Bella Rosa Online Wedding Catalog

Ok, so everybody knows that I'm just crazy about my bridal boutique, Bella Rosa Bridal, in Richmond, Virginia. I purchased my wedding gown there, and will hopefully visit it soon when I fit for alterations. I was just on Bella Rosa's website, looking at the samples for sale, when I noticed a new link. Bella Rosa now has an online wedding catalog of fabulous items! You can find veils, jewelry, shoes, bridal party gifts and more. I'm so excited about this, and so far I've found several pairs of earrings that I love! Now, I need to choose just one pair to wear on my big day.

Originally, I wanted dangly chandelier earrings, but then I saw this pair, and I love them! These Anna Bellagio earrings are my top choice right now. I think they'll look fabulous with an up-do.

Bella Rosa

Bella Rosa is a gorgeous little bridal boutique, located on the West End of Richmond. They have a wide selection of designers, styles, and prices to suit every bride. The atmosphere is warm and the service is top notch. I have never been to Kleinfeld's in NY, but in terms of the look of the place, I always refer to Bella Rosa as looking like a mini-Kleinfelds. When you get there, and start trying on gowns, they definitely make it all about you. You will definitely get service that is second to none. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, yet still professional. Bella Rosa creates a dress shopping experience that is all about you. This is an actual photo of the bridal area of their boutique. Doesn't it look like every bride's dream?

They definitely have excellent quality gowns because they carry only designer originals. Some places will try and sell you designer replicas. They increase their profit by getting a cheaper, lower quality dress, but mark it up to the same price a reputable boutique would charge for a designer original. You can usually identify a boutique as selling designer replicas, because if you touch a few dresses, regardless of the name of the "designer" on the label, the dresses will all feel the same, like they're made out of a sateen-ish sort of tablecloth or drapery fabric. To digress just a bit, there is a competitor boutique in Richmond on Springfield Road between Nuckols Road and West Broad Street. I actually made a stop here before going to Bella Rosa. They had lesser quality dresses. The lady working there didn't say hello or anything when I and a friend arrived and were looking around. We were the only other people in the store. When she did finally end up speaking with us, she tried to sell me on using her husband as a DJ! So not cool. . .

Anyway, I've visited a couple different boutiques, but Bella Rosa is the one and only place where I've tried gowns on, and I ended up purchasing one of the gowns I fitted in that first visit. Don't think that you have to forgo good service or having a designer gown, just because you've got a budget. When you go to Bella Rosa, they'll ask what style of dress you'd like and what type of wedding you're having (beach, church, etc.). Then, they'll ask how much you want to spend. Designers make dresses in every price range. I told them my target price, and when I started fitting, they not only brought dresses near the top of my budget, but also at some lower price points. The dresses that made it as my top two were both by 2Be bridal, a great designer if you're athletically proportioned like me. The samples I tried on fit me perfectly, and when I checked the price (after I was already in love with them), it turned they were well below my target price. I don't know if this is a sales strategy that Bella Rosa uses, but it worked. I'm happy. They're paid. Bella Rosa also carries mothers, flower girls, and bridesmaids gowns, special occasion dresses, and a full assortment of accessories.

They also have wedding gown samples available for sale. The sample of my gown was on their website and has since been sold for less than 1/2 of what I paid for it.

At Bella Rosa, they can keep your gown in their climate controlled store for as long as you wish. They do alterations on site, and they will steam your dress twice for you at no charge, once usually for bridal portraits and once for your wedding. They also have trunk shows quite regularly. My salesperson, Susan, is no longer there, but everyone else at Bella Rosa is just as wonderful.

The Hunt for the Dress: The End (Seriously)

When I decided I would check out a few bridal salons, I asked a few girlfriends for salons recommendations. One of the suggestions I received was to visit Blush Gowns. Blush is a bridal consignment boutique in Newport News (similar to I Do! I Do! in Gaithersburg) owned by Holly Yaskowsky. Holly opened Blush a few years ago after she had trouble finding a consignment boutique to accept her own gown from her 2003 wedding.

Since I was headed that direction anyway to visit my mom, I made an appointment to stop and see Holly and see some of the dresses at Blush. As I mentioned in my last dress post, sometimes you just have to find the salon that is the right fit for you, and Blush was the perfect fit for me.

