EXCITING NEWS!!!

Beginning with the Spring 2011 collections, Lorna’s Bridal will begin carrying Allure “Exclusives,” Venus “Angel and Tradition” and “Venus” as well as Bonny Bridal. Yes, that does mean we will be stocking some strapless dresses for our local customers.

Since its beginning nearly seven years ago, Lorna’s has ordered strapless gowns for brides who have that need. The difference now is that these gowns will be carried in stock – along with our modest gowns – for customers to try on and enjoy.

What will this mean for the "modest" customer? Not much except an even greater selection! We will continue to have the same large selection of modest dresses we now have. This is an expansion, not a replacement.

Can these new dresses be made modest? Interestingly enough, there are some girls who want to be modest on their wedding day but sometimes even prefer the look of a strapless dress they can make modest. Or they may like the look of a dress worn with a bolero. For example, here’s a quote from an email sent by a recent bride: “…while I like both dresses, I really prefer the strapless one. I love the sweetheart neckline…I can always find a bolero.” So, yes. many dresses can be ordered in a "modest version" for an up-charge, (Allure is good at this,) made modest with alterations or you can wear a bolero. One nice thing is that all the strapless or halter Venus dresses that do not come with a bolero, come with a matching shawl which would work well as extra fabric for alterations.

Will your level of service change? Lorna’s Bridal has been known as a great, stress-free, fun and pampering bridal experience. One bride told us, “My friends told me that there are other places you could go to order a dress, but there’s only one Lorna’s Bridal.” We pride ourselves in giving the best possible experience for this special time. This will not change. We will still work off appointments to allow individual attention. Walk-in customers will be seen as there is time available, but no one is more important than that bride that is there shopping for her special day. We are committed that we continue offering that experience.

Why make the change? A friend who owns a bridal shop in Utah that sells “modest” and strapless dresses put it this way, “You know the frustration people tell you about when they have gone into a shop and not found any dresses with sleeves to try on? Well, for your local brides, they have the same frustration if they come into your shop and can’t find a strapless dress they can try on.”

Hopefully, you will be as excited about the change as we are. We look forward to serving brides from near and far as Lorna’s Bridal enters its seventh year!

Serendipity

“Serendipity: a talent for making fortunate discoveries while searching for other things.”

Sometimes a bride knows exactly what she wants her wedding dress to look like. She may have perused sites on the Internet and picked out what she feels is “The Dress.” Other times, life steps in to surprise us and a magical connection is made between a woman and an unexpected choice for a wedding gown.

This has happened at Lorna’s several times recently.

Two brides came in together from Florida. Bride 1 was looking for the total “princess” dress. She wanted pick-ups, lots of beading and a long train. The dress needed to be as full and frou-frou as possible. After trying on several dresses and deciding on some possibilities, we suggested she try on a dress that was recently moved to our clearance section. Though it had a full skirt and lace-up back, otherwise it was pretty simple and classic. She was game to try it, though she was pretty sure it would be too plain. As she walked out of the dressing room and stepped on the pedestal in front of the three-way mirror, a transformation occurred! Tears welled up in her eyes and she said, “I don’t need to look any further. This is my dress!” We all expressed surprise that she was happy with a dress that was so understated, but there was no doubt that it was the perfect dress for her. Her figure looked amazing and she could see how beautiful she looked.

Bride 2 started her shopping next and they couldn’t have been more different! Her ideal dress was going to be a mermaid, little or no beading or ornamentation with a sleek – almost architectural - look. We found several good candidates and finally, she had her quest narrowed down to two dresses. Then it got really hard because she just couldn’t decide. Her mom had passed away when she was young so she didn’t have her to turn to for advice. She texted pictures to a couple of girl friends and walked around feeling stressed and indecisive. Finally, we decided to let her “cleanse the palate” so to speak, and try on something totally different and then retry her two favorites. Just for fun, she wanted to try her friend, Bride 1’s original “ideal dress.” As we were getting the dress on, I whispered to her, “wouldn’t it be funny if you pretended that you loved it and this was going to be your dress?”
Bride 2 walked out of the dressing room, stepped on the pedestal, looked in the mirror and began to cry. At first I smiled, thinking she was putting on a good show. Then I noticed that…those were real tears! The sleek, contemporary bride had fallen in love with a beautiful Bonny dress with a lacey bodice, beading, pick-ups and a darling feminine sash that tied in back in a bow! It was so hard for her to believe, she actually walked around in the dress for 45 minutes (and cryed through an entire box of tissues,) before she succumbed and admitted that it was, without a doubt, the perfect dress for her. When she recently came up from Florida to pick up her dress along with her maid of honor and future mother-in-law, the tears returned. For all who were present, it was obvious that she had made the right choice. In her heart, she wanted to be a traditional bride, after all.

