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Reflections on 2018 and Wishes for 2019

 

At this time of the year, we want to take time to reflect on the thousands of brides who said YES to their dress at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo! It’s been our great privilege and honor to help our brides feel like they not only found their dress, but that they were served with love and knowledge from our kind-hearted team.

To the brides and grooms of 2018:  Thank you for entrusting us to be a part of one of the biggest events in your lifetime. Working with each one of you has made our mission of offering high quality bridal wear and top notch service worthwhile and enjoyable. We wish all our brides and grooms of 2018 a lifetime filled with happiness and good health.

To the brides and grooms of 2019: January kicks off a brand new bridal season, and we are preparing for the newly engaged couples who we will be meeting in the New Year. If you’ve been recently engaged, then you will be in full planning mode within the first couple of months of 2019, and we hope you include an appointment at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo. A few of our hand-picked designers include Casablanca, Kitty Chen, Sincerity, Moonlight, Jessica Morgan, and more. We are excited to see who we will get to meet and help prepare for your wedding day. Be sure to call or text our store telephone number at 215-491-8500 to make your bridal or tuxedo appointment as soon as possible as our calendar is already filling up..   Of course, you can always make your appointment online by clicking here.

To all our lovelies who have already said yes with us for your 2019 wedding, welcome to the family! We will take amazing care of you,  Most of you already know that you can text our store telephone number with any questions.  The owners will personally answer your texts whether the store is open or not!

We offer over a hundred varieties and styles of tuxedos featuring Michael Kors, Ike Behar, Allure, and others. Grooms and groomsmen will look their best in the latest tuxedo colors, styles and fashion. Our specially-trained tuxedo specialists are ready to help you suit up in style. Enjoy your complimentary Groom Try On to see the look in  person and fitted to you. Even more new styles at always amazing prices for 2019.

To the Prom Goers of 2019: January also kicks off the season for prom planning. Come on in and check out our beautiful prom gowns featuring the latest colors and styles from Jovani, Faviana, Clarisse, Primavera, and more! We have already received our first shipments of Prom wear and our Prom Consultants are ready to help guide you to your perfect dress! Also, we offer excellent options and discounts for the young men who will be attending prom.

As we prepare to ring in the New Year, we thank all who have supported us over the last six years and made Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo a multi award-winning small business in Warrington, PA Bucks County.  Cheers to a wonderful, healthy, and joyous 2019!

Happy New Year from our family to yours.

 

 

A Wedding Dress Shopping Story

by Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo’s Lead Stylist Suzanne Ardite

Congratulations ~ You’re engaged! You are about to embark on one of the most joyous and daunting journeys of your life… planning your wedding. There are so many things that will require your attention and planning skills in the next few months. You will hear and read so much advice on wedding planning that your brain may overload. And, one of the most anticipated and heralded moments in your journey will be finding THE perfect dress.

But, before you start pinning those dresses on Pinterest and making those appointments, you may need to contemplate what kind of bridal appointment you wish to have that will help you accomplish your goal. This blog tells an actual story of one of my recent brides so settle in.

Who Am I?

My name is Suzanne Ardite and I’ve been fortunate enough to work as a Bridal Consultant for many years and in many states before finding my newest home at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo. I have seen attitudes toward fashion and function change with regard to the bride’s gown and the nature of bridal appointments has changed along with it.

Not that long ago, bridal gown shopping was exclusive to the bride-to-be, her mother or grandmother. Perhaps a Godmother or sister would attend the appointment. It was this core group that joined the bride and offered their opinions. Now, with the advent of popular reality shows like, “Say Yes to the Dress”, appointment dynamics have really changed.

Many appointments are a full bridal party event, bringing very large groups and some complete with alcohol. Some guests wander off during the appointment, pull dresses that the bride has no interest in (“Oh just try it on for fun!”), is over budget (“Just try it, it’s so gorgeous!”), or they attempt to accessorize dresses the bride doesn’t like (“Try a veil with that one!”)

This is not how you initially shop for the most special garment of your life.

Let’s Talk About The Search

Your dress is more than just a garment to be worn on your wedding day. The “modern” bridal gown is imbued with a traditional mystique that harkens back to Victorian England. This creation of silk, tulle or lace has the power to convey your identity and personality to all gathered. It creates ambience and whispers of the overall theme of your day. It speaks of sophistication and elegance. It shares your sense of whimsy and fun, all while flattering your silhouette and inspiring awe. That is a lot to ask from a dress.

It’s with these thoughts in mind that we, as bridal consultants, do our very best to provide you with our undivided attention, knowledge, and expertise to help guide you to the one particular dress that will make heads turn, remain in your guests memories, and most importantly, be the one in which you go from Miss to Mrs.

Case In Point

One of my recent brides, Carly, was married in November to her wonderful fiancé, Jim. She looked absolutely phenomenal in a gorgeous, customized, ivory-colored Casablanca tulle and re-embroidered lace gown. But, she was only able to find her dream dress after readjusting her appointment priorities and focusing on her objective.

