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 appointm
ent. 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!
