Sunday, November 25, 2012

Gown Preservation Warning

The name on the box is Bridal Keepsake



A week ago I met with one of my past brides.  She purchased her gown from me a few years ago.  The marriage was unsuccessful and they divorced.  She has met the man of her dreams and they are getting married.  As we talked about what she wanted to wear for her wedding we determined that her original wedding dress was still her style and would be perfect with some design changes.

When she brought in her gown in the preservation box she explained that her previous in laws had  generously had her gown preserved for her.  I was impressed with the presentation as you can see pictured.  The outer was a muslin encasing with a handle.  The dress was boxed but not sealed in a lovely window box with bust form.  She pulled it out to try it on and to her horror we could see that this dress had never been cleaned since she wore it years ago.  The bottom was very dirty, there was make up on the bodice.  I cannot imagine any company stooping this low.

Most stores that offer this service will send your gown to a professional preservation company where your gown is cleaned and packed by highly trained professionals and 99% of all preservations are perfectly fine.  However, this is a scam in it's highest form because most brides would never dream of opening their gown once it has been boxed.
Quality at it's best by Chris Lee and Crew

She has no idea who or what company provided the service (or lack thereof) but she wanted us to make sure that we spread the word.  If you or someone you know has a wedding gown preserved by this company I would advise you to contact your local Better Business Bureau and also your Consumer Protection Agency which is in the Attorney General's office for your state.  It would break my heart to open a dress in 20 years to find it was not properly cleaned and thus unwearable.

I will be able to clean this gown since it was not left dirty for several years.  If you have a gown heir loomed by this same company and are unsure as to it's condition we would be happy to assist.
Just call Lynette directly for advice and instructions  435-757-5966  www.lynettes.com

Friday, November 16, 2012

Retirement

I have never really thought too much about what I would do when I no longer sell wedding and prom dresses.  I just thought I would slump over my machine and go to heaven.  (I hope I'm going to heaven).  But when I started having trouble with my neck a few years ago and recently my thumb started screaming loudly I began to wonder what it would be like to actually go to a family party or stay home during the day and watch Dr Phil.

I can see the entire wedding industry evolving.  Weddings are more spontaneous, more emphasis on the party than the reason for the day.  The economy is playing a big part in where our hearts are going also.  For some it is entirely about needing to do everything really inexpensively and I have no argument for any of it. 

However, I will scream at the top of my lungs that what you wear on your wedding day will impact your memories more than any other aspect of your wedding.  Your attire should be the FIRST thing you shop for, not the last as it is seeming to me lately.  You should love your dress.  I actually had a bride to be call me looking for a certain Maggie Sottero wedding dress.  Get this, her wedding is in one and a half weeks.  Yes 12 whole days.  I am stunned!  She really didn't seem all that stressed.  If  I were her mother I would kill her.  Well, not literally.

I digress but here I am back again.  Today I counted the wedding dresses on my racks.  I have 337 wedding dresses in the store and probably 5 times that in back stock.  We begin with 20% off anything and nearly everything in the store including veils, headpieces, jewelry, dresses, and bridesmaid dresses.  Special orders, tuxedo stuff, alterations, bras and slips are NOT on sale. 

Please tell your friends, neighbors and anybody else you can think of about our sale.  www.lynettes.com  801-773-7435.  Due to the nature of our sale we are actually NOT encouraging appointments.  People will be served on a first come basis.  Happy Shopping!