Blush has set policies on the types of dresses they accept, so the gowns in the shop are currently in style and in excellent condition. Many of the dresses haven't even been worn (ever hear of the two dress bride?? Blush is familiar with quite a few). According to the website, there are generally about 400+ dresses in stock in sizes ranging from 2 to 24.

Blush Boutique from www.blushgowns.com

I started off my appointment discussing with Holly my budget and style of dress I wanted. We pulled about 10 dresses off the rack in several styles, most of them in my budget, a few above and even one below! I tried on all the dresses and ended up going back to the very first one I tried. After dancing about the store a bit (yes, I knew I had found a great dress and I had to celebrate), I put the dress on hold to think it over and be sure. I called back the next day knowing I had found my perfect dress (good looking dress+great price=Miss Fairfax's perfect dress).

Inside the boutique where I did my victory dance (pic from www.blushgowns.com).

I had a great shopping experience at Blush and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great dress at a great price, while still getting the bridal salon experience. I have not personally shopped at I Do~ Do, but if you don't want to drive down to Newport News, I would check it out. I Do~I Do also carry some retail gowns (Blush is exclusively consignment).

I plan to return to Blush after my wedding to hopefully consign my dress back. It would certainly be great to recoup some of the costs and also hopefully help out another bride!

The Hunt for the Dress: The Trilogy is Complete (Maybe)

I'm back from the wedding this weekend! It was beautiful and I promise to recap in a few days, but first I've got to finish up my "Hunt for the Dress" tale.

When we left off in Part Dos I had come across a number of great inexpensive dresses at Macy's, Nordstrom, Nicole Miller, etc. However, I didn't want to completely discount traditional bridal salons. Even though I was 99% sure I would find my dress elsewhere, I kind of wanted the experience of going into a salon and trying on dresses (how many times in your life do you get to shop for a wedding dress anyway??). Plus, I thought it would be a really fun mother/daughter bonding activity.

I visited two salons in Northern Virginia--a friend and I kind of went on a whim, no appointments. Making an appointment is nearly always recommended though!! I also visited two salons in Southern Virginia with my mom. Both times it was a great experience. Trying dresses on turned out to be much more fun than I ever thought, especially with my mom there!

So here are some thoughts I have on salons:

• Just because you're on a smaller budget doesn't mean you have to avoid salons (this is what I thought at the start of my search). Different salons carry inventory in different price ranges. Some salons do carry inventory starting at $3,000, but others carry dresses beginning under $1,000! Do your research and find a salon that fits you. Price ranges are often listed on salon websites (check The Knot too). If you can't find it there, call the salon and ask!
  

• In my humble opinion, one of the top advantages of salons if having a LOT of dresses in one place. Sometimes the convenience factor can trump the cost factor.
  

• Depending on the salon, the owners or management may have the ability to drop the price a little. I fell in love with a dress at one of the NoVa salons I visited, but I knew it was out of my budget. At the end of my visit, I let the sales associate know I really liked the dress, but it was a little out of my budget. She spoke with the owner and they were able to offer me a 10% discount if I decided to come back and order the dress. I can't say if this is common, but it can't hurt to let the shop know you love the dress, it's just a little out of your reach.
  

• Don't discount sample sales (haha, just a little shopping humor). If your budget allows for the purchase of a pricier dress (say in the $3,000), a sample sale with discounts of 60% can be an excellent way to save on your gown. That'd be a $3,000 dress for $1,200! Also if you really have your heart set on a specific designer, and you've made the dress a priority in your wedding budget, sample sales can make it more do-able.
  

• Ask to see the destination wedding dresses! At one salon I visited in Richmond, I saw a wedding dress I just had to try on! It was super glamorous, lots of pleats, these gorgeous roses along the neck line. It was a dress from the destination wedding line of a very expensive designer. The price? $489! Many designers these days are making lines especially for destination weddings. The fabric usually travels a little better than say, a big taffeta ball gown, but that's the main difference. Most destination gowns I've seen are perfectly at home in a garden, a church, or a beach front resort!

Does anyone have other good tips for salon shopping?

Ok, this tale of the dress is quickly becoming quite the epic. Check back tomorrow for the final installment!