You asked, we delivered...

So, over the last couple of months, we've been hearing from Mothers of the Groom and the Bride that we don't have a good selection of mothers gowns in larger sizes.  Mothers struggle with deciding on a gown when it's not the proper size.  With that in mind, we've ordered some beautiful gowns from the Montage Social Occasions line that are in a bit bigger sizes, so that more Mothers will be able to try gowns on in the store.  These gowns run small, so our 12 and 14's just weren't cutting it anymore!  Here are a couple of gowns arriving September 1st:

 We've actually got this one coming in a beautiful sapphire color.

Call 519-245-7997 today to make an appointment to try on some of these beautiful gowns at Once Upon A Time Weddings.  Or stop in to see at 6 Front St. W Strathroy.  Remember this is the biggest party you'll ever host, so it's important for you to look beautiful and confident.



Why Purchase From Once Upon A Time Weddings?

There are so many reasons why our brides love us.  Not only do they get to be part of our amazing referral program (read all about it here).  They also get some incredible savings that will help them as they plan the rest of their wedding.

- get $20 off their bridesmaids gowns ($25 if they book their appointment on the day they purchased their wedding gown)

- get $35 off their mothers gowns and this will include both the brides mother and the grooms mother

- get 15% off any stationary that they order from Once Upon A Time Weddings (invitations, place card settings, programs, menus, table numbers, etc)

These are just some of the reasons why it's good to be part of the Once Upon A Time Weddings family.  Book your appointment to experience all the reasons that brides love us.

6 Front St. W Strathroy

http://www.onceuponatimeweddings.ca/

519-245-7997

Just a reminder about our long weekend hours here.

Long Weekend Hours

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to do a little post to let you know about our hours for the long weekend.  We want to give our staff an opportunity to enjoy a little bit of this last summer long weekend.  So these will be hours this weekend:

Thursday regular hours of 9:30-6

Friday 10-5

Saturday 9:30-3

Sunday and Monday Closed

As, always, we do recommend you make an appointment so that we can work best with you!  For more information about our store, please visit http://www.onceuponatimeweddings.ca/

Thanks!

Sneak Peek at Some Blow Out Gowns..

So, if you've been hiding under a rock the last couple of weeks, then you may not know, WE'RE HAVING A BLOW OUT SALE TONIGHT ONLY!

Friday, August 26th 6-9PM

40-50% off selected wedding gowns, bridesmaids and mothers gowns!

I wanted to show you some pictures of the some of the amazing gowns that we have to let go of, to make room for new fall arrivals!

The gown to the left is a Claudine Bridal and has a retail price of $998.  But this beauty will be $499 plus tax tonight!

The gown to the left is an Alfred Sung gown which retails at Once Upon A Time Weddings for $1225.  Tonight it will be $612.50.

This beautiful mothers gown retails for $504.00 but will be on sale for just $302.40

This beautiful mothers gown retails for $373.00, but will be on sale tonight for just $223.80.

Be sure to come in tonight for great savings on many beautiful gowns!

Once Upon A Time Weddings

6 Front St. W Strathroy

519-245-7997

Bridal Gown Specialist Spotlight

 Today we're highlighting our wedding gown specialist, Katie Eastman.  Katie has been with us since we opened last September.  Katie got married last August 7th at Sawmill Creek in Camlachie.  She wore a gorgeous gown and I was priviledged to stand up with her.  It was a gorgeous day surrounded by family and friends.  Katie is really able to relate to brides who come in to the store as she remembers what it was like to find the dress and plan a wedding!

 This is a picture of Katie with all her girls. 

Katie enjoys working at Once Upon A Time Weddings with her sister, the owner, because it is always exciting helping a girl find their dream dress. She enjoys working with people and helping them through this exciting time in their life.  She also enjoys all the quality time spent with her big sis!  The owner, Erin is Katie's older sister.  It's a real family affair at Once Upon A Time Weddings.  We've enjoyed working together over the past year.

