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Essense of Australia Mikado gown

Essense of Australia Mikado gown

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Thursday, March 21, 2019

So excited about this Essense of Australia Mikado gown! This lovely woman is a bridal size 24 and has a DD cup bust. She already dresses beautifully and embraces her curvaceous figure. I love the asymmetrical pleats on this bodice - they are very flattering to the waist and bust and accentuate her womanly shape while still draping gently. The fabric choice and internal structure means the bride can get away without a bra, so she can keep the spaghetti straps that make this dress so modern and sexy. The skirt has a single sewn pleat on each side, which again allows the fabric to drape gently across the tummy area. Although it’s a simple design, in this case less is definitely more as the structure and simplicity is what makes this dress perfect.  

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Tropical destination wedding

Tropical destination wedding

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Alteration of the week
This bride had a tropical destination wedding She didn’t want a formal wedding gown but still wanted to feel like a bride. As with most destination weddings, her dress had to be lightweight and cool, travel well without creasing too much, and suit the more casual themed wedding venue.
This dress was perfect. The cotton lace is much cooler in the heat compared to synthetic fibres, and is more robust for travelling. The dress is only lightly lined, and the style more suited to a casual reception.
The only issue was that the bride's hips are quite narrow and her torso short - this meant that the bodice seam was falling underneath her hip-line and the bottom half of the dress looked like a sack. To rectify this I raised the skirt of the dress at the bottom of the bodice, bringing the line up and adding in a stronger curve to the horizontal seam. This meant the gathered section of the skirt flared at the hips, and the seam created a visual illusion of curves.

 

Dress is a design by Besides Couture. These dresses are beautiful budget options, and are all under $2000.

 

Connie

 

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loss of a daughter

loss of a daughter

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Wednesday, March 06, 2019

January is always a busy month for bridal stores. Many brides are starting their dress search after getting engaged over Christmas, while others are finalising their choices, ready for their 2019 weddings.
I’ve been speaking to a lot of my brides lately, and I’ve got to say how privileged I feel to have had the opportunity to work as a made to measure seamstress in my early bridal couture career. This experience didn’t just give me a great grounding in the skills needed to be a successful seamstress, it also allowed me to participate in the Big Day with my clients - traditionally, the seamstress attended the morning of the wedding to deliver the gown and dress the bride and her bridesmaids and flower girls.
These were usually very traditional affairs, and one thing that always stood out for me was the bride’s packed suitcase standing in the hall, waiting for the driver to take her to her new husband, waiting at the church.
This suitcase symbolised many things. The loss of a daughter who had rarely slept away from home, the loss of a sister - and sometimes the little sister’s excitement at finally having her own room! And the beginning of a new, grown-up life with her loved one. Bittersweet.
My modern brides can’t imagine a time when they may have been going off to marry a man they had never lived with. But their mothers and grandmothers still remember!
 

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surprise pregnancy announcement

surprise pregnancy announcement

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Oh my GOSH, Ladies!
We are only half way through January and I have already had three brides call to tell me they have surprise pregnancy announcements!
All very lovely and happy news - I am thrilled for them.
But unexpected pregnancies cause a lot of problems with dress fittings, both before and after the baby is born. First trimester bloating, growing busts, healthy weight-gain, burgeoning bellies! And even if you bounce back to pre-pregnancy weight quickly, bodies are rarely the same shape after growing new life!
So, unless you’re prepared for the added expense of extensive alterations, or even the cost of a whole new dress, maybe keep your knickers on! LOL 🙈
 

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Large bust was escaping

Large bust was escaping

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Wednesday, February 20, 2019

This bride chose the Martina Liana 873 design. It is a gorgeous embroidered lace gown with a high neckline at front and a cut-away racerback designed bodice. She loved the dress, but her large bust was escaping a little at the armholes. Despite this, the dress actually provided great support and suited her figure very well, which is unusual for a high neck dress and larger bust.
I ordered a book-matched pair of lace edging pieces and sewed these to the armhole. This gave us additional coverage where it was needed and was completely invisible. Sometimes it can be such a small effort to see a big change in the way a dress fits!
 

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Dangers of not buying the right size.

Dangers of not buying the right size.

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Friday, January 25, 2019

This bride bought her dress with the intention of losing weight. A new medical condition meant that things didn’t quite work out as we had both hoped. As her wedding got closer I was emailing her to see where she was at and if I could assist at all. I was getting anxious about how much time we had left, so I asked her if could purchase the satin and lace which I would need to alter her dress. At this late stage it was too late to order a bigger size.  

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Tropical Wedding

Tropical Wedding

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Thursday, January 17, 2019

This bride had a tropical destination wedding She didn’t want a formal wedding gown but still wanted to feel like a bride. As with most destination weddings, her dress had to be lightweight and cool, travel well without creasing too much, and suit the more casual themed wedding venue.

This dress was perfect. The cotton lace is much cooler in the heat compared to synthetic fibres, and is more robust for travelling. The dress is only lightly lined, and the style more suited to a casual reception.
The only issue was that the bride's hips are quite narrow and her torso short - this meant that the bodice seam was falling underneath her hip-line and the bottom half of the dress looked like a sack. To rectify this I raised the skirt of the dress at the bottom of the bodice, bringing the line up and adding in a stronger curve to the horizontal seam. This meant the gathered section of the skirt flared at the hips, and the seam created a visual illusion of curves.

 

Connie xo

 

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Only one dress for you

Only one dress for you

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Thursday, January 10, 2019

This bride visited the store three times before finally deciding to purchase a dress from me. She also visited a bunch of boutiques in Sydney and sent me a text on her trip home after yet another unsuccessful day dress shopping.

