Real Weddings Magazine-The Planning Guide-2019 - Expert Advice, Guest Lists, Wedding TimeLine, Budgets and the Best Sacramento, Tahoe and Northern California Wedding Vendors!

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real weddings | realweddingsmag.com | THE Planning GUIDE
know,” says Fuentes. “You would be
surprised how many times we have
brides looking for a fitted lace gown
walk away with a classic crepe ballgown
and vice versa. We just want
every bride to enjoy their journey
in finding their wedding attire. Your
stylist only wants you to make sure
you rock down the aisle and as long
as you communicate with them,
they will try their hardest to make
your wedding dreams come true.”
Liz Eisen, manager/owner at De
La Rosa’s Bridal & Tuxedos agrees,
saying, “Keep an open mind and
try on a variety of gowns. If you’ve
never tried on a gown, [do so]; you
don’t know if you like something
until you try it on.”
While looking at colors and
styles, it’s also important to be
realistic about what you can afford.
“We do not recommend that a bride
try gowns on that are outside the
budget she has allowed herself,”
says Tracy Lindenberger of The
Clothes Mine. “This generally leads
to disappointment!”
SIZING KNOW-HOW
Designers typically use their own
sizing charts, which are often
smaller than sizes you’re used to
buying off the rack, so a size eight
wedding gown isn’t going to fit you
the way a size eight cocktail dress
at a department store would.
“Once you find your gown, you
will get measured and a gown that
fits the closest to your measurements
can be ordered,” says
Fuentes. “Then, it can be perfected
and fitted during your alteration
process.” Keep in mind that gown
height is also cut for a “standard”
5’7” woman—shorter brides will
need hemming and taller brides
should order an “extra length”
gown.
Don’t rush the process either.
“You are a bride once and the
process can be at times overwhelming,”
says Gianassi Little. “Allowing
yourself time to discover the type of
bride you want to be is critical—every
bride has a love story so allow
your dress to tell a story as well.”
Remember, ordering a gown can
take six to eight months, so be sure
WHAT TO EXPECT
AT YOUR FITTING
1. When you arrive, make sure you have your wedding
lingerie such as bra and panties, as well as the exact shoes
you’re wearing for the wedding (if you have them). Keep
in mind that if you substitute shoes, the hemline might
not be a match for the shoes you do wear to the wedding.
2. Ask if your boutique allows photos. Some do, some don’t,
but either way you need to respect the store’s policies
before you take selfies in your gown.
3. Most of the time, alterations like hemming are extra.
Since they aren’t included in the price of the gown, know
that you’ll pay more for extensive changes such as adding
straps or sleeves or adjusting the neckline.
4. Typically a bride has two to three fittings, so be patient.
During the first fitting, the seamstress will take your
measurements and discuss the alterations you’d like; during
the second (or third) fitting, she’ll review the changes
and make any necessary fixes. For the final fitting, which
is usually a few days before the wedding, you’ll pick up the
gown—pressed and ready to wear.
DON’T BUY ONLINE
Beware of buying a gown off the Internet. “Most of the time,
it’s a knockoff,” says Eisen. “It’s not the same thing and you
need to be aware.” Often the websites will say the gown is
a knockoff of a designer gown. It’s such a big deal that the
real gown manufacturers notify bridal salons about fake
gowns online. The knockoffs “are very deceiving,” says Eisen.
“They’re not what you think.”
When you buy a gown off the Internet, you’re taking a
huge risk. There’s “no guarantee of fit, fabric or construction,”
says Gonzalez. “A bride cannot feel or see what she
is getting. She will not have access to professional staff to
answer her questions, and most likely will not be able to get
her money back either.”
While getting a good deal may seem tempting, be careful.
Often, these dresses are poorly constructed and are low
quality, and you may end up having to pay for very expensive
alterations or buy a replacement gown.
Fuentes advises: “You get what you pay for, so buyer
beware.” A number of things can go wrong with an Internet-purchased
gown. “When a client comes to me in tears
because the dress never arrived and her wedding is fast approaching;
the dress arrived and is the wrong color or size;
or the dress is not the style she purchased,” Gianassi Little
says she goes into “fix-it mode” to find “a perfect dress” for
the bride.
Even if the gown shows up and looks OK, you’ll miss
out on the customer service. “We’ve had a few brides who
bought online come into the store for alterations and were
a little disappointed that they missed the nice experience of
personal help choosing their wedding gown,” Cortez says.
Use the Internet for research only. “Go online and get a
feel for what’s out there,” says Eisen. There are some “reputable
Internet sellers,” says Lindenberger, who finds most of
these sellers are associated with a “brick and mortar” bridal
boutique. “Brides need to thoroughly research the website
and check references other than those listed on the seller’s
website,” she says.
to build that time into your wedding timeline
to keep your dress experience as stress
free as possible.
Even though you want your gown to be
a perfect fit, it doesn’t start out that way.
“In the perfect world, a bride’s dress would
come to fit perfectly with no alterations
needed,” says Gianassi Little. “Something
as simple as shortening a strap or stitching
a delicate belt to the waist, or possibly sewing
in bra cups in the gown are a few things
that are done during alterations. Often the
stress of planning a wedding can cause
changes to a bride’s body shape and all of
this must be handled with delicate care.”
Gonzalez agrees, explaining: “Just about
every wedding gown will need some sort
of alteration. Tailoring forms the gown to a
bride’s specific shape.”
Plan to finalize your alterations about
four to five weeks before the wedding day.
“Don’t procrastinate,” Eisen suggests.
BRING A FRIEND
Make an appointment to look at gowns
so you can guarantee the shop will have a
consultant ready to work with you. Plan to
invite a few pals, too. “As a general rule, a
bride should bring one to two guests with
her to her first appointment,” says Lindenberger.
“Those should be friends or family
whose opinions she values and trusts the
most.”
If someone else is paying for the gown,
you may want to invite him or her as well.
Still, it’s not a good idea to invite a lot of
family and friends. “Too many people can
be overwhelming, frustrating and confusing
for a bride,” says Gonzalez. “Sometimes
the family/friends want the bride to choose
what they want, not what the bride wants.”
BUY LOCAL
It makes sense to buy your wedding gown
locally. You’ll experience superior customer
service, see the gowns in person, and get
to try them on. “Many brides who purchase
their wedding gown online have to spend
more money because they do not get what
a full-service wedding salon offers,” says
Gonzalez, who concludes: “Save yourself
the time, money and stress by shopping at
a locally-owned bridal salon.”
Make appointments at each local bridal
boutique where you’ll work with experienced
bridal gown consultants who will
help you get the most for your money,
and ensure that you find the gown of your
dreams. OO