Category: Featured

Saying Yes To The Dress – In The East Bay

By Nicole Duffin / Amos Productions

The proposal day has come and gone. You are ENGAGED! Now what? For many brides-to-be shopping for the perfect wedding dress is on top of the “to do” list. However, finding your dream gown can be more stressful than fun when considering all the details that can factor into your dress selection. Perhaps you’ve dreamed of your wedding day since you were little, dressing up in princess dresses, tiaras and mommy’s jewelry, and pretending to walk down the aisle. Or perhaps you pore over images of multi-million dollar celebrity weddings, wishing you could duplicate such extraordinary affairs. Maybe you rely on social media sites such as Pinterest to inundate you with wedding photos, DIY projects, and color and theme options. Do you want your dress to reflect cultural or religious traditions? What about the season of your wedding, the venue, the theme, the style, fabric, and fit? Wedding dress selection can easily be the best and worst part of wedding planning.

Most importantly, your wedding gown should be a reflection of YOU, whether it’s flashy or conservative, haute couture or classic, satin or lace. Finding the right bridal shop that can not only provide your perfect dress within your budget, but can also satisfy all the additional “gown factors” can prove to be a challenge. Do you prefer to shop at larger chain stores, like David’s Bridal, where scores of gowns can be found in every price range, but often at the cost of one-on-one customer service? Or do you prefer smaller boutiques known for personal service, but where the selection of gowns may be limited and higher priced? Finally, do you prefer the privacy of your home where online shopping offers a convenient, yet risky option for your wedding dress selection? A huge array of gowns at every price range awaits the online bridal gown shopper, and on the surface, this appears to be a convenient, viable option. However, wedding dress sizing is not comparable to normal clothing sizes, can vary greatly between designers, and poses a definite problem for anyone ordering online. Likewise, the quality of fabric and craftsmanship, as well as fabric color may cause brides to “best guess” which gown will fit, have the right feel, and be the perfect color.

Wherever you decide to embark on the hunt for your perfect gown, be sure to schedule an appointment and allow plenty of time. Be open to trying on different styles, fits, and fabrics. Your dream dress may end up being one that you never would have imagined loving. The East Bay boasts a number of bridal shops which are unique in their inventory as well as their approach to serving brides-to-be. Highlighted here is an interview with Jamie, the owner of J’aime Bridal in Pleasanton, as well as a list of other special East Bay bridal stores and boutiques.

We would love to hear about your wedding gown shopping experience and how you decide on the dress of your dreams. Please post your story below and share your experience!

INTERVIEW with Jaime Zile of J’amie Bridal in Downtown Pleasanton, CA
Nicole / AP: When is the best time to shop for a wedding gown?
Jamie: I always suggest weekday appointments whenever possible. Weekdays are quiet and often brides that come in onweekdays have unlimited time and the entire salon and staff to themselves.

Nicole / AP: How much time should a bride allow to order a gown?
Jamie: Dresses can take up to six months to arrive in the store, so plan early to make sure the dress you love can be yours by your wedding day. Several designers try to keep styles in stock for immediate delivery, but that is never guaranteed.

Nicole / AP: What is your advice about who to bring to the bridal gown appointment?
Jamie: I recommend no more than two to three people, those who are most important to the bride. Too many opinions can be overwhelming to the bride.

Nicole / AP: How do brides typically find the perfect gown?
Jamie: Don’t eliminate anything at first glance. I can’t tell you how many brides have not wanted to try on the gown they ultimately selected. Most of our brides know within a few minutes if they like a gown or not and sometimes it takes trying on a gown several times to be sure it’s the one.

J’aime Bridal, Pleasanton
Bridal gowns priced under $2000, including a large selection ofplus sizes and bridal party dresses. http://www.jaimebridal.com | 925-846-8459

Kinsley James, Walnut Creek
Couture bridal salon with frequent trunk shows and a sample sale collection.

La Soie Bridal, Walnut Creek
Gowns priced under $5000 and selection of bridal accessories such as headpieces, belts, and jewelry.

