Your Wedding Advice - StrictlyWeddings.com Blog

Jenny Packham Spring/Summer 2012 Collection

What an amazing Spring/Summer collection from Jenny Packman that was inspired by the glamor of vintage styles from the 20s, 30s and 40s. Packham drew her creative inspiration from the lightness and ethereal beauty of nocturnal butterflies and their gauzy,intricate wings. White and opal colored beading and embellishments in addition to the more traditional rhinestone and crystals, give some of the gowns a soft, white-washed feel.

Packham’s Nuptial Headdress 2012 collection includes grand pieces thаt аrе ornate wіth vast sparkling crystals, pearlescent sequins, seed beads аnd black solid crystals. These gorgeous accessories can compliment an array of styles including romantic, retro, smart οr traditional.

Packham is a British fashion designer known primarily for her bridal gowns and ready-to-wear collections. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge wore several Jenny Packham dresses during her tour of Canada and Los Angeles in July.

Special thanks to junebugweddings.com

The Opera Collection – Wedding Gowns with Operatic Flair from New York

StrictlyWeddings.com was contacted by Gilles Montezin a New York designer, originally from Paris, who wanted to be one of our exclusive bridal gown partners. We’re still in the building stage for New York, but wanted to share some of the designer’s work from his Opera Collection with our fans.

The Gilles Montezin bridal collection pays homage to the art form of opera by bringing together a complex combination of drama, sensuality, femininity and emotion; all of the characteristics found in the most beloved operatic productions. Based on a design philosophy that focuses on the curvature of the female body this collection features classic couture tailoring. This collection also introduces an optional body shaper Le Cinch™; an abbreviated interpretation of the traditional corset that nearly doubles its predecessor’s figure-enhancing effects. Le Cinch accompanies every dress in the collection so every bride can achieve the perfect hourglass silhouette with unprecedented comfort. The fabrics of each dress are manipulated to produce textures and opulence rarely found in bridal attire. The romantic silhouettes are designed to accentuate and celebrate the female form.

Keeping within the tradition of Gilles Montezin ready-to-wear, signature details for each dress include antique lace linings, intricate hand stitching, elaborate construction and lush fabrics. Creative Director, Gilles Montezin believes everything touching a woman’s body must be beautiful inside and out. The collection is designed for the discerning, sophisticated bride. Sizes are available up to 18W. Larger sizes are available via special order.

Tips when purchasing your wedding gown

Your wedding is nine months away and you decide to start searching for your perfect gown. You walk into a bridal store and start talking to one of the salespeople. They ask you for your wedding date and you tell them. They immediately tell you that you will need nine months in order to special order your wedding gown. Is this true? In most cases, this is not true. The bridal shop is telling you that just so you will panic and place your order that day. This also helps them in stopping you from looking at other bridal shops. Don’t ever be bullied into buying your wedding dress on any given day. You might have found the dress of your dreams but give yourself a little time to think about it. You are making a big purchase for a special day and you need to make sure that this is the dress. Once you buy your gown that is it. Most shops do not allow returns or money back especially on special orders. Once you put money down on a special order, the dress is yours.

What to know

The majority of manufacturers require 8-12 weeks for a special order unless you are making drastic changes to a dress.

Most manufacturers will allow you to lengthen a train, shorten a train, take off some beads, or add beads. If there is something you would love to add/change to your dress just ask the salesperson. Not all manufacturers allow this but some do, so ask. If a bridal shop gives you a delivery date of 6 months or more then I would be very careful.

You have decided on your perfect wedding dress and now it is time to order it. First of all I would pay one one-half of the deposit. If the shop asks for more than that then walk out. You do not want to put more then half down on something you do not yet have in your hands. Also if the wedding is cancelled, you have lost only one-half the cost of the dress because remember deposits on special order dresses are not refundable. Also, I suggest you put your deposit down with a credit card. This way if anything happens like the store closes down or never places your order then you have a way of getting your deposit back. After you place your order and put your half deposit down, make sure you get a receipt. Also make sure that they write down the style number, color, and size down on your copy as well as the store’s copy. This way you have proof of what was supposed to be ordered.

After you place your order, call the store after a few days and get an estimated delivery date. This way you can be sure they ordered it. These are estimated dates not actual dates. No one can give you an actual date. This is the real world and things do happen. Make sure you right this date down on your receipt along with the day and person you spoke with.

Here’s a trick … if you have plenty of time provide a date that is one month before your wedding date. This will help to reassure you that the dress will come in plenty of time before your wedding. If your wedding date is 4 months or less away, then you cannot do this because you will incur rush charges.

How to make sure your dress is new

You’ve found your perfect dress and although the store has the exact size and color in stock you decide you want to order your dress new from the manufacturer instead of the store’s sample. You make your down payment, the dress is ordered and you have an estimated delivery date. The bridal shop calls you to tell you your dress has arrived and you go in to try it on. Before you even try it on you notice makeup stains inside the bodice of your dress and the underskirt looks as though it has been dragged across a dirty floor. Guess what? It’s a sure bet that your dress was never ordered and they are passing off the floor sample as a new dress. At this point you should point out the problems to the shop. Refuse to take the dress and demand they order you a new dress. Never take the dress out of the store and expect to come back later to show them the problems. Once you take a dress out of the store, the dress is yours no matter what.

If your dress came in from the manufacturer stained or dirty you should have no problem requesting a new one. If, in fact, the store never ordered you a new dress and are trying to pass the floor sample on to you, you have every right to demand your money back or if it would satisfy you, to have the store clean it at their expense. Always make sure you go into the store as soon as you can when your special order dress comes in. This includes bridesmaids’ dresses as well. If you go in immediately then you can still get the manufacturer to replace the dress if anything is wrong. Usually most manufacturers give the shop one to two weeks to notify them if something is wrong. After the certain time frame there is nothing you or the bridal shop can do to request a new dress if something is wrong.

So, if possible, plan you wedding 8-12 months in advance so you have plenty of time to select and order the dress of your dreams.

Need advice or guidance, contact one of our StrictlyWeddings.com partners. Gown designed by Elizabeth Fillmore.