Bridesmaids Discounts

Last week, I shared the bridal referral program that showed how you can earn back the full amount of your wedding gown.  If you missed it, click here to read all about it.  Today I wanted to share some of the other advantages to buying your gown from Once Upon A Time Weddings.  This is one of the discounts we offer to your girls after you buy your gown from our store.

As always visit us online at http://www.onceuponatimeweddings/ or check out our facebook fan page here. 

Blow Out Sale!!

Get to Know Our Staff..

So today we'll be take a minute to get to know our wedding gown specialist, Lynda Wright.  Lynda is the most recent wedding gown specialist to join our team.  Lynda's son just recently got married and she was a regular in our store for months leading up to the wedding.  She has also brought many women whose children were also getting married.  So, we decided we needed to hire her on.  She has a great personality, and after just having her son get married, she can definitely relate to all those mothers who come into Once Upon A Time Weddings.  She is a great fit into our team and her personality puts customers at ease as soon as she greets them. 

She has been married to Mr. Wright for almost 48 years.  They got married in Wheatley, Ontario on September 7th, 1963.  Looks like Kate was actually copying Lynda with the lace gown and sleeves.  This is Lynda on her wedding day.

 And a picture of her with her new husband, back in 1963. 



Lynda's favourite part of working at Once Upon A Time Wedding's is the happy atmosphere.  She loves the moment when you know you've helped your bride or mother find "the dress" and they can't stop smiling.  She loves talking with brides and getting to know them.  Lynda has been such a great fit and complements the rest of the team.  We are so happy to have her working with us.

Firsts...

When I look back on my life, there are many "firsts" that are highlight my life.  My first day at high school, first best friend, first crush, first boyfriend, first kiss, first real job, first time moving out of my parents house, etc. 

Tomorrow, I'll be adding another first to that list.  Because, tomorrow, my VERY FIRST bride who purchased her gown from Once Upon A Time Weddings, will be slipping that gorgeous dress on one final time and walking down the aisle. 

Kassie it's been such a pleasure working with you and your girls.  I've had so much fun and it's been a real honor to get to know you and work with you.  Enjoy your day.  I hope it's everything you imagined as you celebrate your FIRST day as a wife!  Can't wait to see pictures of you guys!  This dress was truly made for her and it kick started our first year in business!  What a year it's been.  We're so proud of Kassie and every other girl who has walked down that aisle in one of our gowns.  We're honored that you chose to purchase from Once Upon A Time Weddings and that by doing so, you've allowed us into your wedding day and your lives!  Thank you!

Wedding Gown Referral Program...

At Once Upon A Time Weddings, we are fortunate enough to work with some of the best brides in the Southwestern Ontario area.  We just love them so much.  So we thought how can we thank them for trusting us with this really important aspect of their day, but at the same time spread the love around.  And thus began the referral program.. DRUMROLL please...

When a bride purchases her beautiful gown for her upcoming wedding.. she has the opportunity to earn the ENTIRE amount of her wedding gown back.. SAY WHAT!! That's right she can earn herself a cheque for the entire purchase price of her wedding gown.

Here's how.

Refer 9 brides who purchase their Gown from our store and get a full refund on your gown

Refer 3 brides get a $50 gift card to the restaurant of your choice

Refer 6 brides get a cheque for $250 towards the cost of your gown

Refer 9 brides and get a full refund on the cost of your gown (minus sales tax) *

So, it's how to do it in 5 easy steps.  Ready. GO

1. Fall in love.  Get engaged and give us a call at 519-245-7997 to book your bridal appointment because appointments are the best!
2. Come in, meet our wedding gown specialists, try on gowns.
3. Fall in love with a gown.  Cry, squeal, jump up and down, or just try to stop smiling.  Order your gown.
4. Receive referral cards to give out to your friends, family, coworkers, random people you meet on the street.
5. They'll save $50 off their gown when they use the coupon and when you get to 9 coupons redeemed.  PRESTO.  Free cheque for full amount of your gown.

The fine print:  you have one year to earn your gown for free after you purchase your gown.  You will get a full refund minus the sales tax.  Yes, we still have to pay the tax man.

