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

Color Choice.........

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend. I know we did!! We are certainly ready for Fall weather too! It is soooooo Hot out it makes it NOT so comfortable to do anything really.

Anywhooo back to reality...... As a bridal retailer we consistently check up on the New monthly bridal magazines. After all that is what typically will set the standard for what girls like and will direct them toward certain trends. This months Brides Magazine.... Focuses mainly on COLOR from accessories to cakes. Its all about combinations of color and how to pair things together. The same concept is definitely relevant to bridal gowns too. Most of the time color is incorporated with little splashes here and there.

Good places to add accented color would be in your Jewelry, Sashes added to the gown(to compliment your wedding colors) or if your are in to shoe dyeing that is an option too. It is always a good idea to keep your colors in mind when choosing your gown..... Color choice can sometimes influence the over all look of your gown.  So be sure to check out http://www.brides.com/ for color combination ideas.

-See you tomorrow,

MdM

Happy Thursday Blog world.....

 Such a busy week it has been......... From events to trunk shows to well everyday tasks at the salon. I hope most of you had the opportunity to come by and see the gowns from our featured designer (Eugenia Couture) over the past week. The gowns won't be with us much longer so If you are interested in seeing some of them don't miss out on the chance this weekend.

*Alert: NEW Window displays will be up and running within the next few days. A hint...... July 4th will be incorporated. Here at Maison de Mode we are crazy about the holidays and our window displays are a great way to emphasize them.

Hope everyone has a Wonderful lonnggggg 4th of July weekend and a great week to follow.

-MdM

Event is Fast approaching

I hope everyone has had a chance to RSVP for our Couture and Cake event!!! It is going to be blasty blast.....

We are in the process of getting everything ready from cleaning, to gown preparation there is definitely a lot to do before Friday gets here. We will be having many more dresses from the Eugenia Couture collection than what we have a majority of the time. So be sure to scroll through her website to get an idea of the current designs and see if her gowns might be what you are looking for. (http://www.eugeniacouture.com/)

Hope to see you there!!!

-MdM

Couture and Cake EVENT June 24th at 6pm!!!!!!

The Paper dress

We have a New store Mascot...I guess that is what you would call it. In an effort to make our window displays eye catching and creative. A dress has been designed specifically for the month of June(will change monthly). What type of dress do you ask.... Well at Maison de Mode we feel it is important to recycle and since we have so many Bridal magazines and they aren't exactly useful once the next month issue comes out, we have a found a way to make them into something rather than just throwing them away. The paper dress is made out of only Magazine pages and creative innovation haha. When you have a moment and are strolling through the village be sure to take a look at this months paper gown.

-MdM

The Lighter side of Summer....

We have finally entered the official summer months..... Which means it is WEDDING season the best time of the year of course, well maybe behind Christmas. Along with wedding season comes HOT Texas weather which seems to have already started to make an appearance. I think the high for today was like 102 which is just craziness, but the heat should be great for venues that are inside. So what do you wear if you are NOT going to be inside on your wedding day but have decided to venture outside because well it won't be that bad.

The designer perfect for a HOT Texas weather (June/July/August and lets be honest probably half of September) would be the lovely Lea-Ann Belter. If you haven't had the chance to try on a Lea-Ann Belter gown well you are missing the opportunity to wear something light and full with no bulk. Lea-Ann does a wonderful job of creating a look of fullness within the skirt but without the weight. There really isn't a more perfect line to wear for a summer wedding whether it is on the beach, at a winery, at a resort, or your back yard. She has a variety of gowns fit for every occasion. 

-MdM

Ohhh Happy Thursday..... We have an Event Update!!!

The store is putting together a variety of vendors for our Summer inspired cocktail party. Which will be held for the debut of the NEW collection by Eugenia Couture. The designer herself will be present to meet and greet during the event.  

We are also very happy to announce that "Who Made the Cake"  (http://www.whomadethecake.com/) will be joining us in hosting the event. They will be holding a cake tasting for both their current and future clients, so it is sure to be a fabulous night of Couture and Cake!!!

We do have a few others vendors in the works.....

But until then, talk to you tomorrow!!

-MdM

A little more Ruching please.....

This week the store completed an extensive inventory check. Part of the inventory check is to determine the consistency of our gown styles. If you are looking Ruching on a gown with a Trumpet, Mermaid, A-line or Ball gown we are the store to visit.

For girls who have been told about ruching but still aren't sure what it is, ruching is the gathering of fabric to one side or consistent folding of fabric in a specific direction. Ruching has become extremely popular and can be found in just about every bridal store. The ruching technique is very flattering with a majority of figures because it is able to pull you in where you want it to or disguise certain aspects of your body.

The girls at the store describe ruching like spanx, it holds you in at all the right places. So if you are feeling self-conscious about certain aspects of your body the ruching direction is probably the right one for you!!

The gown featured to the left is (Fanal-La Sposa)one of our top selling gowns, and is a great example of the ruching concept.

Have a great rest of the weekend!!
-MdM

Does the weather affect shopping ...........

Soooo What do you think? Does the weather affect shopping? I have always found this to be an interesting concept..... The weather tends to have an influence on a majority of things especially on an individual's mood. Are you more likely to purchase or fall in Love with a different gown if it is rainy day vs. a sunny day.