I invited her back for another consultation, but told her I only had one dress that I was willing to sell her!
The dress in question is beautiful - a heavy laced Gemy Maalouf with a structural peplum skirt and v neckline.
I absolutely loved the dress on this bride - the neckline complimented her larger bust and the peplum gave her hips and defined her waist. Both design details worked together to balance a larger top half of an inverted triangle body shape.
This dress style wasn’t what the bride was expecting to purchase, but it quickly became clear that it was still the perfect dress for HER.
We took these photos at her final fitting - she looks absolutely fabulous in it!

 

Connie xo

 

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Design changes Martina Liana

Design changes Martina Liana

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Friday, January 04, 2019

Hi New Brides.

I've written before about how Martina Liana designers are happy to incorporate changes to their designs if you provide reliable measurements and drawings of your desired changes. I find it an easy process, because I can take measurements and photographs, and just a few days later I get an email confirming the changes or asking for further clarification.
Martina Liana are very accommodating with the required changes, additional charges apply  
 
Connie xo
 

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Proposals

Proposals

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Friday, December 28, 2018

Hi Brides,

Just a little reminder as the holiday period brings us an influx of proposals and excited new brides-to-be...
I will not be able to take appointments with brides whose weddings are further than 12 months in advance. There are many reasons for this, that I have detailed at length in previous posts, but ultimately it is to protect YOU and your money.
I want you to have the best possible wedding day, and buying your dress too far in advance is a recipe for disaster. I see time and again girls who don't fit their dress, feel their dress is outdated, or have bought a dress not suited to their eventual reception venue. Life happens, ladies! And because of the way I operate, 9-12 months is PLENTY of time for special orders and extensive alterations...and most dresses only need to be ordered 6-7 months in advance!
Save yourself the heartache and give me a call a little closer to the date!
Connie xo
 

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Last Trunk Show for 2018

Last Trunk Show for 2018

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Thursday, December 06, 2018

Well that’s a wrap on the last Trunk Show for 2018! It was an extremely successful weekend and it was an honour to get to share it with you all. Thank you for trying on so many dresses and going out of your comfort zone with design choice - it has been immensely helpful for me to see the designs on so many body shapes, and I am thrilled to say many of you ended up purchasing dresses that you would never have otherwise tried on! Congratulations!

It was really lovely having the design team there. They were engaging and knowledgeable and everyone benefited. At the end of the day, they said they were amazed at how far above and beyond I go for my clients - bending the company rules as far as I can to ensure my brides get what they need, when they need it, and the clear fact that I just cannot bring myself to sell a dress to a bride unless it is going to be perfect. A great example of this is one bride who was just 1” too long in the torso for the two dresses she loved. The designer made a few suggestions for how we could hide this fitting issue, but I wanted the dress to look the way it SHOULD look, rather than looking ‘fixed’. I’ve asked the bride to call me back in a few weeks, and if the dress makes the final product list I will ask them to make an adjustment to the pattern.
The trunk show coordinator said that they always knew my brides were special to me, because when I call about their dresses I speak of my brides like they are my friends or daughters. But they are genuinely amazed at just how much time and effort I go to with my personal consults and fittings, and they have said that Wollongong must be very lucky to have such a dedicated bridal boutique. It’s made me feel really lucky that someone has noticed all that I try to achieve!
Connie
 

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Showing my age

Showing my age

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Friday, September 14, 2018

Hi brides, here’s another story showing my age!

I was fitting a bride during the Trunk Show and her mum asked if I had ever lived in Figtree. I had...I actually had a workshop downstairs in my mother’s house when I still lived at home!
The bride’s surname was familiar, and I remember doing a bridal party many many years ago with the same name. I remember the dresses were a dusty pale pink in duchess satin, and the photo sent to me by the new bride confirmed they were just as I recalled.
I made this little girl a beautiful flower dress, and now I am helping her find the wedding dress of her dreams!

 

Connie xo

 

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Boutique Appointments

Boutique Appointments

  •   Connie Di Genni
  •   Thursday, September 06, 2018

Hi Brides!

I often get asked why I only make 45 mins appointments instead of the usual 60 min length. There are two key reasons:
The first is that I believe trying on too many dresses only serves to overwhelm the bride. In the first five minutes of the appointment, I am able to determine what dresses you should try on by speaking to you about the styles you are drawn to, and by assessing your body shape and the style of wedding you are having. That skill in itself means that I can very quickly knock out the dresses that just won't be appropriate for you and your wedding. Some brides still express a little bit of doubt when I explain this reason - they feel that I might limit them and they might miss out on a dress that would have been perfect...but did you know that you have enough time in 45 minutes to try on ELEVEN dresses?!
The second main reason is that, over the years, I have found that 45 minutes is the perfect length of time for appointments with ME. Don't forget that when you visit my boutique, you are having a consult with me on your OWN. I am not tending to other clients, and you are the only one in the store. You will never have to wait for a change-room or a dress to be free. You will have my undivided attention, and frequently I also have my 'shop girl', Emilia, in to assist with hanging up discarded dresses. Many other boutiques book several clients at once, so even if you have a single sales assistant attending to you, you are still required to wait for a change-room to become available.
We decided last Saturday to test this theory, just to make sure I was still living up to industry standards. I made my 'first consult' 9am appointment for 60 mins, and put away my watch. As the appointment came to a close and I was farewelling the bride and her mother, I glanced at the time and we had taken 45 mins exactly! I asked the bride if she had felt rushed at all, or if she wished she could have tried on more dresses, and her response to both was a firm 'No'.
I have been in the industry for my whole career, please have a little trust in me!
Connie xo
 

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