Shopping around... for a reception venue.

If you're a bride that's spent any time looking at reception hall information- specifically the minimum costs...it can be a bit overwhelming to think about spending $10,000 for the food and drink minimum for your reception. Wow- $10,000? I almost want to say "Can I work for you reception hall? I've been in and out of work- laid off 3 times since '06 and trying to put together an economical but still fabulous wedding is a bit daunting.

I've found a few options for our modest budget - Elsie's in NE Minneapolis for example- no room rental fee and a food and drink minimum of only $2,000. I still have to see the space- I've been to Elsie's- to bowl and for the bar. It's a fun place and would definitely make for a fun time- especially for those non-dancers out there. This is a definite stop on the reception spaces-to-review list.

I still think it would be easiest to have the reception at the church- the fewer things to worry about the better...and a lower price tag as well. That approval can't happen until May though so I'm doing as much research for what our contingency plan may/could/will be as possible.

New Bridal Boutique in Minneapolis!

A new Bridal Boutique is opening in Minneapolis in November 2009. How thrilling!

The name: POSH Bridal Couture

Where: Semple Mansion at 100 W Franklin Ave, Ste 200, Minneapolis, MN 55404

Open: By Appointment only- so call 612-599-5759 to schedule!

Designers they carry:
Janelle Berte
Alisa Benay
Kelly Chase Couture
Lila Couture
Posh Signature Line

I'm just giddy with excitement!

Where to Find: Alisa Benay

Beginning in November 2009- one Minnesota Retailer will carry Alisa Benay.

This is exciting because it's a new shop and Alisa Benay designs look great on her web page!

The lone Minnesota shop where you can find her designs is~
Posh Couture in Minneapolis

Where to Find: Mori Lee

Mori Lee is a more economical wedding dress line. Prices start at the low $200s and up to the mid $1000s.

These stores in Minnesota carry Mori Lee:

Specialty House Bridal- Alexandria

Angelique's Bridal - Blaine

Belles and Beaus - Austin

Bridal Details - Omaha (yes Omaha, MN)

Bridal Impressions - Marshall

Chapel of Love- Bloomington @ the Mall of America

Formalities - Bemidji

Fun and Fashion - Mankato

Glenrose Florals to Formals - Plymouth

Glitz - Bloomington

Heartstrings Bridal - Hopkins

Jenni's Bridal Boutique - Rochester

Krousey Country Wedding - Little Falls

Lorraine Shop - Mankato

Mestad's - St Cloud and Rochester

Monique's Bridal - Roseau

Mrs. B's Bridal - Owatonna

Princess Bride of Duluth - Duluth

Princess Bride of Hibbing - Hibbing

Rush's - Minneapolis

The Bridal Gallery - Mankato

The Prom Shop - Byron and Rochester

The Wedding Chapel Inc - Crystal

The Wedding Parlour - Grand Rapids

The Wedding Shoppe - St Paul

Weddings by Deb - Faribault

Weddings By Tess - Apple Valley

Weddings on First - Willmar

Mary Kay website

The Mary Kay Cosmetics web page has a great tool that gives you a makeover. It's not just a makeover though- you can add accessories to create your wedding day look! It's so much fun to play around with the colors, application techniques, hairstyles, colors, and accessories. It's so helpful to visualize your wedding day look!

Call to Bella Bridal in Woodbury

Yesterday, I was in Woodbury and I called Bella Bridal on a whim. I was in town for a job interview and thought- I can at least call, check the hours, see if I could walk in. I called at 4:45 or so and was told that there was basically no way to get in to try on gowns as they had a few appointments already. I was also told that they like to have 90 minutes set aside for each appointment and since they close at 6pm- that's really not enough time. Ok, fair enough. I was told I could come in and look around but there was no guarantee I could try anything on.

This is a great example of why you need to call before you go to a store. I thought - oh it's a Tuesday- they probably won't be busy. I was basically discouraged from coming in. They were polite about it- so that was nice. I didn't go because of the discouraging comments.