Is it essential to cry to know that a dress is the right one for you? Not at all! This past Saturday we had another “bridal surprise.”

Bride 3 came in looking for a particular Allure modest gown. We didn’t have that exact dress in stock, but we had several that were similar. After trying on, Bride 3 had pretty much decided on a gorgeous gown that was very similar to the one she had come in for. Though it wasn’t her size and we would have to order, Allure had it in stock. We just needed to decide for sure which size to get. There was another Allure mermaid in the store that she had refused to try on earlier. I asked, “would you be willing to try that dress on just to see their fit in that size and, along with your measurements, we’ll know what we should order. She agreed, giggling about the dress, reminding me that she really DID NOT like it, but yes, she’d try it on just for size. As we pulled the dress to try, her sister weighed in. “Are you seriously trying THAT dress?” Again, Bride 3 stated that there was no way she wanted that dress. She was just trying on to judge the fit.

Can you guess what happened? No tears, but once she had it on, Bride 3 walked around in the dress glowing, giggling and admiring herself in the mirror. Her sister said, “I can’t believe how happy you look! You didn’t have that reaction to any of the other dresses.” Bride 3 replied, “I know! I just can’t stop smiling!” After 10 minutes in the dress, topped with the perfect veil, Bride 3 knew: it was the perfect dress for her!

So when shopping, whether for a wedding gown or just something to wear to a formal event, it’s good to leave your options open. You never know when serendipity will intervene to take you in a different – perfect for you – direction!

We're baaaaaack...

Wow, almost a year and NO POST. That's pretty bad!

Times have been pretty eventful including a trip last month to California at the invitation of Venus Bridal. They honored some of their stores as "Elite Dealers" and flew them out to stay

at a southern California resort, preview the Spring 2010 line before anyone else and generally celebrate their 25th anniversary with them.

We stayed at the Pechanga Resort in Temecula. The resort was a huge complex including a casino (not too popular with the modest shops!), golf course, spa and of course, a pool.

The first night consisted of a cocktail party (or a bottled water party, in some cases) which was a fabulous time to meet people from Venus as well as stores from all over the country. (And if you've never seen a sunset in the southern California desert, the Eagle's Nest Club on the top floor is highly recommended as the place to experience it.)
Monday we were privileged to view fashions shows. We began with bridal and there was sure a lot to see! One thing that was interesting was that in their regular lines there were some dresses that bordered on being "modest." Perhaps the pendulum will swing back some day away from all the strapless styles.

After the bridal fashion show (and lunch) they did door prize drawings. Interestingly enough, the winner of the top prize wasn't in attendance when her number was called. They drew another and guess who won? Lorna's received the top prize which was a free bridal gown. YES!
The last fashion show was prom. There were some really pretty styles in modest at very reasonable price points.

We then had the chance to meet as modest dealers and give some input into the bridal gowns. Collectively we agreed on some changes we wanted made including adding a few lace-up backs and in some cases, replacing beading for lace.
After changing for dinner, we headed for the Eagle's Nest again for our last evening together.

Dinner with people from California, Washington, Arizona and Utah.

Sarah from Venus customer service. One of the nicest people you'd ever meet!

Now to digest everything!

Combined with the August show at the Apparel Mart, we've seen a lot! Now to decide who's prom bring in. (And honestly, some company's that we didn't like last year looked pretty good this season.)

If there are any styles, sizes or colors that are on your wish list, drop us an e-mail at
http://www.lornasbridal.com/contactus.html.

We'll try to up-date again soon!

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!