Archive for Alterations

Your Best Girls Deserve to Look Fabulous!

{ October 13, 2010 @ 2:54 pm } · { Accessories, Alterations, Brides, Bridesmaids, Shoes, Trends }
{ Leave a Comment }

Actress Jessica Biel in a chocolate brown chiffon bridesmaid dress.

Your bridesmaids are your closest friends and family members, right?  Then you need to be sure that being your bridesmaid is a happy experience!

Every bride has a dream for her big day, but here are definitely ways to make your vision and your bridesmaids’ comfort level combine flawlessly!

Step 1: The color should be the bride’s choice. The hue selected for the dresses will set the tone for flowers, groom accessories, invitations, table linens, and the cake. Most girls can wear a flattering shade of most colors and look completely presentable. Neutrals and medium tones are easiest to wear, but pastels are workable in summer months for most complexions.

Step 2: Dress length should be based upon the formality of the event and the bride’s preferences.

Step 3: Dress style is the area where the bride should work with her bridesmaids. If there are just a few, bring them all along on the shopping trip! It is perfectly acceptable for your girls to get different styles of dresses in the same color and fabric! Let the girls pick styles they feel pretty and comfortable wearing! Trust us, your pictures will look fabulous (and your bridesmaids will be SMILING)!

Step 4: Shop in boutiques that offer personalized service! Especially important to your bridesmaids are group discounts (who doesn’t LOVE bargains?), expert alterations, and fun accessories! Be picky!

Step 5: Don’t stress too much about matching shoes! Give your girls simple instructions such as “silver strappy sandals” or “black heels”.  Girls know shoes, and they know what they can handle wearing for an entire day!

Step 6: When things get stressful, remember that being a bridesmaid is supposed to be FUN!

Written by: Lisa M.

Will the Weather Outside Be Frightful? A Formal Affair Hours In Case of Snow!

{ December 18, 2009 @ 7:38 pm } · { Alterations, Employees, Miscellaneous }
{ Leave a Comment }

Cold and snowy weather is coming our way!  We want to apologize for all the alterations appointments we had to reschedule due to tomorrow’s weather forecast.  Thank you to our wonderful customers for being so patient! Keep posted to our blog so you can find out if we will be open tomorrow.  From all the staff at A Formal Affair we hope you enjoy the snow, but please be safe!

Gingerbread House Cake by Wanda's Cakes

Written by: Jill Morris

Photograph by: Wanda’s Cakes

Attention All Spring and Summer Brides

{ March 19, 2009 @ 3:10 pm } · { Accessories, Alterations, Brides, Bridesmaids, Mothers, Tuxedos }
{ Leave a Comment }


With everything going on in a bride’s life, it can be difficult to stay on track and keep a clear focus on what you should be doing and when. For all brides getting married Spring 2009 and Summer 2009 here is what you should be doing/thinking about as far as wedding day attire and accessories:
1. Make a final decision on a bridal gown
It can be difficult to make a final decision on a gown, but you should already have it by now! If you haven’t you may have to look into purchasing a dress off the rack and have it altered. The normal timeframe for ordering a gown is 4-6 months with 2 months additional time for alterations. Get shopping if you haven’t found your dress yet!
2. Make sure your dress is paid off

If you haven’t fully paid for your gown, now is the time to pay it off. Many bridal stores will charge you a storage fee for your dress if it isn’t paid off within a certain amount of time of its arrival. To avoid any extra fees, pay it off!

3. Setting up alterations appointments for yourself/attending alterations appointments

If you haven’t been to a fitting for your gown yet, you need to set one up. You also need to have any shoes and undergarments you will be wearing with your dress to attend these fittings. For a bridal gown, it can take up to 2 months (3 or 4 appointments) for all fittings to be complete.

4. Set up alterations appointments for your bridesmaids/flowergirl/mother of the bride/mother of the groom

Even though the bridesmaid dresses may not be in yet, you can still have your bridesmaids set up fittings for their dresses. Almost all bridesmaid dresses need to be altered in some way. If your girls are from out of town, ensure that the store you ordered your bridesmaid dresses from knows that the dresses need to be shipped. Also, make sure all your bridesmaids have shoes so that when the dresses do arrive, they will be ready for their alterations appointments. Any mothers or grandmothers should also have their dresses. Many mothers tend to wait till the last minute to find a dress for themselves. Just like the bride, they are not allowed to procrastinate! They should have their dresses by now, or they should have already ordered a dress!

5. Pick out tuxedos for the groom and groomsmen/put down deposits for tuxedos

Tuxedo styles can run out during busy wedding season. To ensure that you get the color and styles you want for your day, take your groom and groomsmen in to choose styles and colors. Have all your groomsmen get measured and have them put down deposits to ensure that the tuxedos will be reserved for your day.

6. Choose all hair/wedding accessories

If you haven’t chosen a veil, jewelry, or garter set now is the time! You want to make sure you have everything you are going to wear in your hair, so that if you have a hair trial to attend, your hair dresser will be able to show you what you can do with your accessories.

7. Choose attendants gifts/accessories for your bridesmaids

Make sure all your bridesmaids have any accessories they might be wearing on the day of the wedding. If you haven’t bought attendants gifts, now is the time to start looking and purchasing them. Ask a sales consultant for ideas if you are at a loss!

Written by: Jill Morris- Asst. Manager and Sales Consultant

Photograph by: Carlson Craft

Shoes and Undergarments: No Procrastination Allowed!

{ February 23, 2009 @ 6:04 pm } · { Accessories, Alterations, Shoes, Undergarments }
{ Leave a Comment }

As a bride, you have the dress, the accessories, and even the bridesmaid dresses. Some other important items that many brides tend to put off till the last minute are shoes and undergarments. Many brides don’t realize that just like how a wedding dress is the most important dress a bride will ever wear, shoes and undergarments are some of the most essential pieces to a bridal ensemble!

As a sales consultant, I see so many brides struggle with these items mainly because of the following:

1. Brides don’t think shoes and undergarments are that important in comparison to the hundreds of other items on their massive and overwhelming lists of things they need to complete

2. They don’t realize that they will need these items to attend their first wedding gown fitting and all the other alterations appointments that follow

3. It can become time consuming choosing the perfect shoes and undergarments (in many cases, time brides just don’t have!)

4. When brides find the perfect undergarments and shoes, many times the items need to be special ordered to ensure proper size, style, and color which sometimes puts brides on an even tighter time crunch! It can take up to a month for special orders and sometimes even longer!

Don’t panic! That is why it is good to ask your trusty sales consultant for help and advice! Who better to ask than the women that are the experts and that have helped hundreds of brides through the entire wedding process? Not only can they give you recommendations on heel height, style of shoes, long line bras and crinolines that best suits you and your wedding, but they will also tell you the truth about what is comfortable and practical. Rest assured that your sales consultant will also keep you on track if anything needs to be ordered and will help guide you through the ordering process.

Whatever you do, don’t wait! As soon as you find your perfect dress immediately begin to think about other essentials you’ll need to complete your look. Please always remember that your sales consultant is there to be your resource every step of the way!

Written By: Jill Morris-Asst. Manager and Sales Consultant
Photographs provided by Dyeables Shoes and Felina

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.