wedding advice

Karma, Fate, Destiny…with your wedding vendors. Embrace it!

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In Chicago over the holiday weekend, while waiting for a table at Hyde Park‘s Original Pancake House, my family and I bumped into the wonderful and talented Julia Needlman, of Julia Needlman Custom Couture, the woman who made my custom wedding gown. It was wonderful to see her (and her mother – my nursery school teacher) and have her meet my husband. Somehow it felt very much like things came full circle.

Meeting Julia was almost a magical experience.  She saw inside my head, and pulled out what I wanted my wedding dress to look like.  Sitting in her studio talking, I forgot I hadn’t known her forever.  She made the process feel organic, and very special.  Some girls may want the whole Kleinfeld “Say Yes To The Dress” experience, but having visited one bridal shop with mom and mom-in-law in tow, I felt something else was more to my liking.  And Julia felt right.  So seeing her again, was like fate.  Goodness knows I had talked about her nonstop, and now Stephen got to meet her, and we got to catch up…it was just a lovely moment.

Julia's brilliant dressmaking in action under the huppah

So.  Flash forward a year.  Are you going to be delighted to run into people who worked on your wedding?  Do you feel connected to your vendors?  It’s important to have that meeting of the minds – and yes, hearts, with the people who make your wedding day tick.  Memories aren’t made to keep to yourself, you want to share them with everyone who had a part in making your dream a reality. Make sure your vendors are people you want to be in those memories, and to share them with!

Be well, and love well.

Dinah

PS – Speaking of “Say Yes To The Dress,” don’t forget that “Randy to the Rescue” will premiere on TLC on June 15th starring my brilliant hairstylist Paul Norton! (oh yeah – and that Randy guy too).

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Best In Show: How to “use” Bridal shows to plan a Beautiful Wedding

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Bridal shows.  They’re everywhere these days! From the super high end to the ones advertised with the colorful posters stapled to poles around town, they can all be useful if you know what you’re looking for, and where to look. Some dos and dont’s:

DO have specific areas of research picked out for the day. Wandering from table to table oohing and aahing will win you first class tickets to Indecisive Island. You need to focus on one or two areas and spend time with those vendors.

DON’T have unrealistic expecatations.  A caterer will not bring every hors d’oeuvre they make. Salons won’t schlep haute couture gowns to the Ramada Inn.  Bridal shows are meant to give you a tempting taste the vendors. Make an appointment to experience the whole dish.

Anna, one of our beautiful brides

DO pay attention to the way people relate to you. Having your vendors “get” you is priceless. You can tell a lot about someone by watching how they interact with perspective brides and fellow vendors. If they are pleasant on a long day, greeting tons of people, answering boatloads of questions, you’ve got a real contender.

So do attend the bridal shows, they can be a great overview of the World of Weddings.  Or the Whirl of Weddings.  Depends on the show – and they can both be fun!

PS – We’ll Keep you posted on a show we’ve got coming up with Desert Bride and Kathy Ireland!