Gesinee’s Bridal, Concord
One-stop shopping for bride, bridal party, mother-of-the-bride, and bridal accessories.

David’s Bridal, Milpitas
Large retail and online store with gowns starting at $100.

Blossom’s Bridal & Formal, Dublin
Large selection of stock wedding gowns and bridal party dresses at budget prices.

Planning the Perfect Proposal

The day has come and you are ready to embark on your journey of “happily ever after”. You and your love have been together for a while and things are going great … and you’ve decided it’s time to pop the big question. So exciting! The only problem is you can’t decide how to propose. A wedding proposal is an unforgettable event that marks the initiation of engagement and commits to a mutual promise of marriage and lifelong commitment to one another. It may be important to you to make your proposal perfect and create a memory that will never be forgotten. Here are a few ideas to help make your proposal extraordinary.

Setting
Are you interested in proposing in an intimate or public setting? What would your soon to be fiancé want? Keep in mind that not everyone likes to be the center of attention and a public proposal may seem overwhelming to a person who prefers a more intimate moment. Would your love want family and friends around during this noteworthy moment? If so, you could plan a family and friends dinner or you could wait for a holiday that you share with these special people. If the two of you prefer to do things alone, you can always plan a romantic, more intimate proposal, with family and friends nearby to share in the exciting new right after.

Special Place
Do you and your love have a place that is special and sentimental to the two of you? If so, it may be fun to select that location for your proposal. It might be the park where you first kissed, the restaurant you had your first date, or the place where “I love you” was first expressed. These unforgettable places are now part of your relationship’s history and, when incorporated into a marriage proposal, can signify how far your relationship has come and how much you have to look forward to.

Special Song
When the two of you hear a certain song, do you stop for a second, smile, and reminisce about special memories that the song invokes? Perhaps it was the first song you danced together to, or a song that played in the background of the car when you reached over and kissed each other. It may be fun to incorporate this song or the lyrics into your proposal.

Professional Photographer / Videographer
A professional photographer or videographer can capture the magic of your proposal, including the scenery and emotions that will create a piece of your story to be shared with family and friends. Capturing the priceless look on your love’s face when she or he realizes a proposal is really happening, will be something to treasure for years to come.

Flowers, Candy, Special Meals
Creative flower bouquets can add a touch of beauty and sentimentality to a proposal. Ideas include creating a proposal bouquet that includes a number of flowers representative of the number of months/years that you have been together or a bouquet of local flowers from the location where you will honeymoon. Including flowers in your proposal scenario can also lead to a special tradition where an additional flower is added to an anniversary bouquet each year. Candy or a special meal at your proposal can also commemorate a special first dinner date or any especially fun or romantic moment you shared.

New Memory
Creating new memories especially for your proposal will be exciting for both of you. A dream vacation, a special day planned just for your love, a favorite holiday, or an elaborate surprise will all take on additional meaning when a proposal for marriage is included. At this point in your relationship you know important to your future spouse and what types of things you enjoy as a couple. It will be easy to incorporate some or all of those things into your proposal scenario.

Surprise!
Will your proposal be a surprise or will your love be included in all the details? Does your future spouse hate surprises but love romantic gestures? These are all things to consider when planning the proposal. If you want the proposal to be a surprise but also want help selecting the ring, you could plan a dinner date near your jeweler, stop in to look at rings “for fun” before or after dinner, and then return to purchase the ring. At a later date, you can then plan your surprise proposal with the perfect ring that you know she or he will love.

It’s important to stay true to yourself during your proposal, making sure your words are heartfelt and not over-rehearsed (no notecards!). A proposal can include thoughts about how much she or he means to you, when you realized she or he was “the one” and the moment you knew you were in love. Your proposal might include fun facts about the two of you and your excitement about your future together. Perhaps you told your family and friends about being in love before you told your love, or maybe those same family and friends knew you were in love before you told them. Include such things as you express your feelings to your one and only.

Congratulations to you and your loved one. We are excited that you have found the person you want to spend your life with. We would love to hear your proposal story! Please share with us your special moment and if you need help during the planning process, give us a call! Amos Productions is here for you!!!