So, if you've purchased your gown from us in the past.  You're still in luck.  Go check your mailboxes and there you shall find a letter from us detailing this promotion and some referral cards.  If you don't find this, call us at 519-245-7997 and we'll be happy to send this along to you.  You'll have a year from when we mail it to you.  So start handing them out and telling all your friends about your wonderful experience at Once Upon A Time Weddings.

If you're new to this blog then you need to check us out at http://www.onceuponatimeweddings.ca/ for all the scoop.

Bridal Gown Specialist Spotlight

So, over the next few weeks I want to take a minute to spotlight our wonderful team of bridal gown specialists at Once Upon A Time Weddings.  We have an exceptional group of women who work well together and strive to offer our brides a unique, fun experience.  As the owner, I thought I'd take a minute to share with you how I got into this business and why I love my job so MUCH.

First of all, I thought I'd share a picture from my wedding day. 

And a picture with a better shot of my gown..

Different girls find their gowns in different ways.  I tried on many gowns and then one day, Katie, my sister and I were looking at bridesmaids gowns and I saw my gown on the rack and fell in love with it.  Katie convinced me to try it on and I just knew it was "the one".   I loved my gown and honestly have no regrets from my wedding.  It was exactly how I wanted it to be and have so many wonderful memories.  I really tried to relax and enjoy my day, but it all felt so surreal, like a wonderful dream.



I did alot of "do it yourself projects" for my wedding and thus began my love of creating wedding invitations and stationery.  I wanted everything to match and look like it was meant to be together.  Everything from the sand dollars stamps on our invitations to the sand dollar chocolates on our cake to our ocean themed vows..  I took the beach theme and carried it out in all the details. To me I think the best weddings have those details well thought out and well planned.

When I originally thought about opening the store, it was all the little details that I loved thinking about.  How would the layout of the store be?  How can we pay attention to details and create an experience that is unique to what girls are used to?  Those are the questions that kept me up at night,  and honestly some nights still do.

Photograph by the ever so fabulous Nova Markina Photography.  Check out more of her work at http://www.novamarkina.com

My favourite part of my job is seeing a bride's face light up when she catches a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror for the first time.  When you both know that this is IT..  Not everyone knows right away, some girls react differently.  But I love that I get to be in some small way a part of their day by helping them find the ONE.  There is a lot of stress in this job and it is a lot of work.  People always say oh that would be such a fun job to have.  And most of the time it is.  But it's also a lot of work.  Because I want the best for my brides.  I do really care about each of the brides that I work with. 

I can't believe that it's almost been a year that we've been open.  What a great, challenging, amazing year it's been!  We've learned so much and we are so excited to be moving forward as a team so that we can continue to offer our brides the experience of a lifetime.  Call 519-245-7997 today to make an appointment to see what brides are learning all the time, that Fairy Tales Really Do Come True at Once Upon A Time Weddings or visit us at http://www.onceuponatimeweddings.ca/.  We'd love to have you become part of our family!

Why buying online is BAD, BAD, BAD!!

So sometimes brides think, I can find this dress online for much cheaper!  But I want to take a minute to explain why this is not a good idea and will cause you more headaches.  Sure, you might be able to find a dress online for a bit cheaper.  But what you may not be aware of is that you are actually not buying a Mon Cheri or an Alfred Sung gown or whatever designer they are selling.  These Chinese companies steal pictures of gowns off of designers website and then claim to be an "Authorized Retailer" of these lines.  Then they try to copy the gown which ends up in them making you a very cheap, poorly constructed gown.  Now, you may be thinking, oh of course Erin doesn't want us to buy online, because she's losing the business.  Well yes I am, but I am also sick of seeing poorly made gowns come into the store for alterations or having brides think we can help them since we also carry the designer. 

It's really easy to become an "Authorized Retailer".  Okay ready.  Step one go to http://www.dessy.com/dresses/lelarose/lr111/?colorid=123&acolorid=114 and right click on the picture and copy it.  Step two: type the words "Authorized Retailer" into your word processor.  Okay you can do those two steps and so can anyone in China who wants to pretend they are an authorized retailer.

