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Real Bride Jacqueline Milczarski

We are happy to feature another very special bride who first visited us in the Spring of 2021. We are always excited to meet new brides because they are all so unique with amazing stories and life paths, and Jacqueline was no exception.

Some may not know her by her given name, but you will by her handle. She is the Bucks County Mama, local blogger and influencer, with a healthy following and an even healthier lifestyle.

Bride Jacqueline Milczarski, a/k/a/ the Bucks County Mama, looks lovely and content on her wedding day in Montana wearing a beaded Casablanca bridal wedding dress.
The beautiful bride, Jacki, on her wedding day

We did not know this at the time she came in and truth be told, I’m glad we didn’t. Our appointment was authentic and genuine. She mentioned a few details that she wanted which were so sweet (“flowy and girly” – love!) and that her wedding was in Montana in October (double love!). She also said she was “very decisive” which is helpful for a bride not only in dress shopping, but also for wedding planning in general!

After that, we were fortunate enough to meet her equally kind fiancee David, and their family members they were blending together to create their own.

You can tell immediately there is a deep connection with Jacki and David, perhaps it is a mutual understanding of life’s bumps and bruises, and a mutual appreciation for its twists and turns. They are each other’s soft place.

Let’s get into their love story, as written by the Bucks County Mama herself!

The Meeting:

We met for coffee in Peddler’s Village 5 years ago. We were both divorced, single parents, and card holders of the “Never Again” club lol. We both, but separately, were dedicating our lives to healing emotionally and spiritually, growing, committed to our children.

We said yes to just coffee… he greeted me with a big bouquet of flowers, and a kind smile.

Years later he told me he heard a voice whisper to him, “That’s her”.

We said “yes” to dating – laughing, friendship, hope, kindness, trust, and love. We both realized that a life alone would be safe, but this was truly living.

I watched what a good father he was, & his thoughtfulness was something I never experienced. He loves seafood & hence is nicknamed the “sea otter” because he has childlike joy whenever he eats it.

The Proposal:

Years later, he brought me back to Peddler’s Village, to the same spot we first met. This time our five children were there, my family, and God. We all said “yes” to getting married…seven souls who chose love.

The Dress:

Being the Owner of Bucks County Blog, Bucks County Mama, I had heard the buzz that Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo was “the” place to get a wedding dress. Small, boutique, family owned & operated, local, with personal service. My dress was “Andi” from the Beloved Collection of Casablanca Bridal.

Wedding dress Andi from Casablanca and Beloved with a beaded halter top a keyhole back and a tiered bottom was perfect for Jackie's Montana wedding. She paired it with a cathedral veil with butterflies on it!
Andi dress from Casablanca Bridal’s Beloved collection, and a lovely cathedral veil with butterflies

The Venue:

We looked at Odette’s & Aldie Manson, both stunning, but Covid restrictions, with an undercurrent of fear, uncertainty, and anxiety with booking either during a global pandemic. We got quiet and followed our authentic vision of what our wedding should be. Gone are the days of “shoulding” all over ourselves.

Jackie and her new husband David, David is wearing a gray tuxedo by Michael Kors
Jacki and her new husband David look stunning under the big sky

We picked our #1 bucket list destination of Montana. Under the big sky, just us in a rented ranch with our blended family of children. We got married outside, with God present as always, with elk bugling, soft clouds overhead. We all said “yes” to forever.

The bride added a lovely touch to her flowers, small photos in a sweet chain frame of some special people who were not in attendance
A beautiful touch added to Jacki’s flowers of some very special people

The Celebration:

That evening was the most spectacular sunset, with a large heart cloud. We had our first dances with the mountains behind us, wise old trees, and wildlife witnessing our vows. Our Bucks County love story is filled with faith, hope, family, true love.

Bride and groom in spectacular Montana with a heart cloud clearly overhead
There is something magical about the heart cloud in this spectacular setting

A beautiful bride, her soul mate groom, and their beautiful children make up this brand new family moving into a brand new year. We wish nothing but joy, happiness, and laughter and are so grateful to have met them… and now they are part of our family, too!

Bride and son dancing outdoors in Montana
Jackie dancing with her son in breathtaking surroundings
The bride and her sons wearing Michael Kors gray tuxedos
The bride and her boys, looking so handsome in Michael Kors gray!

You can follow the Bucks County Mama on Instagram for all things Bucks!

Being A Bridal Stylist: A Six Month Reflection

There’s no denying it: 2020 sucked, and 2021 wasn’t a real winner either. There’s been chaos in our world, in our country, and in most of our personal lives.

At the start of 2021 tragedy hit my life, and I kind of went into a tailspin. My job as a social worker for refugee kids in foster care, which I am passionate about, became a burden. There was too much happening in my life for me to be able to fully invest the effort and attention needed to that job.

