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Our New Marketing Intern: Dan Pfeiffer

Recently we had the good fortune of hiring a marketing intern from Temple University’s Lew Klein College of Media and Communications, Dan Pfeiffer. We hope to give him an appreciation of a world he knows nothing about while we learn from him, too! Fresh eyes are the best to learn what can be improved or implemented, especially with someone with no knowledge of the industry.

Stay tuned to Follow the Fireman’s journey into the bridal & tuxedo biz!

My First Week in the Bridal Business

Who would have guessed that a 21-year-old firefighter would find his way working in a bridal and tuxedo store!

I never expected that one day I would be working with Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo as a marketing intern. I thought maybe I would be working for FEMA or some other emergency organization. What can a Bridal store offer me? Turns out they can offer quite a LOT!

One day my mom posted that I was looking for an internship on Facebook and Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo responded. I was concerned that the field was so different but it was an opportunity none-the-less so I scheduled an Interview with them. However, an issue arose in my mind. THEY WILL KNOW IF MY CLOTHES ARE CHEAP! Alarm bells rang in my mind and I shot straight to the nearest store to buy my impromptu suit. The issue is COVID shut down the dressing rooms and I may have gained some weight at home… The day comes and my clothes feel a bit snug. Anyways, I did my hair, shaved my face, and I put on my impromptu suit.

As I walked in the door I quickly relaxed as I was met with a smile from the staff members. No confused looks or judgement of my clothing.

I then had the interview which I believed went very well with Franco and on the way out he introduced me to the staff as the “New Intern”. On the several interviews I had been on, it was always “Thanks we will let you know” followed by a rejection letter. It wasn’t like that here, you could tell why so many people are attracted to this store.

The building is gorgeous and the staff treat you like family. I got the same feeling of being taken care of like when I would walk into my mom’s room asking her if my nice clothes looked good (or if I was wearing them correctly… usually I wasn’t). That’s where I stopped my internship search. I did not care what type of business it was anymore, but I knew that Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo knew what they were doing and that I could learn more than just marketing and communications here.

Fast forward a week and now I am writing this blog on their website as well as familiarizing myself with how their social media accounts look. I am baffled by the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes in the bridal industry. As a firefighter, we do a lot of sitting around and waiting for a call. At Darianna there is always something new and fresh to work towards. I know nothing about dresses and tuxedos but I did learn how dresses were named this week. I am sure in a few weeks I will have a good amount of the lingo down. Maybe I’ll even be good enough to help one of my family or friends say, “yes to the dress.”

About the author: Dan Pfeiffer is Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo’s marketing intern from Temple University’s Lew Klein College of Media and Communications. In order to receive his degree in Communications and Social Influence and Strategic Communications, Temple University requires its students to complete an internship in their field of study. Originally from Plumsteadville PA, Dan lives in Philadelphia while completing his degree. He is also an Emergency Medical Technician for Temple University and a volunteer fire fighter for the Plumsteadville Fire Department. Dan is versed in many aspects of social media including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok and is helping Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo offer great social media content. Read more about Dan here.

Your Bridal Store Can Now Text You Directly

Did you know that Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo can now initiate a text message to you?

For several years now, our customers have always had the ability to text our store’s telephone number. However, our systems only permitted customers to initiate the text communication to us. In the past, we could not send you a text from our store’s phone number without the customer sending the first one. That has all changed now!

We are always working hard to improve our services to you and we now have the ability to send you a message from 215-491-8500 even if you did not initiate the communication with us.

Some of our brides have already received text messages from us informing them that their beautiful wedding dress has arrived from the designer and is ready to try on! We are also communicating with many of our grooms and groomsmen to let them know that their tuxedo or suit rentals are ready to pick up. You can even reply to our messages.

To be clear, these are not from a bot or a computer. The staff at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo is actually typing out the text to you so you can be assured of getting one of our kind staff members communicating with you. This way, if you have any questions, they will be able to answer you immediately.

If you prefer to communicate via text message with us, just let us know and we’ll be sure to accommodate your request. How do you let us know if that’s your preferred method of communication? By text message of course! Or see the many other methods of communicating with us here.

Our family is proud to serve you and looks forward to continuing to improve the methods we offer to make wedding dress, tuxedo and suit, bridesmaid dress and mother of the bride and groom dress shopping easier for you!

For The Mothers: How Do You Start Your Search?

And all of a sudden, we find ourselves Mothers of the Bride and Groom. Our babies aren’t babies anymore, but what exactly does that mean for us? Your role, place, and/or self confidence can really be put to the test during wedding planning, culminating with your introduction announcement at the start of the reception. When you imagine walking in to the excitement and applause, what are you wearing? How do you even start?

“I don’t want to look like a Mother of the Bride.” So we’ve heard…

“I’m Mother of the Groom, I’m supposed to wear beige and be quiet.” We’ve heard that, too.

“I don’t like my ___(neck/arms/belly/shape/rear/thighs/hips)___”… The list is endless.

