thus far we've had customers from such Georgia cities as: Eastman, Powder Springs, Breman, Tucker, Winder, Stockbridge, Peachtree City, Columbus, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Macon, Dahlonaga, Newnan, Cartersville, Lawrenceville, Snellville, Monroe, Athens Loganville as well as North and South Carolina. Thanks! We do appreciate your business!