Small Boutique Vs. Large we carry every designer store

Within the last week or so I have had brides come in for their appointment surprised by how different the atmosphere is here versus their previous appointment. Not sure which stores they visited prior but many of them have had the same comment that the larger store that carried many designers and had a very large selection and was very overwhelming . The brides that were sharing information with me regarding their crazy experiences at previous stores mentioned their were a ton of appointments all at once, it was crowded and chaotic.

Brides should consider when scheduling appointments what type of store they envisioned buying from. Not to say anything is wrong with the larger stores with a vast selection....They have a lot to offer brides. I like to think that smaller boutique like stores provide one on one consultations, it is more intimate in the sense that we really want to grasp what it is you are looking for and do our best to find it.

Tip #1: for every bride is to try and schedule appointments during the week. The stores will be a lot less crowded and you will have an opportunity to have the full experience with out feeling overwhelmed. If you must schedule for the weekend pick odd times like the first appointment available or sometime later in the day.

Tip #2: Many times you can feel overwhelmed and very stressed if you decide to bring your whole entourage.... Sooo that being said I typically recommend that your first appointment is when you bring all of your friends/family that way you get to test out styles and kind of get an idea of what you like and your friends feel involved. Thennnn when you are really serious about looking you bring the individuals that mean the most and whose opinions you really value.

Hope my tips have been helpful---Happy Dress shopping!

-MdM

Victoria, Texas Bridal Expo

If you had attempted to come by the store on Sunday you would of noticed that we were closed due to the Bridal Expo. Maison de Mode was invited to attend and represent the David Tutera by Faviana collection. David Tutera is the host of My Fair Wedding w/David Turtea and he was the guest speaker for the Expo.....The ladies of Victoria, TX were veryyyyyy excited he was in attendance.

Isela and Myself arrived at the show bright and early Sunday morning to begin work on our booth/table. Not to mention we were also in charge of putting on a fashion show featuring his collection..... For those of you that don't know what the Victoria, TX bridal expo is: it is basically a smaller more intimate version of the Bridal Extravaganza. It is a small collection of local vendors that have been coming together for 14yrs to offer their brides a glimpse into what fabulous things are available locally.

We ended up having a great table location meaning we were next to the food vendors :).... We also had the pleasure of attending lunch with David and few of the ladies who were in charge of putting on the show. After lunch we continued on with the show, sadly we were unable to listen to David's speech because we were preparing the models for the Fashion Show which happened directly after he was finished speaking.

The fashion show was a success and a great ending to the Expo. Sorry I don't have more photos..... Hoping they will be posted elsewhere by someone else and then I can add them here :)
-MdM

Busy Month.... New window displays are up for viewing

So the month of August has kind of taken off.... I guess since a majority of people are done with summer and heading back into the classroom or office they have gotten back to wedding planning.

We have a lot of girls that are really on the ball in terms of searching for their gowns in advance(Summer 2012) while we also have girls who are shopping a month so prior to the actual date. For girls who aren't sure of what time they should start looking keep in mind a majority of stores are going to tell you it takes 6 months to get the gown in unless it is a special circumstance. * I consider most gown miracles to be possible.

We have New Fabulous Window displays up..... The theme for August is Flowers. While making them I realized that the poster board I used was multi colored so it created 2 flowers at once. Which turned out to be fabulous once I started hanging them and they began to spin uncontrollably. Hope you will take a stroll through the village to see the August theme.

-MdM

The Minimalist

                                      So I typically will try to include everyone in on what seems to be a trend here at the store. In the last few weeks I have seen a pretty drastic change when it comes to brides wanting a certain look.

The Change: simple destination gowns.....

Don't get me wrong our store is primarily filled with gowns that are on the simpler side of the spectrum with a few outlandish ones here and there. There is a BIG difference between wanting something simple and wanting something more destination appropriate. The simple we are referring to today is the destination type. Just within the last week or so I have had many girls asking for Nicole Miller. Nicole Miller gowns can be described as simple, sophisticated, easy going, and for some reason I think breezy(hence the destination description). Her designs are perfect for the beach or even just a smaller more intimate ceremony. The Nicole Miller bride, is probably best describe as a minimalist they DON'T like the fluffy, princess gowns, nonsense, they want the focus to be primarily on them almost as if the dress is their accessory. Every girl has a different vision for what her wedding will be like, and I think that if every girl wanted the same thing well the bridal industry would be quite boring..... Diversity is a wonderful thing, so feel free to MIX it up ladies!