Where to Find: Moonlight

Moonlight is a moderately priced bridal gown line. It's one that the shop I worked at carried. They have some very lovely designs and I'm surprised more shops don't carry them in Minnesota.

The shops that do carry Moonlight (and the specific lines are in parenthesis) are:
Rush's Bridal- Minneapolis (Bridal, Tango, Bridesmaids, Enchanted Veils)
Fun and Fashion- Mankato (Bridal, Tango, Bridesmaids, Enchanted Veils, and Mariposa Q15)
The Wedding Shoppe- St Paul (Bridal, Tango, Bridesmaids, Celebrations)
Red Magic Bridal- Cloquet (Bridal)
Napier Bridal - West Saint Paul (Bridesmaids)
Mary Kay's Bridal- Richfield (Bridal, Tango, Bridesmaids, Enchanted Veils)
Elegant Affair- Fairmont (Prom)
Milton's Bridal- St Paul (Bridal, Tango, Enchanted Veils)
Xtreme Bridal- Medford (Tango, Bridesmaids)
Silver Rose Fashions- Cloquet (Bridesmaids, Mariposa Q15)
Bridal Loft- Virginia (Bridal, Tango)
The Bridal Boutique- St Cloud (Bridal, Tango, Bridesmaids, Celebrations, Enchanted Veils, Prom)
Bella Bridal Boutique- Woodbury (Bridal, Tango)
Alan Evans Bridal- Moorhead (Bridal, Tango, Bridesmaids, Enchanted Veils, Mariposa Q15)
Ronda Jean's Bridal- Brainerd (Bridal, Tango, Bridesmaids, Mariposa Q15)
The Loraine Shop- Mankato (Bridal, Tango)
Satin and Silk- Byron (Prom)

Where to Find: Peter Langner

Peter Langner is a high end wedding gown designer. His designs in Minnesota are exclusive to L'ATELIER COUTURE BRIDAL BOUTIQUE

It never hurts to ask...or to shop around...

I received a follow up thank you e-mail after my visit to Dena Marie. I wrote back and asked if the Joli gown I tried on, in the size I would have ordered, could be purchased off the rack and whether or not a discount would be given. They responded, no the dress was too new to buy off the rack and no discount would be given. Dresses can only be purchased off the rack when brides are "in a pinch". OKAY, fair enough- but it never hurts to ask.

Knowing after I looked at the Jolie web page and posting which shops carry the line- I decided to check The Wedding Shoppe's web page. Here, I found the same gown for over $100 less than at Dena Marie. Interesting- I wonder what the tag in the store reads if they have it in stock...

Note to self- compare The Wedding Shoppe's online prices with the retail prices of their sample gowns.

Appointment scheduled at Rush's!

I was on the Rush's web page the other day and I noticed they are having one of their 50% off sales. Needless to say, I was thrilled at the prospect of finding an expensive gown for not-as-much.

The Rush's sale is a one day only event on November 29, 2011- the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.

I called this afternoon and requested to try on gowns for this day. I had to hold and speak with a woman named Linda. Linda is in charge of the scheduling for this. If you're interested in going to this sale- here's the skinny:

1. Appointments are 45 minutes. Period.
2. The appointments fill up quickly because it's a one day event (that I've heard only happens once in a while)
3. You party size is limited to 4 people.
4. Dresses are current styles- not discontinued gowns- but purchasing at this sale is only for what is in-stock. Orders for gowns will not be taken at the 50% off price.
5. Most of the in stock dresses on sale are size 8 or 10 but they have sizes 6-16 available.
6. The sale includes 400-500 dresses.
7. No new gown designs for 2010 are included in the sale.
8. Once you set your appointment they ask for your name and address- you get a card that acts as your ticket in- don't leave home without it- just like your visa card.
9. If you need to cancel- call- but this is just common courtesy.

I've heard wonderful things about this sale on the online communities such as theknot.com- one bride found the gown she loved by Pronovias at this sale and would not have been able to afford it otherwise. Or maybe it was that she didn't want to pay full price.