I ask this question because it is a fairly gloomy day here in Rice Village and it looks like a storm could brew any second.... Typically the streets are humming with cars and people and it would take a good 5-10 minutes to find a parking spot. Today that isn't really the case it is quite a bit more calm. So like most people I question what is the cause for the change in the number of people strolling through the village.....

Have a Great Thursday... See you tomorrow!!
-MdM

Gown of the day....

Our gown of the day has been chosen........ (drum rolll please) And the lucky one is Masquerade by Ian Stuart- Bridal. Ian Stuart has a fabulous collection and is very much on the voluminous side of Silhouettes. A majority of the gowns from his collection have very full bottoms, minimal beading and seriously intricate work within the fabric.

Masquerade has an entire skirt and train of flowers which definitely fits our summer Window display theme. If you haven't had the opportunity to come by and see this months concept you should.......

-MdM

Who sets the trend.... the Bride or the Store

Working in a bridal salon you must be aware of what girls are in search of..... determining what they are looking for and buying accordingly is probably the most difficult concept. Only because sooooo many girls are looking for something different. And typically that is exactly how they describe it "I want something different" so it is our job as a store to have that something different. If we don't have it I will help you find it!!( Miracle on 34th street)

Soooo what is that something different??? Just in the last week I have had girls who are requesting a lot of embellishment, some want simple, some want lace, in many ways it is a guessing game not only for the bride but also for the store because you don't know what you want until you see it(in the same way as your groom ;). In order to reach the equilibrium that everyone is in search of you must have a mixture of both classic/traditional and modern/trendy.

The bridal industry can vary quite a bit, when you go to market you see the trends that designers claim to be the trends VS. going home and seeing what girls are buying. Typically what is said to be a major trend might take awhile to actually reach the consumer. More than anything finding the right gown is about mindset and timing. I know many girls last week were frustrated that they have been to a million stores and just haven't found what they want. Nooo worries ladies the perfect gown is out there just as your groom was!!

-MdM

Happy Thursday BLOG World...... New gown of the Day!!

We are approaching the end of the week, well work week that is. So far it has been a crazy week of reorganizing the back office. It is always great to reorganize and find the most efficient way to service our brides. Everyone needs an update now and then......

Since we are are now heading into the two biggest wedding months we have many girls scheduling their final fittings so the store has been buzzing with phone calls, emails, and walk-ins.

Besides reorganizing we are making some NEW changes to the salon like Window displays (themes will change monthly) this is something we are very excited about!! So be sure to stroll through the village bride or not to see what Fabulous things we come up with.

On to our Gown of the Day: St. Pucchi

Many of you have probably seen this dress time after time, only because in 2009-2010 is was absolutely everywhere from postcards to magazine advertisements this was their IT dress. And if I say so myself it is one extraordinary gown and it will take a VERY special bride to wear it.

* it is marked down and on SALE!!!

-MdM

Such a busy tuesday.....

Goodness today has been a busy day, soooo on to our Weekend recap. Specifically a Sunday recap.... It is always really great to see a bride to put on her dress for the first time, not just the sample but her actual gown which she will be wearing in just a few short weeks. Sunday is a typically a very busy Alterations day which are done in house by Brenda who is absolutely wonderful at working with brides to create the silhouette they have been dreaming of.

Since it was a day for 1st time alterations I was able to get our bride Kendels reaction the moment she finally put everything together: the dress, the belt, and the cathedral length veil... It was a pretty amazing look and I think it was everything she hoped it would be.

Hope everyone has a great start to the week, see you tomorrow :)
-MdM

Gown of the Day: Fouette by Ian Stuart

Our chosen gown of the day is Fouette. We have had great responses toward this gown, being that it is one of the newer gowns to the store it is on one of the main mannequins and has gotten a lot of attention from individuals passing by. The gown is a silk taffeta that has an extraordinary color combination, the ivory fades into darker latte like color which then makes a swirling affect through the bodice and the train. As a customer described for me it is a very sophisticated gown. I have always said every gown has a personality and has a specific girl that it fits best, almost in the same way as picking the groom.

In this case I believe the customer was correct in saying this gown is sophisticated and meant for a girl who is looking for something elegant and body conscious to show her figure off perfectly.

Kate and William a wedding to remember

Sooo I am sure everyone is aware of the wedding festivities that occurred this morning. Prince William married the lovely Kate Middleton. After the months of anticipation every thing came together Fabulously, with the bride wearing a gown by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen. The gown was very understated and classic, consisting of a lace bodice with high neck and fuller skirt. With the assumption that Kate might of chosen Sarah to design her gown I was expecting something a little more extravagant after all she is from the House of Alexander McQueen. So in seeing the final product I pleasantly surprised by the end result.

I have a strong feeling girls will be coming into the store in search of lace gowns and cathedral length veils. But we shall see if the wedding world is highly influenced by Kate's choice as it was when Diana married Prince Charles. Celebrities and Royalty have a very big influence on brides to be...... Don't you think?!

-MdM

Hello Blog world..... It's Maison de Mode

Maison de Mode is making a change....... In realizing that blogs are now one of the most dependent sources available to brides, in our crazy fast world there is no longer a waiting period. Brides want information now, not when the next issue comes out. That being said blogs are able to offer the bridal industry instant gratification when it comes to Fashion Shows, Bridal News, and Bridal Trends.

Blogs are likely to post information as it is actually happening!

Maison de Mode has joined the Blog bandwagon and we hope that you will enjoy the ride with us. We are very excited to allow brides to peek inside our crazy world as a Bridal Retailer.