Have a Wonderful Week

-MdM

David Tutera Appearence

 Happy Thursday everyone!! Maison de Mode will be attending the Victoria, Texas Bridal Expo the weekend of August 21st to put on a fashion show for the David Tutera by Faviana bridal line. David himself will be in attendance to give a short presentation about event planning, following will be the Fashion show for his lovely collection.

We are very excited to be participating, we will also have a booth so girls are able to take a look at the dresses up close. The gowns will be available to try on at the store a few days prior to the Fashion show so be sure to book your appointment ahead of time because they will only be with us for a short period of time.

We are definitely looking forward to a fabulous turn out of brides to be.... Hope to see you there!!!!!

-MdM

What if your dress was an explosion of flowers...... Introducing Flower Bomb

The store tries to carry a variety of gowns from simple to crazy extravagant.... Since the ideal dress for a every girl varies you must carry a combination of gowns that will please the girl who is looking for something simple and one that is looking for a show stopper. Today's blog is about the show stopper.....

Introducing: Flower Bomb by Ian Stuart

This gown is anything but ordinary. Flower bomb is definitely for a specific bride and client. The top is a dupioni ruched and embellished bodice. While the bottom is really the attention catcher. The dress really does the name justice. The bottom is literally full of different flowers, leaves, tulle, and slivers of silver netting. If you are in search of a couture gown that is sure to take your guests by surprise then this is the dress for you.

Happy Wednesday

-MdM

Which Accessory???

So from time to time I will scroll through the question board on theknot.com...... It is a great indication of what girls are searching for at that moment and what they are having the hardest time with. Today's topic of discussion is Accessories.. One of my favorites!! Only because well depending on the dress the accessories really will play some sort of role on your special day. That being said I have a few tips that might be helpful to all of those brides who are deciding between shoe styles, earrings, to wear a bracelet to not wear a bracelet, or should I wear a head piece. If you aren't one of the brides that already has a very clear idea of the look they are going for then well you are going to get overwhelmed when it comes time to pick accessories.

Rule#1: Do NOT wait until the last minute to pick accessories. The last thing you want to do is be forced to pick something because you are simply running out of time and options. I typically will tell brides that once their dress comes in and they come to try it on is the perfect opportunity to also schedule a full appointment so you can have accessory assistance from a bridal consultant.

Rule#2: As every girl has heard less is more. Don't over accessorize just because you think that is the standard. If you don't like accessories to begin with then stick with what works for you and pick the minimal options that fit your personality best. If you have seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and how Toula comes out looking like a snow beast then you know what I am referring to. Accessories should be a reflection of your personality.

Rule#3: You don't have to wear a necklace, earrings, bracelet, etc. Accessory choices should be based around what you like to wear but also something that compliments your dress. For instance: if you have a heavily beaded sweet heart shaped bodice you probably should shy away from a necklace and think more earrings. You don't want to take away from the natural appeal of the dress.

Rule#4: If you have a family heirloom accessory that you for sure want to incorporate, then that should be one of things you take into consideration when choosing your gown. Many times girls will order the dress and once they start to test the KEY accessory they realize it doesn't go and they aren't sure of what to do. To prevent this from happening BRING the accessory w/you while trying on dresses so you can test it right away. Regardless of whether or not you know if the colors will match.... Colors can appear different depending on the lighting.

And Finally Rule#5: Don't stress over finding accessories to go with your dress...... If you for sure have something in mind it might be a better idea to find what your looking for before you find the dress. If you give the consultant an idea of what it is your looking for *bring pictures she will be much more helpful rather than trying to explain exactly what you are going for.

I hope these tips will take some of stress out of accessory purchasing * It is ALWAYS better to start early when looking than to start looking too late. :)

See you tomorrow,
-MdM