Secrets of a Bridal Seamstress

What comes to mind when you think of shopping for your dream dress? Do you feel excited and hopeful, or overwhelmed by the amount of dresses that are out there!? In this episode, bridal boutique manager, Kate Davis, shares key insights that will help simplify your dress search. Shopping fatigue, or over-shopping, is becoming a trend with modern brides. We have so many gown images at our fingertips to search, combined with a great selection of local bridal shops…no wonder this decision can be overwhelming!

Grab your notebook, and jot down these tips to keep the FUN and romance in your dress shopping adventure.

Kate Davis is the manager of Diana’s Bridal in Skokie, IL. As a bridal stylist, Kate has a passion for helping brides find their dream dress, and the confidence that blooms when they find the perfect silhouette. To learn more about Kate and her boutique, follow @dianasbridal on Instagram.

Planning a wedding? Wedding planners are becoming a common staple in most weddings, even what we would consider ‘low key’ celebrations. In this episode, PNW Wedding planner Lacey Larsen shares the wonderful benefits of wedding planners, and event coordinators. As a bride who didn’t invest in her own professional planner, Lacey is passionate to help brides sidestep this potential stresser, and invest in this wedding day ‘insurance policy’.

Lacey is the owner of An Evergreen Wedding, in Washington State. Her effervescent personality is so contagious to her clients and her followers! Learn more about her services at www.anevergreenwedding.com, or find Lacey on Instagram @evergreenweddingplanning to catch her funny reel series, “Wedding Guest Do’s and Don'ts”

Brides-to-be, this is an episode you won’t want to miss! As we head into the busiest engagement season of the year, I want to make sure you’re feeling confident and prepared to start your dress shopping journey.

Last week, we covered the key decisions you need to make before you even start trying on dresses. If you missed that episode, CLICK HERE to receive your free download to keep the key decisions on hand.

This week, we’re continuing the conversation to prepare you for your dress shopping adventure, with the expertise of bridal boutique owner, Candice Gold. Candice is the owner of Evangeline Bridal in Tomball, TX. In this episode, Candice shares what every bride needs to know heading into a bridal appointment. Some of what she says may surprise you…We’re chatting about gown sample sizes, budget expectations, and shop hopping- something you’ll want to avoid! Tune in to learn more!

Once we’re engaged, the FIRST thing we want to do is race to the local bridal shop and start trying on dresses. But is that the best time to start shopping?

In this episode, I share 7 key decisions every bride should make BEFORE stepping foot in a bridal shop. Sounds pretty intense, right? But shopping for your dream gown can feel a little overwhelming if you don’t have a solid game plan. Taking some time to plan ahead before you shop can lead to a more comfortable and confident wedding gown experience.

This episode is for the bridal seamstress, and the bride-to-be! For our listening brides, Melissa Oddo shares great insider info as a seamstress and as a day-of personal stylist. She has seen it ALL, and shares what you can do to enjoy your day to the fullest.

For my fellow seamstresses: This conversation left me feeling so grateful to work in our incredible, unique industry, and I’m so passionate talking about the future of bridal sewing! I hope you feel the love as you listen in!

Let’s get to know our guest a bit more…

Melissa Oddo is the talented and creative owner of deMelis Atelier in central Connecticut, specializing in alterations, styling, and creative direction. She studied design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, specializing in Tailoring and Ready-to-Wear. Melissa started her business in 2018, with a focus on bridal alterations, and became part of the Beth Chapman Styling team where she helps brides with all of their styling needs on the day of their wedding.

Melissa resides in Higganum, Connecticut with husband Jeff, two daughters, Olivia (5) and Ella (3) and cat, Cuddles Van Halen

What a treat to chat with this amazing woman! I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. You can find Melissa and snapshots of her beautiful work, on Instagram @demelisatelier

While you’re finalizing the wedding details, be sure to plan ahead and pack a wedding dress emergency kit. This life saver will include all the necessities for your big day.

Listeners submitted their own wedding day emergency kit items- maybe their suggestions are just what you need to hear.

Get ready to take some notes, this episode is a must for the prepared bride!

In today’s episode, we’re heading into a brand new season of Secrets of a Bridal Seamstress! There are some fantastic interviews lined up for this season- I can’t wait to get started!

We’ll kick things off with a listener-led Q & A…

One of our questions was about my own wedding gown, and I was pretty jazzed to share those details:

What was the style of your wedding dress, and would you change it now if you could? -from Michelle

This was a fun question to answer! I chat about my own wedding gown, and talk about what style I’d go for when we have a vow renewal one of these days. My dress was a chiffon A-line, with a nod to an illusion neckline, for lack of better terms. In 2012, this style was pretty unique, and I loved that!

Another great question was submitted anonymously…because, well, it covers a more delicate subject:

What type of underwear should I wear under my wedding dress? -Anonymous (I think this will be an entire podcast episode one day…but for now, I keep it short and sweet for you!) We’ll cover bras, Spanx, undies, and petticoats- covering all our bases! Hope this helps you feel prepared with all the intimate details under the dress.

During the first season, I heard from so many fellow bridal seamstresses who were excited to connect on this common thread (pun of course intended!), and I soon realized that we need a platform to build supportive relationships, and expand our businesses together. We can often feel isolated in our trade, and I’d love to see us thriving together in our individual businesses, as we build each other up!

A new online subscription is launching in September for bridal seamstresses, with a free 5-day boot camp launching the party. Click HERE to register now!

Choosing the right friends and family to bring with you on your dress shopping adventure is a huge decision! The opinions, encouragement, and support of your shopping team will have a huge impact on your overall wedding gown experience. To help us narrow down who to invite, Lauren Moss, owner of Something Blue Boutique, shares her professional insights.

Lauren has worked as a bridal stylist since 2010, and has owned her bridal boutique since 2017- needless to say, she has so much great insight on this topic!

In this episode, Lauren shares how many people you should allow within your shopping entourage, and how to listen to your gut amidst the loud opinions of others. She also gives some great tips on how you can arrive to your appointment feeling prepared, and with a game plan.

To bustle or not to bustle? For me, that’s NOT a question! I’m here to share all the reasons you should invest in a bustle for your gown! Adding a bustle gives you freedom to enjoy your reception without having to worry about damaging your train, or tripping on it while hitting the dance floor.

Because bustles aren’t included in the dress, they’re an alteration cost to consider. Let me tell you how you can estimate what your bustle cost will be as you dress shop! There are several bustle styles to choose from, and I’m happy to give you the 411 on each style so you can decide which one is perfect for you.

Once we chat about the necessity, the styles, and prices of bustles, we’ll cover what to do if the bustle (heaven forbid!) breaks, and how you can be 100% prepared for your reception. Let’s get started and demystify bridal bustles!

Is there a trick to feeling calm and confident during your fittings? The secret is all in the details of your planning!

In this episode, I offer three tips to create a more enjoyable, relaxed, and confident fitting experience with your seamstress. I chat about some small details that make a BIG difference in how you feel at your appointment.

Some are obvious- give yourself ample time, plan ahead, and avoid appointments when you’re feeling extra stressed! But some are lesser known- like scheduling at a specific time of your monthly cycle, and choosing the right company to join you for appointments.

I want you to experience the best bridal moments, from your gown shopping, to your wedding day, and every fitting in between! This episode provides practical tips to make your appointments a little extra special, and gives you permission to add a little self-care to the experience.