Carly is an admitted people pleaser by nature and one of the nicest people you could meet. Wanting to make sure everyone felt included, she brought her entire bridal party to her initial appointment at a big box store. What she expected would be a magical day turned into a huge disappointment which left her full of confusion.

Her group was trying to be helpful of course and she didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings so she continued trying on gowns pulled and suggested for her that she knew she would never consider for her special day with Jim.  Carly tried to ask her stylist for help in what would look best, but the consultant was working with multiple brides and could not focus on her. She continued trying on dresses that others liked, waited for mirror space and the consultant’s attention.  Feeling overwhelmed, Carly decided that if she were to find the gown of her dreams – the gown she wanted Jim to see her in as his bride – she needed to rethink her appointment parameters.

An Appointment With Intention and Focus

For her appointment with me at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo, she chose to limit her audience to her amazing mother, Petrina. During our quiet, intimate appointment, we were able to target what Carly truly wanted in her dress.

We discussed her wedding venue, theme, color pallet, and the overall aesthetic of the day. We narrowed down the most flattering silhouettes to compliment her figure. After we accomplished this, we were able to narrow down her choices further. Could she dance in it? Would she be comfortable in the gown for her long day? What dress color would compliment her skin tone best and photograph well? Would she need foundation garments or special alterations to customize the dress to her specifically? Could we make custom changes to make it absolutely perfect for her? These are all critical topics that needed to be addressed with intention and focus, with every bride.

At the end of our 90 minutes together, Carly was able, confident, and delighted to say “YES” to her dress… and enjoy a champagne toast and shed a few very happy tears!  For a stylist, sharing this moment is incredibly special.

A Better Way – The “Reveal”

You may find as a bride that you are sometimes put in a precarious position of having to meet other peoples’ expectations even though it is your special day. Some brides feel obliged to acquiesce to others on dress choice, but placating other people does not always translate to your satisfaction or happiness.

Of course you want everyone to have a special part in seeing you transition from daughter, sister, cousin or friend to bride. This can be accomplished with minimal effort and will satisfy everyone’s desire to have a part in your big day.

After you have said “YES” to your dress and the gown arrives from the designer, we will schedule you for your Bridal Gown Try-On Appointment. This is a very special appointment at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo because you are trying on your dress. We refer to this appointment as The Reveal!

During your Reveal appointment we encourage you to bring in your bridal group!  You can finally share with everyone your dream dress and your vision for your big day. It is a wonderful way for your nearest and dearest friends and family to participate in choosing the finishing touches to complete your wedding day ensemble. It is at this appointment where you may find that incredibly special “something old” or “something borrowed”! Everyone gets to participate in your final touches, take pictures, and see you transition to a bride in YOUR dress, that you chose, and your party will see it is the perfect dress for you!

How Many Should I Try On?

Are you indecisive? The more you try the harder it will be.  Are you shopping too early? You may wish you had waited for the newest inventory.  When you find a dress you love, that checks all the boxes, say yes with confidence.

“Oh, but you can’t say yes yet!”

Why? If you found a dress you love that checks all the boxes, everyone loves it, and one person says, “You can’t say yes yet, you need to sleep on it.”  Why would that one person tell you not to say yes and put doubt in your mind?  Because he or she doesn’t like it?  Because you aren’t capable of making the right decision, after you and your stylist found the exact dress you described?

Now you leave, confused and disappointed, thinking you must not know what you’re doing (why didn’t she like it, I loved it) or you must have looked bad (she thinks I’m in the wrong style). Our stylists would never pull dresses that don’t flatter you. Bring a smaller group of those whose opinions you trust, trust your stylist, and ultimately, trust yourself!

The Moral

You know when you know. You will have that moment, you will get chills, you just might start to cry. Your smaller group of loved ones will support you completely. When you know, say YES! Once you do, all of your other details will fall perfectly into place and your vision will become clearer.  Now it’s time to move onto a bridesmaid appointment and there you can kick back and enjoy being a bride-to-be!

Make your appointment with Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo online.  Our family-owned Warrington PA bridal & tuxedo shop will take personal care of you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tips for Styling Bridesmen and Groomsmaids

Couples choose their closest friends and family members to stand with them on their wedding day. Just because some of the bride’s closest friends are men doesn’t mean they shouldn’t stand on her side, and the same goes for the groom’s female friends. Although not the norm, it’s become more and more common to see mixed bridal parties composed of traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen in addition to “bridesmen” and “groomsmaids.” These tips will help couples choose the appropriate attire for their bridal party.

Attire for Bridesmen

A woman in a suitLadies looking to include bridesmen have a number of fashion choices to choose from. There’s the standard suit, which doesn’t necessarily have to match bridesmaids’ dresses but shouldn’t match the tuxedos worn by the groomsmen. Alternatively, a matching suit of the same color, material, and style as the bridesmaids’ dresses creates a more cohesive look on the bride’s side. A third option chosen by some brides is to have bridesmen wear the same tuxedo as groomsmen.