I was losing sleep, losing my appetite, and I spent 90% of my day worrying about work. It took only a few weeks of feeling like that to know enough was enough – I needed a new job while I worked on healing myself.

My friends and family were taken aback when I told them I was leaving social work. I spent six years and thousands of dollars learning how to be a social worker; how could I leave it behind for something I had no experience with? Truth is, it was easy.

Now let me be clear: I do not have a ‘dream job’. I do not dream of labor. I dream of sunbathing on an island with a fruity, frozen cocktail and a great book. But alas, I was not born a hotel heiress or a celebrity, so I will spend my days working. However, I am a firm believer that if I have to do something for 40 hours per week, I better freakin’ enjoy it. And I really, really enjoy working at Darianna Bridal and Tuxedo.

Working in a bridal store is just as incredible as you’d expect it to be. Most of the time, it doesn’t even feel like work. The energy is always positive, the space is filled with beautiful things to look at, and people are genuinely happy to be here.

From groomsmen excited about standing next to their friend, to moms looking for a perfect dress of their own, to high schoolers shopping for prom dresses, to our gorgeous brides and their maids, we see a little bit of everything and everyone. And it’s the everyone that I enjoy the most.

In my first six months here, I’ve sold dresses to brides that I know from other jobs, high school, college, church, and my kindergarten class! I had even met Daria at a party once in 2009 or something crazy. Growing up locally means knowing the clientele and finding common ground to build relationships on.

Even though being at Darianna is totally a different line of work from social work, I was surprised at how much my social work skills have come into play here. Between analyzing body language and facial expressions to gauge how my brides actually feel, to practicing active listening to fully understand my brides’ visions, and even mediating a few disputes between brides and their groups, there is definitely a lot of overlap.

I am new to the wonderful world of weddings, but I have a working understanding of psychology and human behavior; I feel like both my brides and I benefit from that. And it’s nice knowing my education isn’t going to waste.

There is something truly special and rewarding about working for a family business, too. I went from a nation-wide organization operating in 43 states with a couple hundred branches to working for a local family at one single location. Here, the owners know me and care about me. I feel valued, I feel heard, and I feel genuinely welcomed into the family.

All of my stress and anxieties of my old job have disappeared; I even stopped biting my nails! I am healing. When it really comes down to it, working at Darianna Bridal and Tuxedo is the best decision I’ve made in a long, long time. And you will find me here for a long, long time to come.

Morilee Daniella wedding dress modeled by Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo Stylist Sarah Kline
Sarah modeling a new wedding dress: Daniella by Morilee


Staff Appreciation Spotlight: Suzanne Ardite

It is important to us as a family business that we take care of our staff. Part of taking care of them, I believe, is to highlight how special they are.

All too quickly the days turn into months and it is easy to wonder if those around us even notice our contributions. WE DO. We notice and appreciate that our staff gives 100% all year long and while it isn’t always “easy”, they make it look easy. It isn’t always “fun”, but they do have fun together.

Today I am excited to start our series of Staff Appreciation with Suzanne Ardite.

Suzanne is our Mother of the Bride/Groom Department Manager and made after my own heart.

She runs a tight ship, is controlling as hell over the department (LOVE!), and has a wicked knowledge of brands, fabrics, colors, prices, deliveries, alterations, and pretty much anything related to bridal/MOB. We love this about her.

She also has a wicked sense of humor that I personally have come to depend on.

She is a devoted wife and mother of two (her daughter Kaitlyn is also part of the Darianna team!) which keeps her busy enough, but she is also an active member in the local community theaters.  She still has so much energy in the store – I am not sure how she does it.

A very loyal, incredibly generous, and thoughtful soul, she has become a true friend. We even persuaded Suzanne and her equally wonderful hubby Frank to join the Chaîne de Rôtisseurs, a dining group that we are proud to belong to!

Socializing outside of the store is delightful and having Suzanne and Frank as friends has enriched our lives.

Inside the store, I am able to observe the way she interacts with her moms and brides. It is truly something I know other stores wish they had. She is honest above everything which is really what we are all about. She is not pushy and wants her moms to be truly happy with their choice. And in that regard, she will introduce dresses that they never thought they could wear. When their faces light up I can see how proud Suzanne is.

She is also proud to tell them the price and that they don’t have to “remortgage the house” or “sell a kidney” in order to buy it. She does her research constantly  and brings in beautiful pieces in very good price points.

Also inside the store: Getting along with your staff (I don’t really care for that word, it seems so generic) – team members is critical for a good business! Here is what some some of her fellow team members have to say about her:

Daria: I have learned so much from Suz just from listening to her in the store! She knows everything about bridal (and a lot about everything else) and I’m always so grateful for her expertise and humor.

