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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Have you already bought your dress from me and now coming in for a your alterations fitting? Don't forget to bring your wedding shoes and your wedding bra!
I can't pin up a hem without the right shoes, unfortunately. 'Near enough' is just not good enough for me, so we'll need to reschedule if you forget
or haven't bought them yet.
Connie xo
The Dilemma...
How many people should you bring dress shopping?
Made to measure was easy - it was you, the mother of the bride, and the bridesmaids. It was already pre-decided because these women were the ones getting
dresses made for them! Oftentimes even the bridal party wasn't present when the bride was getting her dress made; the dress would be a surprise
for EVERYONE on the day!
But times have changed, and I see a lot of people come and go through the boutique. One mother recently commented that her other daughter arrived at
her consult with a whole entourage of guests, and by the time they visited a few stores and she had heard a dozen different opinions on every dress,
she wasn't even sure WHAT she wanted. In the end, the ended up regretting her dress purchase.
Well, the younger sister is getting married now, and this time around it is just her and her mother coming in dress shopping. Her mother said "I will
be honest with her - because what mother doesn't want her daughter to look fabulous and be happy on her wedding day?"
What are your thoughts on this? Are you going to surprise everyone or did you bring support along to your fittings?
Connie
Remember how we all had points in our sleeves in the late 80's? Well, they're back! They've been given a streamlined, modern twist and they are showing up all over the catwalks and industry shows.
The mother of this bride laughed "I had this same lace peak sleeve on my dress back when I got married!"
Connie xo
Alteration of the Week - Design Changes
This bride wanted an on-trend 'cold shoulder' neckline. This design detail combines a high neckline and sleeves with cut-outs over the shoulder and
is a great way of showing off a shapely upper body.
I don't have anything like this in the boutique, but I mentioned to the bride that Martina Liana designers are happy to do custom design changes with
enough notice. I knew the bride had missed the main cut off date for this, with her wedding being held in July, but thought she may have made it
with enough time to pay the express fee. We tried a few dresses on and decided that the Martina Liana 948 was the best option for such a significant
alteration.
I called the Martina Liana head office while my bride was in-store; unfortunately she had *just* missed the cut off for the express fee. I spent a
little bit of time troubleshooting the issue with the designers and they suggested that I take on the customisation myself! What a great idea!
The designer sent extra lace and tulle for me to use when creating the sleeves and, because the dress was already racer-back, the customisation
went smoothly.
1.I removed some of the lace detail from the front and back of the bodice to create a sharper edge
2.Removed swirl appliqué from the back illusion tulle
3.Added sleeve to bodice underneath the arm
4.Left sleeve trim at the bottom in swirl design with a downward peak at the back of the wrist
Check out the before and after photos; they are AMAZING!!! The bride is happy, so I am happy. This is why I don’t do alterations for brides that haven't
bought their dresses from my boutique - by dedicating myself to my own girls, I can have enough time to take on larger alteration projects like
this one!
Connie xo
Alterations Before and After
The number of comments that my alteration 'before and after' pics generate just goes to show how beneficial it is for brides to see how alterations
take place in real time, on real brides.
This dress is the LM 2839B LM by Lusan Mandongus. It has a straight cut skirt lining topped with an A-line lace overlay, which simultaneously creates
a sleek hourglass shape with a soft 'flowy' touch. The bride was specifically looking for a dress with a high neckline and a low cut back.
Being a shorter bride with a typical apple shape, the detail at the satin pleated waist band worked well to accentuate her waistline and soften the
fall across her hips. Being a winter wedding, the bride preferred sleeves, so I ordered extra lace and added 3/4 sleeves.
To provide bust support, I removed the back fastening of her bra and sewed the cups and side structures into the dress.
Connie xo