To Veil or Not Veil ...

Have you been wondering if you should wear a Veil for your wedding ? Well why not wear one is the question. A veil finishes the over all picture for the bride in her beautiful gown. However if you are just not sure there are many options now in the Veil and head piece world. There are what we call cage veils. So fun and feminine with a touch of fish net tulle and then you can have a flower, or cap on top with feathers or rhinestones or whatever. Or you can just use a flower clip in your hair, or pearl pins or the ideas are endless. Use a short veil in the back of hair with a tiara on top. BTW a tiara can be very simple and lovely, it doesn't have to be a huge beauty pageant winner thing, ick.

So just remember to try on lots of different head pieces and styles of veils and see what looks good with the coveted dress you have chosen and then feel beautiful and look complete on your special day. Don't forget to smile and enjoy it all ....

Online buying, How safe is it?

We have a great online store for modest dresses called www.TotallyModest.com . We also sell online from our store website www.BoulevardBridal.com . If you are planning to purchase your wedding dress or bridesmaids etc. online you may want to know a few things first. Is it safe to buy theses items online and what is the return policy?
We get alot of questions and concerns about this so we felt this a good time to educate you about it.
First of all its always best if you can go to a bridal store in your area to purchase but we realize not everyone has a store close by. Not only that but if you are looking for a "modest gown" with sleeves etc then most stores do not carry those types of gowns.So ordering online becomes more favorable if you choose a reputable company.
What do we mean by reputable? The online store should be located in the USA for the best experience and have what we call a "brick and mortar" or a physical store as well, as most manufactures will not sell to online companies only.
That is your first clue as to if they are an authorized dealer or not. You need to know how long they have been in business and how long selling online. For us its over 17 years. Then you need to check their happy customer status. Many companies claim they have all happy customers but sadly it isn't always true. So how do you find out the truth about a company?
Well there are a couple of ways. While we don't particularly endorse these you can check the BBB online for their ratings of a company or there are now websites that offer reviews of many companies. One of them is called Ripoff report.com . There are others as well . Go to any search engine and put the company name in for a review.
Its not uncommon for a company to occasionally have a few unhappy customers as things happen and some problems cannot always be avoided.
The second clue is to see how the problem was handled and or rectified. If the company did their best to make it right then we would say they are probably trying to be a good company. If they have too many bad reviews then something is definitely wrong and you should be skeptical of doing business with them.
They should have all their polices listed on the site as to returns and shipping fees and an FAQ page. Most online stores do not take returns on wedding gowns like we do so you will want to know that upfront. Please read all the info on the site to be safe.
Another big problem is purchasing online from China direct factories. Theses sites bypass the US manufactures but copy their dress pictures and claim to make them for a fraction of the cost. The number of these sites going up is alarming and these sites do not have stores and are not located in the USA. We have had many customers come to our store in tears about a so called designer dress they ordered online for a couple of hundred dollars, thinking they were saving alot of money , only to find the dress is not the right size, color or even the same style that they supposedly ordered.
The dress is made of the poorest quality fabric and stitching. The customer then has to purchase another gown in our store in a hurry as the wedding is now too close to order one in.
While we are sympathetic to this problem we can't help but wonder why the customer would not check out the online place better before ordering with them. There are many sites now exposed for ripping off customers so please be aware of this and don't get caught up in the super low price scam. Check out this site for more info
http://www.replicagowns.blogspot.com/
The old adage still applies.
If it looks to good to be true then it probably is !
We hope this gives you some food for thought when ordering online.
If you have any questions or comments about this blog please let us know :)

Whats New for Bridal in 2011

Just got back from the annual buyers market for bridal and let me tell you the new styles are fabulous !

Get ready for lots of ruffles and layers. FuFu dresses , thats what I call them, are on the rise .
Flowers everywhere, including one shoulder strap gowns, absolutely elegant and different.
Lots of lace everywhere as well.

Another new look is the high waisted ball gown . Saw these in every fabric including organza , taffeta , silk , satin and tulle. Many had beaded or crystal waist appliques or a belt look. Very retro but I loved it.
Pull out your big hoop slips ladies :)

Many dresses had tiny flowers all over the skirt or clustered flowers in various places. All white or ivory or two tone colors accent the already gorgeous gowns.

Of course the mermaids and fit in flairs are still very popular as well and many had more adornment with beads , rhinestones and or crystals to give a new exciting look.

Jewelry was another fun suprise. Big is in, huge clustered pearls in all colors with crystals in between and huge earrings and bracelets . If you like bangles and bobbles then now is the time to get in on the fun.

Tiaras have slowed a bit and now but combs,flowers and feathers are being shown in the hair with or without a veil. Personally I like them with a veil as it finishes the look.

So now that you have the latest news we hope to see you in the store so we can deck you out in the latest styles and have a great time seeing what works for you.

see you soon !

Finding the Perfect Dress

How do you know when its the one?

There are many clues that will help you to know you have found the dress and can then quit shopping and make that purchase.

Here are a few to help you make that decision.

1 You usually don't want to take the dress off. You run you hands up and down the sides.
You stay in front of the mirror just admiring how it looks on you.

2 You will feel special or different in it.

3 It makes you tear up a bit. This doesn't always have to happen but if it does condsider it a definite clue. Hint, if others tear up, that is not a clue becuse you need to love the dress first and foremost above what others think.

4 Its the first dress tried on and you "just know" its the dress . You have a good feeling about it.
Believe it or not this happens alot. You should go with your gut if it does.

So if you think you have to go to 100 bridal shops to find "the one" don't waste your time . Trying too many gowns on can dull the clues because too many choices becomes too confusing making it hard to remember what you did like in the beginning.

Keep it simple and look for those clues to help you make your choice and you will be sure to find the perfect dress for you!

We All Want To Be Beautiful !

While serving brides for over 15 years I have come to know that every Bride has a desire to feel and look beautiful on her wedding day. So how do we make that happen?
First of all I have to say in order to feel beautiful on the outside it really helps if one has developed the confidence she needs on the inside to help make this happen. Sounds a little cliche I know but its true. When you feel beautiful they generally look beautiful.
Now our job in the bridal industry is to enhance that natural beauty by helping you find the dress that fits your idea of what beautiful means to you.

We are all different sizes and shapes and not every dress we try on will enhance the figure as it should. That is where we come into the picture. Those that are lucky enough to be naturally tall and thin look good in most styles while those that are short and thin or stocky or full figured need to know what style looks good on them.
Here are a few tips that may help you.
1)A mermaid fitted dress on a short or stocky person may be risky as it can accentuate a more negative view by making the hips appear larger. However if you like that look then a compromise for a drop waist to the hips with a flared skirt might be just the ticket to give your body shape the length it needs and slimming look while also giving a bit of fullness to cover the hips.
2)The full figured girl may need to go for a princess line that has seams offset in the middle sides of the dress . This gives a smooth line and lengthens you giving a lean look.
3)A wrap over one side dress that A- lines down is another great and flattering style on just about every body shape.
4)A really tall girl that wants to even out her height might try an empire style that will cut across the high waist and give an illusion that she's a bit shorter then she is.
There are lots of tricks to looking good and there is nothing wrong with seeking for the best possible look.
FINALLY, before shopping for the dress think about the styles you wear now and what clothing you get the most compliments on as those items are probably the ones you are choosing well for your figure . Then see if you can incorporate that into the style of the wedding gown and of course we can also assist you in that area as well.
Remember though that beauty really is an internal thing and if you are happy and doing good things then your beauty will naturally come out in the dress of your choice. Stand tall and have confidence and know that you are loved for who you are now .