Sarah: Suzanne not only knows everything about gowns, she generously shares her wisdom with all of us! She can brighten the craziest of days with her humor, and I love that she brings us snacks.

Courtney: I truly love her sense of humor, I feel like I need her in my back pocket to make me laugh throughout the day! I also love how knowledgeable she is about everything, whenever I have a question she’s always there to help out! Love Mama Suz!

Tori: Suzanne is always incredibly helpful, organized, friendly, and understanding. If you ever have a question, relating to bridal or even the outside world, Suzanne is the person to go to!

Joe: Supportive, fiery, and always ready for battle, Suzanne is an amazing coworker and a phenomenal friend. Anyone would be lucky to know her.

So to my fellow Gen Xer, July/Cancer girl, and lover of a good Cabernet, THE BEST gift-giver, hashtagger, and one-liner deliverer, thank you for another year with us, for turning my boring group chats into meme-fests, and for letting me know that “sympathy” is between shit and syphilis in the dictionary.

I love you, we love you, and THANK YOU for being part of our lives!

About the author: Wendy Ianieri-Salerno 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, Wendy 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.

Our 2021 Wedding Dress Sample Sale

As 2021 comes to a close, it’s time once again for our fabulous wedding dress sample sale!

Many brides do not know what exactly a “sample dress” is or what this means. Allow me to explain, and get you hyped on how amazing an opportunity this is to save big on a dress!

We purchase newly designed wedding dresses (“samples”) from our designers for the spring and fall seasons. So twice per year, we receive a number of dresses from all of our designers and that means we must hold a sample sale to move some of them out of the store to make room.

Because we hold these every year – sometimes twice/year with the National Bridal Sale held typically in July – each sample sale has very new dresses! It is rare that a dress is old or out of style because they are claimed before that happens, however, there are a few who have been waiting for their bride and are as low as $99!

Some dresses may have been discontinued by the designer for a number of reasons (difficulty in obtaining a certain fabric, lace, or beading is a big reason now) so they need to be sold off the rack because they cannot be ordered anymore.

Others we simply offer the opportunity for the bride to get a beautiful dress at a price that fits her budget. It’s a win for us to free up space and a win for brides to save!

At the sample sale, you can choose from plenty of dresses and see the original price and the marked down price. Keep in mind the sizing in the bridal world runs small, and all designers cut differently so you may try on different sizes that all fit!

Once you say yes, it’s all yours! It is perfect too for those on a time crunch where you can take the dress from our store right to one of our seamstresses who will take care of your hem, bustle, tweaks, etc. and get you on your way to the aisle!

Although we definitely keep our dresses are clean, some choose to have it professionally cleaned after the alterations are complete. We can have that done for you through our gown cleaning/preservation company for a price that is better than a dry cleaner!

Here are some examples of dresses being offered at the sample sale:

Anissa by Kitty Chen $1500 at the sample sale!
Anissa by Kitty Chen, Size 12, Orig $2025, Sample Sale price $1,500
Sincerity Bridal #44080 $500 at our Sample Sale!
Sincerity Bridal #44080, Size 12, Orig $1300 Sample Sale $500
Stella York #7177 $1000 at the sample sale!
Stella York #7177, Size 22, Orig $1499 Sample Sale $1000
Casablanca Bridal #1975 $500 at the sample sale!
Casablanca Bridal #1975, Size 22, Orig $1430 Sample Sale $500
Cher by Morilee $500 at the sample sale!
Cher by Morilee, Size 6, Orig $1000 Sample Sale $500
Berkeley by Morilee $500 at the sample sale!
Berkeley by Morilee, Size 6, Orig $949 Sample Sale $500

Want to see some of our exclusive sales on Madi Lane? Check these out!!

Madi Lane Amelie, $1500 at the sample sale!
Madi Lane Amelie, Size 14, Orig $2415 Sample Sale $1500
Madi Lane Blossom $1800 at the sample sale!
Madi Lane Blossom, Size 22, Orig $2310 Sample Sale $1800
Madi Lane Brae $1200 at the sample sale!
Madi Lane Brae, Size 10, Orig $1800 Sample sale $1200
Madi Lane Aubrey $1500 at the sample sale!
Madi Lane Aubrey, Size 14, Orig $2185 Sample Sale $1500

These are just a few to give an idea of what’s in store at the sample sale! Almost every dress is 10% off, as is all accessory pieces. Some accessories are marked down substantially as well along with Mother of the Bride/Groom and bridesmaid dresses as well!

To see more sample sale dresses, look in our Sample Closet! Make your appointment and let us know which dresses you’d like to try and we will have them ready for you to fall in love with!

About the author: Wendy Ianieri-Salerno 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, Wendy 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.