Fashion for Groomsmaids

There are even more fashion options for ladies standing with the groom. The most popular option is the groomsmaid dress, which is a formal dress that’s different from the bridesmaids’ dresses. It’s typically darker in color to match the groomsmen’s attire but sometimes plays off the bridesmaids’ colors. Another popular and fashion-forward choice is to have her wear the same suit or tuxedo as the other groomsmen. A few more options include a dress that perfectly matches the color or style of the groomsmen’s outfits, a pantsuit similar (or not!) to the groomsmen’s look, or a formal jumpsuit with a slightly masculine touch.

We’ll Help You Choose Your Look

One more popular option that some couples are choosing involves each bridal party member loosely matching. For this look, each member of the bridal party matches the wedding’s color palette, but each person—whether on the groom’s side or the bride’s—chooses his or her own look. No matter which option you choose for your wedding party, you’ll find gorgeous bridesmaids’ dresses at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo that also work beautifully as groomsmaids’ dresses. We also have tuxedos from leading designers like Michael Kors and Ike Behar for every member of the bridal party. Call/text us at 215-491-8500 or schedule an appointment online at our Warrington, PA store.

Worry Free Wedding Dress Shopping

You may have heard the news:  David’s Bridal has recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  We have brides coming to our store who are worried to purchase a wedding dress from David’s Bridal given the company’s financial difficulties and imminent store closures.

While they say there will be “no disruption”, filing for bankruptcy is the writing on the wall. Remember the brides who lost their deposits and never received their wedding dress from Alfred Angelo and the independent, local Ashe B. store that abruptly closed with no warning?  David’s Bridal filing for bankruptcy is the warning.

As an independent store, we are always heartbroken for brides who find themselves in that situation.  It is very stressful planning a wedding, and you need someone to take care of you, not make you worry.

The Writing on the Web

We figured something was up with David’s Bridal when we began seeing their corporate headquarters on our company website on a frequent basis.  Why would an international, multi-location company,  owned by a hedge fund, need to watch what our family business was doing?

They were watching us.  The only reason they would want to see what we are doing is to copy the recipe. Confident they can never copy our customer service, our commitment to our employees, nor our passion, it ended up making us laugh whenever we saw them back in, poking around.

We are family owned; they are owned by a hedge fund.

We are about people; they are about profits.

Two huge differences that cannot be copied.

Some of the other big box menswear stores are also showing signs of financial troubles.  They are having a tough time maintaining adequate inventory and choices. Two of them offer a total of 9 tuxedos and suits for rent.  Nine?! Again, all about the profits.

We offer 100! We are very happy and very proud to accommodate our customers.

Another unfortunate finding recently was when we came across a local store selling second-hand wedding dresses at higher prices than buying the dress new. That is a scam. Do your research on your vendors and don’t get burned.

Who We Are

We are a family-owned bridal and tuxedo store looking to give our customers a memorable experience.  Sure we could employ some of the financial tricks that others do to increase profitability and margins, but that’s not who we are.  We aren’t trying to squeeze profits to please the shareholders. We are committed to the bridal business for the long run and our reputation matters. In fact, our reputation has put us on the map.

When you come to our store, you will never be pressured.  From our founding, we made a decision to not compensate our employees with sales commissions so there is absolutely no incentive to pressure you to buy or spend beyond your budget for your wedding dress or tuxedos.

We are committed to offering high quality products for all budgets and are constantly researching brands for quality and value. Weddings are expensive and we promise to provide the highest quality for the price.

We support our family with this business and are proud to serve the community.  We are not a franchise or a chain. Darianna is the combination of our daughters’ names: Daria and Deanna. You may even have Daria as your bridal consultant!  Deanna, a little too young still, is not far behind!

We care about you and your wedding day. This is not a job for us, we live and breathe it. We are committed to building this wonderful and fun business the right way.

Direct Access to the Owners

You have direct access to the owners, almost any time of day.  You can text our store telephone number at 215-491-8500. The owners, husband and wife Wendy and Franco, will personally answer your texts, whether we are open or not.  Go ahead try it now!

Awards, Reviews, and Accreditation

When we say do your research on your vendors, we are serious!

Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and have an A+ rating.  We even have 5-star reviews on the BBB site. Google  “Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo” and see our reviews on Google, Facebook, the BBB, The Knot, Wedding Wire, and Yelp.  We were even featured on the TLC wedding show Say Yes: Wedding SOS. Take a look at our Rave Page to see some of the many awards we have won, most recently 2018 Pick of the Knot, and our 5th straight win of the Casablanca Bridal Diamond Award.

We Are Committed to You

Unfortunately, some businesses fail.  Brides and grooms need to feel confident with and be able to trust the bridal and tuxedo store they choose.  Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo will build that trust with you from the time you text us, to the time you walk into our doors, and ultimately walk down the aisle.

Bottom line: We are here for you.  We will take personal care of you and you will have a lot of fun visiting us.  No worries!

Thank you for supporting our small business!  Make your appointment with us online. You can even text our store telephone number at 215-491-8500. Our family is here to serve all of your bridal and tuxedo needs far into the future.