If you're in the search for a Forever Yours gown- try the Bridal Center in Plymouth. Right now all of their inventory on the sales floor is half off. (The property they are currently located at was sold to Wal-Mart and they have to vacate- the store will be reopening at an unknown time and unknown location- in November.
I stopped by the first day the sale was open to the public- and there was A LOT of inventory! I picked up two matching flower girl dresses, an "after party" dress, and earrings. I might head back and look at the jewelry again- the trip was worth the savings!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
it pays to call around...
I think I may have possibly found the dress. it's so hard to know though. I started calling around to see what other stores carry the dress. plenty of stores. either have it in stock or did but sold it off the rack.
I originally tried the particular gown I am thinking of at the wedding chapel in crystal/new hope. I had a list from the designers website of what stores carry their line and started calling.
Rush's had the dress but sold the floor sample. they asked where and if I had tried it on. I told them the weddding chapel but I wasn't necessarily comfortable ordering from them based on things I had heard. Then, they asked how much the first shop was selling for ans offered to do a price match (as long. as the manager ok'd ). the next day. they called back and said yes. Cool.
I didn't stop calling there though. I also wanted to know who had it in my size or close so I could see how it fit.
I called Dena Marie they had it but no special offers, no price match.
I called bella Bridal in woodbury they had it and provided a price range.
I called Napier- they, I found out later this week are closing in January- which could mean really good deals on closeout merchandise!!! I think i'll stop in sometime to see what they have and see what kind of savings I can find.
the best call I had was to Mestads in Rochester. Since I called, I. was eligible for 15% off if I order my dress the day of my first visit. SWEET! ALSO offered 20% off bridesmaids and w tux order free delivery and on site alterations. how cool!
needless to say, I plan to visit Dena Marie and take photos and hit up mestads with my final choice!
I originally tried the particular gown I am thinking of at the wedding chapel in crystal/new hope. I had a list from the designers website of what stores carry their line and started calling.
Rush's had the dress but sold the floor sample. they asked where and if I had tried it on. I told them the weddding chapel but I wasn't necessarily comfortable ordering from them based on things I had heard. Then, they asked how much the first shop was selling for ans offered to do a price match (as long. as the manager ok'd ). the next day. they called back and said yes. Cool.
I didn't stop calling there though. I also wanted to know who had it in my size or close so I could see how it fit.
I called Dena Marie they had it but no special offers, no price match.
I called bella Bridal in woodbury they had it and provided a price range.
I called Napier- they, I found out later this week are closing in January- which could mean really good deals on closeout merchandise!!! I think i'll stop in sometime to see what they have and see what kind of savings I can find.
the best call I had was to Mestads in Rochester. Since I called, I. was eligible for 15% off if I order my dress the day of my first visit. SWEET! ALSO offered 20% off bridesmaids and w tux order free delivery and on site alterations. how cool!
needless to say, I plan to visit Dena Marie and take photos and hit up mestads with my final choice!
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Monday, August 23, 2010
Things are falling into place....
Today we met with our reception coordinator at the church, got on the Pastor's calendar for our first pre-marital counseling meeting (1 of 3), nailed down the time for the ceremony and reception. Yay! AND since our wedding is on a HOLIDAY weekend- we get to set up the night before! JOY! Stress free wedding day here we come! (Or at least as close as you can get!) It was super important to me to get a few things finalized before the fiance started his next semester of school (TOMMORROW). It's such a relief!
Next.... deposit and contract to the DJ to save almost $500 (Thank you MN Bride Magazine shin dig last fall), set up a time to talk with and finalize day of details with caterer. Once those two things are done- whew- it's like we're half way done!
Next.... deposit and contract to the DJ to save almost $500 (Thank you MN Bride Magazine shin dig last fall), set up a time to talk with and finalize day of details with caterer. Once those two things are done- whew- it's like we're half way done!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Dress shopping with mom...
My mom and I finally got to go dress shopping together. We hit three stores in one day. It was a lot to take in and it's hard to know which dress is "The One". Maybe that means I haven't found it yet.