FREE Meet Minneapolis Wedding Planner Assistance

Meet Minneapolis is the fun name for the Minneapolis Visitors and Convention Bureau. I find its cool to find out about new and different things to do in your own backyard by visiting this site and sites like it. What I noticed from doing the beginning stages of wedding planning- is they have a wedding planner on their staff. Having filled out the form, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect- would it be a barrage of harassing sales calls-
"Pick me!"

"NO! Pick me!"

"YOU WANT US!"

The thought made me cringe.

What happened instead was nice follow up e-mails with a lot of information that I could read at my leisure and add to my categorized spreadsheets while watching "The Amazing Race" online at cbs.com.

So far, this service has been great- saves time, saves money. I"m liking it.

Another great aspect of the Meet Minneapolis wedding planner - it's FREE. The catch is that you have to inform the wedding coordinator of how many rooms you booked and where. It helps keep the service free and the bride and groom are also entered in a Minneapolis weekend getaway. And for your out of town guests- you get 10 visitors magazines free- that is a $50 value according to the e-mail I received after I registered.

Where to Find: Jolie Bridal

Jolie Bridal is synonymous with simple elegance. They use terrific fabrics and single, statement details. I've found with their dresses that there are some retro elements that are included.

You can find Jolie Bridal in Minnesota at:

Bella Bridal in Woodbury
Dena Marie Bridal in Roseville
Jewel's Bridal Boutique in Delano
Little Bridal Shop in Rogers
The Wedding Parlour in Grand Rapids
The Wedding Shoppe in St Paul
Vowed in Elegance in Mankato
Wedding Connection in Forest Lake

I have done a price comparison of the above pictured dress between Dena Marie Bridal and The Wedding Shoppe. The Wedding Shoppe's online price is over $100 less than the Dena Marie price listed on the same dress in the store. Hmmm interesting.

Bridal Party- Aftermath Benies

So the Bridal Party came and went last month. It was fun, overwhelming, educational, and nice to get a lot of things out of the way. Again, meeting a lot of vendors at once was a huge time savor. I hope to attend more events such as this one- but may try the Twin Cities Bridal Show or The Affair instead.

I've noticed that some of the vendors offered discounts via e-mail from attending the Bridal Party. For Example:

10% off with Cocoa and Fig
15% off at Grace Bridal Boutique

Keep in mind, they know who attended the Bridal Party and will know if you're lying or not I'm sure. It's nice to know that they thought of something like that after wards. I'm definitely going to head to Grace Bridal Boutique now!

Review: Dena Marie Bridal

I visited Dena Marie Bridal on a whim yesterday- Sunday. Maybe it wasn't such a whim as it was the fiance was watching the football game and I could go try on gowns without worrying about having junior in tow. (I can't imagine that would be easy- especially alone!) I took our son with once before to try on gowns- but I had help with me- he was still crawling all over the place and being a baby- which is what he is.



Since I visited on a Sunday- I called before I arrived to make sure I could get an appointment to try on wedding dresses. Getting in wasn't a problem- the fall is notorious for being the start of the slow season in the wedding world. Since Dena Marie is one of the few stores open on Sundays- that was also helpful. I think that since the majority of bridal salons are not open on Sundays- it is probably an overlooked day for brides to consider visiting. I basically had the run of the store.



The ladies working at the shop were all very nice and welcoming- and best of all- not pushy. Since it was slow I didn't have to compete for a mirror or a fitting room. The number and variety of dresses was great. This shop will tell you who the designers are- they don't cut out the tags and they let you see the catalogs for the dresses. So for example, when I wanted to see what the back of a dress looked like when it fit properly, the lady helping me found the picture in the catalog/magazine.



I have to admit- going alone to try on dresses was a bit.... intimidating? strange? different? I think I was concerned about being the bride without an entourage. I found that the staff was completely willing to help me regardless of how many people were in my party. I had imagined myself the sad, lonely bride with no one to be there with her. Ultimately, I found it was easier to go it alone.