So how do you know that you're dealing with an actual "Authorized Retailer".  Well first one, us actual "Authorized Retailers" we are not allowed to sell online.  Really though, that should be a given.  Go ahead order a book or music online, but really a gown for such an important event?  So if you ever do see gowns being sold online, it's not the real deal.  "Authorized Retailers" should be listed on the companies website under the section, where to buy.  So go check it out.  If you don't see a company or store there, they are probably not legit.

Okay, some of you might still be thinking, who cares if they are an authorized retailer, I'm saving money here.  WRONG THINKING!  Let me tell you why..

• Buy a cheap dress and you will spend hundreds in corsets, bras, crinolins, etc. to make it look good enough to wear.

• You are getting a knock-off that has usually been copied from the picture and put together in a factory in China. You are again getting plastic beads, polyester fabric, no built in corset, and you have absolutely NO recourse if the dress is not what you thought you ordered. In fact, sometimes your gown doesn't arrive at all; sometimes they arrive at the last minute. And when you're concerned about your dress not arriving, you're going to be looking for another dress, but: your wedding gown budget has already been spent, and just in case it does arrive, you don't want to be struck with two gowns.

•  You have no one to help with things like alterations, steaming or guaranteeing it's arrival. 

• You cannot guarantee the proper sizing.  I had a bride bring in her wedding gown for her October wedding.  She bought her gown online.  The stitching was the worst I have ever seen.  It looked like an arts and crafts project.  It was also about a foot off the floor in the front of the gown (it was suppose to be floor length).  (More on sizing coming next week)

Now, I'm all for saving money and all for do it yourself projects.  But not when it comes to your wedding gown or bridesmaids gown.  You don't want to look back at your pictures and think if only I had just bought a gown from a bridal store.  In fact I have tons of money saving tips if brides are interested in them.  But on this one area, your DRESS, please, please, please just buy from a reputable company.

I will leave you with this quote from recent bride, Cassie,

"Erin, Thanks for all the help with my beautiful gown and all... its probably one of the best highlights of my big day.. :) .. I will always put in a good word for your business.. its been a pleasure! See you soon to pick it up."  This is YOUR day, don't make any decisions that could jeopardize how your day looks and feels!

Customizing Wedding Gowns..

So, today Katie and I were working and changing mannequins and we decided to do a little blog to show you how you can make your wedding gown your own.  You can do this by simply adding a dress accessory like a belt, cap sleeves, shoulder strap, or by adding a little bit of bling to a gown.  This is Katie, wedding gown specialist and myself after our ninth attempt at a normal looking picture.  Seriously, I know this isn't the greatest pic, but you should see the others.. Anywoo..

So you take a gown which is absolutely gorgeous to begin with..

 And you add a belt and BAM you have this You-nique gown!  Oh yeah and sorry, I don`t claim to be a photographer and after two cups of coffee my hands shake a little so ignore the blurryness of the pictures and just make an appointment to get your butt down here and try these beauties on for yourself!

Or take the same dress and add a belt or a strap and completely change the gown once again!

Okay so that`s one type of gown with added accessories, and here is another one..

 For those girls who want to add a little bit of pink to their gown!  This belt is perfect for the girly girl!

Okay, and one more.  I know I`m not suppose to have favourites, but I kind of do.  I really love how this makes it look like a totally different dress.  This could be a way to have ``two dresses`` without really having two dresses.  Dress Numbero One:

Dress Numbero Two

 And now a close up cuz it`s just so stinkin cute!

So, what does everyone think of these dress accessories..  Aren`t they a great way to make your wedding gown You-nique.. Be sure to stop in and check them out in the store.  Call 519-245-7997 to make an appointment!  Or visit our website at http://www.onceuponatimeweddings.ca/.  Stay tuned for some great promotions at Once Upon A Time Weddings and remember to check out our store hours here.