We started by going to Mary Kay's Bridal and Tux- who recently moved from their Richfield location to St Louis Park. Needless to say- location makes this bridal shop ideal. I had two gowns written down from my visit to their new location. I'm thinking that neither of those is "it" now. I did add two of the new Impression gowns to my list- which I love. Fiorella is unique and very couture.The other I couldn't find on their website. My mom and I spent over 2 hours at this stop. The new location is great- very clean and welcoming. Their old location was tired- the upgrade was well worth it. I hope the move only affects their business in a positive way. This shop allows you to put 50% down on your order and payments to pay off the gown (must be paid off within 30 days of arrival)- which is great- I know I can allow more for the gown of my dreams under this than 100% down at time of order- ouch! The gowns are organized by designer and they don't cut out their labels- you know that you're getting what they say you are.
After marinating over our visit at the nearby Coffee Buzz (they do have delicious coffees and it's a small, locally owned business) we debated whether or not to head north and check out two other shops.
I called Bridal Center in Plymouth and they said no problem- come on up. Sandy was the woman who answered my call and the consultant we worked with. This shop is tired looking. It was very busy with tux pick ups, and gown fittings. This shop baffles me - they cut the tags out of their gowns but advertise their designers on their web page. The consultant asked me if I had any pictures that she could look at for styles that I liked. I broke out my three-ring binder and showed her the range of styles I was drawn to. Then she asked me what size samples I had been trying on. I told her 14-20. Then she was off to pull samples for me. The 14s were not exactly fitting- but the dress I liked the best here- I wouldn't have been given the option to try if I hadn't given her my current clothing size as a starting point. It was nerve racking to have her pull dresses for me- what on earth was she going to pull? Had she picked up on the style elements I was drawn to? After all, when they had a gown that was in my binder in stock she was excited to share that "Ohhh we have that one!" or "We don't carry that designer". My response was- of course you can't carry every designer- that would be crazy (not to mention impossible!) She did pull a gown similar in style to a dress by Justin Alexander (was on the cover of Brides in May 2010). Of COURSE it wasn't exactly the same- but the differences were fairly minimal. This look alike gown was one that I wrote down.... but made me wonder- what does the real Justin Alexander dress cost in comparison?
After we left that store- I wondered if my girlfriend that I had brought there for wedding dress shopping felt the same anxiety I did while the gowns were being pulled. What on earth would THEY pick for ME to try on?! THEY are selecting my gown- not ME. It was all very stressful. The highlight of the visit was when the consultant went for a veil to add that very finished and in my opinion over the top veil to the look. I was holding my breath as she placed the veil on my head- trying to stifle the horror as well as the laughter as I politely explained that veils are not so much my thing and I'm planning on going with a fun comb to finish off my hair. I could feel my mother behind me stifling her own laughter- her face bright red with the knowing look of 'I know that you're not into veils'. Thank goodness my own mother has embraced my dislike for veils and is OK with it! My mother compared the shop to Ma and Pa Kettle- hillarious!
Our third and final stop was The Wedding Chapel in Crystal/New Hope. My first visit here was ok- I had two of my girlfriends with and my sales person was Melissa- she felt like a ball of stress to me and I was under the impression that she didn't like me because I didn't say "yep this is the one' at any point during my visit. My second visit a week earlier- was with Laurel- who was very nice to work with. I tried on a few of the gowns I had written down from my first visit and discovered that I wasn't in love with any of them. When I called this time to see if they could pull the gowns I had written down from my most recent visit- they couldn't find my card. Luckily, I remembered where I had found most of them. I don't think I got all of my "top picks" from last time but most of them. So, now I have THREE cards at this shop. I'm not so sure how much I trust them after that. I had tried to go in one other time to try on the gowns I had written down from my first visit- but after they couldn't find my card that time either I was a no show to my "appointment". I realize that is bad etiquette and all- but they couldn't find my information- that's less than helpful and made me feel like I wasn't a priority. My mother was impressed by the number of gowns they had in stock. She didn't remember the complaints we used to hear of this shop when we worked at Her Special Day or while she was at AJ Bridal.
The gowns I have written down at this shop are:
Dress #1
Dress #2
Dress #3
Dress #4
Dress #5
Any favorites people?