I tried on nearly 20 gowns I'm sure. Dena Marie also had some different looks that I hadn't seen so far in my gown search. The dresses are not kept in plastic bags so it is easy to see what exactly you're trying on before you commit to taking a dress to the fitting room. (This happens to be the way my previous store displayed their gowns as well- on hangers but sans the plastic bags. Yes, plastic bags have the advantage of maintaining a clean dress, however- the chemicals from the bags can deteriorate the quality of the fabric- so there is a down side to them.)

The woman who was assisting me was affirming of my own opinions without being over the top. This meaning, I never felt like she was saying things or telling me things because it was what I wanted to hear. She contributed her opinion in a fair and just way. While working with her- I should just say her name is Barb- she made suggestions based on the things I had tried and liked and in a few instances provided affirmation before I made it to the mirror. We were very in line with our thinking- which was great. It made the shopping experience fun- even alone. I forgot about being alone- and it also made me think about what my genuine opinion of the dresses were without other voices in my head.

In the end, I thanked Barb for being so nice to me- even though I was there alone- saying that she thinks it's easier. I would have to agree. ]

I look forward to returning to Dena Marie Bridal for a second look at what I've picked out so far.

After my visit- I received an e-mail the very same afternoon from Barb. It was a nice short note thanking me for visiting and offering to answer any questions about anything or vendor information and feedback if I need. I'm very grateful for this because there are SO MANY vendors out there to choose from! And as I mentioned in my initial posting- I'm fairly skeptical about the online opinions out there- how do you know if it's a legitimate client versus a competing store/ vendor?

Direct from my e-mail

Now through October 31, 2009 you can rent both a chair cover and sash for $1.50 each.

Heartstrings Bridal

1605 Mainstreet

Hopkins, MN 55343

952-932-9090

www.heartstringsbridal.com

Direct From My E-mail

Call The Wedding Chapel and make an appointment for Sunday, October 25, 2009. Here's the e-mail and why:

The Wedding Chapel Bridals

SUPER SUNDAY

October 25^th, 2009

Open 12 Noon until 9p.m.

7201 Bass Lake Rd

Crystal, MN 55428

(763)535-4228

Call NOW for your Appointment!

Open House Specials

There will be Drawings for Prizes!! You DON’T want to MISS OUT!!!!

We Look forward to seeing you there!!!

Below is the ticket you fill out and bring with you to your appointment anytime this week! The Drawing will be held Sunday Oct. 25^th , 2009:

Where to Find: Emerald Bridals

Emerald Bridals can be found in Minnesota at:

Jackie J's in Alexandria
Simple Elegance in Brainard
Bridal Elegance by K. Elizabeth in Cloquet
Sisters in New Ulm
Mestad's Wedding World in Rochester
Little Bridal Shop in Rogers
Monique's Bridal in Roseau
Dena Marie Bridal and Tux in Roseville
Mestad's in St Cloud
The Wedding Shoppe in St Paul
Touch of Class in Starbuck
Our Shop in Stillwater

What they Carry: Dena Marie Bridal

Dena Marie Bridal and Tux - This bridal salon carries a number of designers that I have not seen at other shops. The * means they are some of my personal favorite lines.

Wedding Gowns:
-Allure*
-Anjolique
-Casablanca*
-Emerald Bridal
-Joli*
-Jasmine
-Mia Solano
-Pattis
-Raylia
-Sienna Cole

Bridesmaids:
After Six
Alexia
B2
Belsoie
Bill Levkoff
Dessy
Jordan
Wtoo

Ordering online....

I'm not a huge Internet purchaser- but given the opportunity to get sample items for favors- I had to bite. Exclusively Weddings allows you to choose the box and ribbon colors you're interested in. Hopefully, in a few days I'll have my self-made "favor kit" that will allow me to mix and match the potential color schemes that we have narrowed down for the wedding and reception.

After I was done finalizing those selections- I moved on to the Get Married web page. I spotted a wedding planner that I was interested in. None of the planners I've found in the stores have been what I've wanted- so maybe this one will be it.

We'll see what happens and how it goes. I've heard not-so-great things about some wedding favors and things found online. Hopefully the samples will be fabulous and the planner just what I want.