Monthly Archives: December 2020

Looking for a Dress? Try Our Sample Loaner Program.

Won’t know if it’s THE dress until you try on THAT dress? Our sample loaner program can help.

Buying a wedding dress is one of the biggest decisions a bride makes as she plans her wedding. It’s also one brides have probably spent years dreaming about. By the time a bride comes into our boutique, we know she’s probably spent hours looking at pictures of wedding gowns already, and probably has a pretty firm idea of what she wants in mind.

We love when brides have a clear vision for their dress. But sometimes, while searching, they come across what they believe is the absolute perfect dress. It can be one they love so much that they can’t see themselves picking any dress until they’ve had a chance to try it on.

Unfortunately, finding a specific dress can be more complicated than booking a bridal appointment. The bride first has to find a boutique that carries that designer—and that dress. And what many brides don’t realize until they start shopping is that not every boutique carries every designer, or every dress from the latest collection.

So, if she’s having trouble finding her dream dress, what’s a bride to do?

Our sample loaner program is there when you need it.

The good news for brides is that many designers will work with their bridal boutiques to make sure that every bride gets to try on her perfect dress. While a boutique may only carry a selection of gowns from each season’s collection, they’ve probably had a chance to see the whole collection in person, and will know how to find the gown you’re looking for. This means they can contact the designer and ask for a sample for one of their brides to try on.

We have a sample loaner program for our brides, where we will borrow a dress from one of our designers and have it shipped to our store. Simply call us at least two weeks ahead of your appointment to ask about the dresses we carry, and to request a sample loaner if necessary. While there is a $40 fee involved, this fee will be credited toward the cost of any dress at TWD, should the bride end up purchasing a dress in our store.

Don’t know what you want? Our stylists can be your guide.

Even if you don’t know what dress you want, our stylists can help you find the right gown. Each year, our stylists go to bridal market to see the latest collections from the designers we carry. From the latest line, we will choose which dresses we believe our brides will most like to see.

We make our choices based on price point, the latest trends, the designs of the gowns themselves, and the types of dresses that are popular for our Michigan brides.

For instance, we know that the popular wedding locations in Michigan include along the Great Lakes, or in rustic chic venues. We also know how popular winter weddings are—and how cold they can be! We choose our gowns so that our brides can find exactly the right dress, whether they’re planning to get married in a Detroit cathedral or a garden in Kalamazoo.

We’re open for bridal appointments!

If you’re interested in booking an appointment at our bridal boutique, contact us! While we have special policies in place in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we can accommodate bridal parties of up to three people. We also offer special reservations for the whole store for those who want to bring in a larger party.

Call us to set up an appointment and ask about a loaner sample while you’re at it!

Top 7 Bridal Trends for 2021

The next year is bringing new trends in bridal fashion. Here are new looks.

The pandemic has caused a lot of brides to change their plans this past year, with many putting their ceremonies off entirely, and others pulling together a short-notice mini wedding with plans for a bigger bash when conditions are safe again. Not surprisingly, wedding dress trends are following suit.

Many of these dresses follow a similar theme, from rompers and mini dresses with removable overskirts, to boleros, capes, and other mix-and-match outfits. Brides are choosing simple styles for their micro weddings, but hoping to wear the same dress—with a switched up style—for their party celebration later.

In other cases, we’re seeing brides who are using the delay in their plans to save up extra budget for their wedding. After a year of no parties, they’re ready to welcome the post-quarantine world with a bang, and they want a dramatic look to go with it.

The happy irony is that between these trends with seemingly no middle ground, there are plenty of options for everyone. More budget friendly gowns for micro ceremonies are also perfect for brides who want two dresses, to switch up their looks between the wedding and reception. And versatile dress trends make it easier than ever for a bride to wear an elegant gown with a trailing overskirt for the ceremony, then take it off when it’s time to start dancing.

There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming year. Here are the top emerging dress styles to engage your imagination.

wedding gowns with streamers

1. Capes and streamers.

Hello drama! A number of runway fashions this year have featured variations on capes, from long, trailing sleeves to sheer shoulder coverings, and we are here for it. Streamers are a statement choice for brides who are planning a winter or fall wedding and want something to keep them warm. They’re also a good choice for brides who want something long and flowing, but don’t want the traditional train.

Pictured: Lance, by Lis Simon and Bowie, by All Who Wander.

wedding gowns with romantic sleeves

2. Full sleeves.

It used to be difficult to find a dress with sleeves, but in 2021, they’re all the rage. While long, fitted sleeves have been the typical style, the latest trend is for bell sleeves, with their romantic princess vibes, or full bishop sleeves, which gather together at the cuff for an elegant finish. Whether in opaque chiffon or sheer lace, this is a stunning trend we hope sticks around for a while.

Pictured: Aspen, by Essence of Australia, and Lenox, by All Who Wander.

little white dresses

3. The Little White Dress.

It seems like only a few years ago, the idea of wearing a short wedding dress was nearly unheard of. Now LWDs are all over the runways, in everything from mini dresses to rompers (not technically dresses, we know). We think the tea-length dresses in particular are a cute style that would be perfect for a garden wedding, especially for brides who don’t want to get their trains dirty. LWDs are also a classic choice for rehearsals, receptions, and even bachelorette parties and bridal showers.

Pictured: Barletta, Minnie, and Rho, from our recent sample sale.

wedding gowns with high low hemlines and slits

4. Hemlines that show a bit of leg.

Many brides can’t seem to choose between a fun and flirty LWD and the drama of a gown with a train. And why should they, when they can have both? High-low hemlines continue to make a showing in many collections this year, as are gowns with a high slit, for brides who want a breezy, causal feel.

Pictured: 7328 by Stella York, SS110 by Lis Simon, and Marly by All Who Wander.

Backless wedding dress gowns

5. Backless.

We’ve seen a lot of low-cut and illusion backs over the years, but this year they seem to be particularly on-trend—especially when paired with higher necklines in the front and sleeves. It’s another way in which brides seem to be playing with demure and sexy looks in one dress.

Pictured: 7290 by Stella York.

wedding gowns with square necklines

6. Square necklines.

It seems that the sweetheart neckline finally has some competition! Square necklines are making a strong showing this year, aided by the popularity of sleeves. (After all, you can’t have a square neckline on a strapless dress!) This is a great choice for brides who have a special necklace they would like to frame.

Pictured: Lena, by Lis Simon, and 7130 by Stella York.

minimalist wedding gowns and slip dresses

7. Slip dresses and minimalism.

Some styles come in and out of fashion, as brides reach for throwback looks to retro styles that were popular during or just before their childhood. This year, we’re seeing the slip dresses and spaghetti straps of the 90s start to grow in popularity, in sleek, clean fabrics without a lot of adornments. This is in keeping with a minimalist trend that we’ve seen for a few years now, where lace and ruffles and set aside in favor of designs that put the emphasis on dramatic silhouettes or carefully constructed seam lines.

Pictured: 11159 and 11140 by Adore by Justin Alexander, and 7211 by Stella York.

2021 is going to see more versatility in bridal gowns that previous years.

Whatever trend attracts you most, we’re here to help you find a dress that meets your dreams. With a vaccine around the corner, brides are beginning to plan their weddings in earnest, and that means finding their wedding dress.

While our boutique is still booking bridal appointments, with some covid-19 restrictions in place, we also offer private bookings for brides who want to reserve the entire store for their bridal appointment. The reservation costs $150, but will count toward a wedding gown, should the bride find her dress during her appointment. For a private appointment, the bride can bring up to seven guests for a total party size of eight, although we do still require the bride and her guests to remain masked.

Contact us today to make a special appointment with one of our stylists.