We started by going to Mary Kay's Bridal and Tux- who recently moved from their Richfield location to St Louis Park. Needless to say- location makes this bridal shop ideal. I had two gowns written down from my visit to their new location. I'm thinking that neither of those is "it" now. I did add two of the new Impression gowns to my list- which I love. Fiorella is unique and very couture.The other I couldn't find on their website. My mom and I spent over 2 hours at this stop. The new location is great- very clean and welcoming. Their old location was tired- the upgrade was well worth it. I hope the move only affects their business in a positive way. This shop allows you to put 50% down on your order and payments to pay off the gown (must be paid off within 30 days of arrival)- which is great- I know I can allow more for the gown of my dreams under this than 100% down at time of order- ouch! The gowns are organized by designer and they don't cut out their labels- you know that you're getting what they say you are.
After marinating over our visit at the nearby Coffee Buzz (they do have delicious coffees and it's a small, locally owned business) we debated whether or not to head north and check out two other shops.
I called Bridal Center in Plymouth and they said no problem- come on up. Sandy was the woman who answered my call and the consultant we worked with. This shop is tired looking. It was very busy with tux pick ups, and gown fittings. This shop baffles me - they cut the tags out of their gowns but advertise their designers on their web page. The consultant asked me if I had any pictures that she could look at for styles that I liked. I broke out my three-ring binder and showed her the range of styles I was drawn to. Then she asked me what size samples I had been trying on. I told her 14-20. Then she was off to pull samples for me. The 14s were not exactly fitting- but the dress I liked the best here- I wouldn't have been given the option to try if I hadn't given her my current clothing size as a starting point. It was nerve racking to have her pull dresses for me- what on earth was she going to pull? Had she picked up on the style elements I was drawn to? After all, when they had a gown that was in my binder in stock she was excited to share that "Ohhh we have that one!" or "We don't carry that designer". My response was- of course you can't carry every designer- that would be crazy (not to mention impossible!) She did pull a gown similar in style to a dress by Justin Alexander (was on the cover of Brides in May 2010). Of COURSE it wasn't exactly the same- but the differences were fairly minimal. This look alike gown was one that I wrote down.... but made me wonder- what does the real Justin Alexander dress cost in comparison?
After we left that store- I wondered if my girlfriend that I had brought there for wedding dress shopping felt the same anxiety I did while the gowns were being pulled. What on earth would THEY pick for ME to try on?! THEY are selecting my gown- not ME. It was all very stressful. The highlight of the visit was when the consultant went for a veil to add that very finished and in my opinion over the top veil to the look. I was holding my breath as she placed the veil on my head- trying to stifle the horror as well as the laughter as I politely explained that veils are not so much my thing and I'm planning on going with a fun comb to finish off my hair. I could feel my mother behind me stifling her own laughter- her face bright red with the knowing look of 'I know that you're not into veils'. Thank goodness my own mother has embraced my dislike for veils and is OK with it! My mother compared the shop to Ma and Pa Kettle- hillarious!
Our third and final stop was The Wedding Chapel in Crystal/New Hope. My first visit here was ok- I had two of my girlfriends with and my sales person was Melissa- she felt like a ball of stress to me and I was under the impression that she didn't like me because I didn't say "yep this is the one' at any point during my visit. My second visit a week earlier- was with Laurel- who was very nice to work with. I tried on a few of the gowns I had written down from my first visit and discovered that I wasn't in love with any of them. When I called this time to see if they could pull the gowns I had written down from my most recent visit- they couldn't find my card. Luckily, I remembered where I had found most of them. I don't think I got all of my "top picks" from last time but most of them. So, now I have THREE cards at this shop. I'm not so sure how much I trust them after that. I had tried to go in one other time to try on the gowns I had written down from my first visit- but after they couldn't find my card that time either I was a no show to my "appointment". I realize that is bad etiquette and all- but they couldn't find my information- that's less than helpful and made me feel like I wasn't a priority. My mother was impressed by the number of gowns they had in stock. She didn't remember the complaints we used to hear of this shop when we worked at Her Special Day or while she was at AJ Bridal.