Being the mother of the bride or groom certainly is strange territory. You want to look beautiful without going too far, appropriate but not frumpy, sexy but not too sexy . If you are the mother of the groom, you may also worry because you don’t want to outdo the mother of the bride. There may be another layer in there of step-mother.

There is still the etiquette of allowing the mother of the bride to choose her dress first. Usually she will send a picture of her dress to the mother of the groom which allows her to choose her dress and her color without worry. Both mothers should be aware of the chosen bridesmaids color and avoid wearing it.

Choosing the dress you wear for your daughter or son’s wedding should be a thoughtful process. You will want to consider style for the formality of the event, the season, location, and any color specifications made by the couple. Then the shape and silhouette of your dress.

As for style, consider first the formality of the wedding. A formal wedding requires a more formal dress and what makes a dress more formal than another? We can start with a fabric.

Satin and silk both lend a very formal look to any shape dress. If you choose a satin dress, it may have beading or embellishments, or it may be plain. Silk dresses do not often have embellishments, nor do they need them. Dresses with lace and lace overlays can work perfectly for this type of affair, but make sure this doesn’t compete with the bride’s dress. Beaded dresses are perfect for formal affairs so if you like to sparkle, this is the time!

A navy colored full length satin dress with spaghetti straps, V-neck line, and banded waist
A satin dress in navy

A semi formal affair allows for something like a flowy chiffon, perhaps with a flutter sleeve or off the shoulder straps, taking into account the season of course. If the wedding is in the early afternoon, a cocktail length dress may be perfectly appropriate. Some dresses come with pretty matching jackets or a matching wrap that works beautifully for the wedding ceremony. There are chic pantsuits that are perfect for a semi formal event!

A three-piece women's pants suit in the color wine on a model including chiffon pants, beaded tank top, and matching chiffon long sleeve buttonless jacket
MGNY pant suit in wine with removable jacket

Determining the season/location is more obvious, a summer wedding calls for a different dress than a winter wedding. A barn wedding is different from the grand ballroom. The beach wedding dress isn’t for the snowy mountain couple.

In our experience with color, mothers tend to gravitate to darker or jewel tones; navy and plum are very popular, while sapphire, wine, and emerald are also lovely choices. Depending on the colors chosen by the couple, or the locale/season, again your options may not include darker colors.

For lighter colors that are very flattering, consider wedgewood, mink, amethyst, wisteria, and English rose. These colors are very soft and do not go into the pastels, these blend beautifully. Silver, from light grey to dark metal, there is a silver shade that goes with every color pallet.

Now the shape. Let’s start with the easiest silhouette which is A-line.

A mothers dress in an A-line shape with a v-neck, three-quarter beaded sleeves in the color navy and fabric chiffon
A-line shape dress by MGNY in navy

The A-line shaped dress looks flattering on everybody and that means every body. This dress has a clearly defined waist and the skirt forms the shape of the letter A. some A-line skirt have lining or crinoline underneath which may give them a little more volume, if you don’t like all the volume you can either take some out or find a dress without to get it what we call a slim A-line. A number of dresses are made in this shape so you will have no problem finding a great selection. It is also a great one for mothers to start when unsure.

If you have curves, do not shy away from a good fit and flare dress.

A lease and tulle fit and flare dress with off the shoulder sleeves, beaded lace bodice, and flared tulle skirt with horse hair hem in a light charcoal colorcolor
A lace and tulle fit & flare dress

A well-made dress will show curves off beautifully. You may not like the feel of the tightness around the hips, or you may feel very restricted in movement, but at least give it a try. You may be pleasantly surprised at how great you look and how great you feel!

If curves do not describe you, you may like what is called a sheath dress.

A sheath dress with a beaded bodice, matching beaded short sleeves, and a chiffon skirt in the color cornflower blue
Beaded and chiffon sheath dress

A sheath is a straight cut that is very flattering and classic. These dresses look especially good on petite (under 5’3″) mothers because it is an elongating shape without a defined waist.

Once you find your preferred shape, you can then try different necklines, like V-neck, scoop neck, high neck, etc. and sleeves as well. Many mother dresses now come with a set of detachable sleeves should you prefer that look, or if you aren’t sure about the weather on the wedding day. Perhaps you would want sleeves for the ceremony and not for the reception. It is a great option to have these.

Above all, the dress you choose needs to make you feel good inside. You want to be confident, comfortable, and proud. This is a big day for you and your family and you deserve to enjoy every moment.

We are always available to answer any of your questions about dresses for mothers! Please call or text us at 215-491-8500 and we will be happy to assist!

About the author: Wendy Ianieri is co-founder and co-owner of Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo, now in its eighth year in business. In that time the store has grown from a small bridal boutique to a full-service bridal store serving not only Bucks County, PA but the surrounding counties and even border states. With the customer experience in mind, Ms. Ianieri steers the company by offering the best designers and wedding attire while creating a caring, family atmosphere. A life-long Bucks County native, she currently resides in Warrington with her husband and co-founder/co-owner Franco Salerno, and their two daughters for whom the store was named, Daria and Deanna.