The gowns I have written down at this shop are:
Dress #1
Dress #2
Dress #3
Dress #4
Dress #5
Any favorites people?
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Where to Find: Essence of Australia
Jennie's Bridal Boutique in Rochester
Vowed in Elegance in Mankato
The Wedding Parlour in Grand Rapids
It looks like a road trip might be in order....
I just learned that Jenni's Bridal Boutique in Rochester is having a trunk show in August!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
THRILLED!
Our church gave the ok for our wedding date for both the ceremony and reception! I am SO thrilled about this new development- I was giddy with excitement to receive the e-mail from the building coordinator. Now I can relax about needing to find a contingency reception site- whew! That was really stressful- and was NOT sure what we would find in the metro area that worked with our budget and style.
I took a quiz today about what my wedding style is- I never put any stock in those things but thought it would be fun to see that yet, once again, those dumb quizzes don't work. This one.... was a match! I would say Randy and I are pretty traditional- we both want to be married in our church, but don't need, or feel it's necessary to have a black tie- super-elaborate affair with all the staff or intricate and elaborate details. (You won't find one of those cakes covered in flowers waiting for us to cut into it. Did you know bakeries can charge per flower- making the cost of the cakes RIDICULOUS.) Getting back to my point- the quiz. It was spot on.
T-bear is up from his nap- have to run!
I took a quiz today about what my wedding style is- I never put any stock in those things but thought it would be fun to see that yet, once again, those dumb quizzes don't work. This one.... was a match! I would say Randy and I are pretty traditional- we both want to be married in our church, but don't need, or feel it's necessary to have a black tie- super-elaborate affair with all the staff or intricate and elaborate details. (You won't find one of those cakes covered in flowers waiting for us to cut into it. Did you know bakeries can charge per flower- making the cost of the cakes RIDICULOUS.) Getting back to my point- the quiz. It was spot on.
T-bear is up from his nap- have to run!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Engagement Story
It occured to me that I have failed to post our actual engagement story- so here it is:
For Mothers Day 2009, my fiance took me out to a really nice restaurant- Crave at the Galleria in Edina. (He is very traditional). Friends of ours (Damara and Ilana- thank you so much!) watched our son who at the time was nearly 9 months old. He proposed between dinner and dessert. He hid the ring under my napkin and hed me close my eyes. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Finally he told me to open my eyes- nothing on the table looked different since the ring box was hidden. He had to tell me to move my napkin and there was the blue box which I opened. Inside, nestled a beautiful marquis cut diamond ring with four round diamonds on either side of the band. I didn't say anything- I wanted to hear him say what he wanted to say. I wanted to know that he specifically asked me to marry him and spend the rest of our lives together before throwing the ring on my own finger and saying yes.
Just then our server came up to our table and asked if we were interested in dessert. When she saw the ring she stopped talking and asked "Did he just propose?"
I told her " I think he's getting to it."
She quickly dismissed herself in embarrassment. He told me that we've been through a lot and things have continuously gone better after some hard times and he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. I was so happy, smiling so hard my face hurt. I of course said yes.
For Mothers Day 2009, my fiance took me out to a really nice restaurant- Crave at the Galleria in Edina. (He is very traditional). Friends of ours (Damara and Ilana- thank you so much!) watched our son who at the time was nearly 9 months old. He proposed between dinner and dessert. He hid the ring under my napkin and hed me close my eyes. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Finally he told me to open my eyes- nothing on the table looked different since the ring box was hidden. He had to tell me to move my napkin and there was the blue box which I opened. Inside, nestled a beautiful marquis cut diamond ring with four round diamonds on either side of the band. I didn't say anything- I wanted to hear him say what he wanted to say. I wanted to know that he specifically asked me to marry him and spend the rest of our lives together before throwing the ring on my own finger and saying yes.
Just then our server came up to our table and asked if we were interested in dessert. When she saw the ring she stopped talking and asked "Did he just propose?"
I told her " I think he's getting to it."
She quickly dismissed herself in embarrassment. He told me that we've been through a lot and things have continuously gone better after some hard times and he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. I was so happy, smiling so hard my face hurt. I of course said yes.
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