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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Too many chefs spoil the wedding gown soup...

Below is an article I found on shopping for your wedding gown.  There is a really common question when brides get ready to shop - Who should I bring with me? You might think more people are better, but that usually isn’t the case.

Periodically we have a bride call the store crying because she got out-voted on her wedding gown and now has to wear the ugly thing.  Wedding gown selection should SOOOO not be a democratic process. The article below, by Bridget Mora from EzineArticles.com, sums it up nicely.

“There is no doubt about it: shopping for a wedding gown is one of the best parts of being a bride. Nothing is quite as fun as getting to try on all of those fabulous dresses in your search for the one dress that will truly make you feel like a bride. In the excitement, many brides will want to invite everyone they know to join them for the adventure. But before you do, stop and think carefully about who you should bring wedding gown shopping.
You may be surprised to hear that when it comes to finding your dream gown, having more people does not mean having more help. Did you ever hear the old expression, “Too many chefs spoil the soup”? This is exactly what usually happens when a bride brings along a whole entourage. Everyone will have a different opinion, and in all of those voices, it is often the bride’s that gets drowned out. Forget about picking a wedding dress by committee or trying to please everyone: it doesn’t work.

soupThe ideal number of friends or relatives to bring gown shopping is one to three. (And three can even be pushing it if they are all highly opinionated ladies!) Although it can be fun to try on gowns for all six of your bridesmaids and have them ooh and aah over you, remember that the point is to find your wedding gown, not just to try on lots of dresses. You are better off choosing a couple of friends who will be able to remain focused on you and on what you really want.

The obvious choice for a person to bring gown shopping is the mother of the bride. For many mothers and daughters, it is an experience they have dreamed about sharing for years. If this sounds like you, then by all means, bring your mother. Make a whole mother-daughter day of it with lunch in a nice restaurant after the appointment (hopefully it will be a lunch to celebrate finding your dream dress!).

Not all mothers and daughter see eye to eye, however. If you know that your mother will not be able to keep your personal taste in mind, then you would be better off doing your gown shopping with one of your bridesmaids. You need someone who you can really trust to help you make the right choice. After you have chosen your gown, you can invite your mother to help you pick out your veil and bridal jewelry. Shopping for jewelry and other bridal accessories can also be a good way to involve your future mother-in-law.

So who should a bride avoid bringing to shop for a wedding gown? For starters, if you have a jealous sister, leave her at home. Nothing spoils the mood faster than having your sister shoot down your favorite gown. If she is not going to helpful, don’t ask for her opinion.
The other thing that might not occur to many brides is that money is going to be a consideration when choosing a bridal gown. For this reason, it is best not to invite anyone that you do not wish to know either your budget or how much you spent on your wedding gown. (In some cases, this may include the bride’s father, even if he is the one paying the bills!) If you are going to be sticking to a very tight budget, you might not want to bring along a friend who will try to steer you towards the latest designer looks. On the flip side, many brides worry that their fiance’s family would find them to be overly extravagant if they find out that the wedding gown was very expensive.

Your bridal gown is the most special item of clothing that you will ever purchase. Nothing else that you wear will ever have quite the same emotional significance. When you are shopping for your wedding dress, be sure to bring along only those that you know will be able to help you find that one perfect gown.”  You can always come back after the decision has been made to show other important people.  Call 519-245-7997 or email us at info@onceuponatimeweddings.ca to book your bridal appointment.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Store Hours

Fall Store Hours

So, we know it's been fall for a few weeks, but here are our new fall hours!

Monday - Thursday 10-5:30
Friday 10-8
Saturday 9:30-4
Sunday 1-4

As always, if you need to come at a time outside these hours, it's really easy to do that.  Just give us a call and book an appointment and we'll be happy to meet you here!  Happy planning! 

Plus, now you can make an appointment right off of this page.  Just click the make appointment link on the right hand side of the page!

10 Reasons Bridal Boutiques are Better!!


This post is dedicated to those shopping for a wedding gown.  It can be a scary purchase and for many young women, it is one of the most expensive purchases they have ever made.  Some people feel like they need to stick with chain stores like Alfred Angelo and David’s Bridal (also called’ Big Box’ stores) to play it safe.  Those big stores pay for tons and tons of ads annually, so we all know they are there.  The primary benefits that these kind of stores offer are that they have hanging stock, and they offer a credit card or financing options for your wedding gown.  Their ads make it seem cheap and easy to shop there.  The truth is rather different and often frustrating.  So here is a post to clear up some hoopla you have wondered about big box shopping vs. bridal boutique shopping.

Here are some of the primary perks of “boutiqing it” with your wedding gown:
  1. PERSONAL SERVICE:  This makes a world of difference when shopping for something that resembles a huge white marshmallow shoved into a see-through plastic bag.  Smaller bridal boutiques learn their stock and know it by heart.  They can easily match up the right girl with the right gown at the right price.  Tah-dah!  All the stuff about it taking 10-12 shops to find the right gown only happens when you meet with people who don’t care, don’t know their stock, and haven’t the foggiest idea of what cuts will flatter your figure.  Personalized service can do all that, plus some!
  2. CUSTOM OPTIONS: Have you ever seen a gown and thought it was almost perfect?  It just needed…that top with that bottom; or that neckline; or less stuff; or more sparkles, etc!  When shopping at a bridal boutique you have the option to special order or to make adjustments.  A special order gown is one that is being made JUST FOR YOU.  That means it is truly a one of a kind gown.  You can get exactly what you want without settling. Those other stores mass produce gowns with no options for changes like this. At Once Upon A Time Weddings, we specialize in custom gowns.  Brides have added embellishments, added lace, added straps, changed the colors, etc.  Then they ordered their gown and it was exactly what they wanted.  And it must cost a fortune to do that, right?  Nope.  Our alterations are relatively inexpensive and making minor changes is inexpensive.
  3. CUSTOM FIT:  Adding on to the previous thought - brides can order custom sizes and heights at Once Upon A Time Weddings.  The bridal boutique that special orders is your BFF if you have a figure that doesn’t play nice with standard sizing.  This works really well and saves you time AND money.  At Once Upon A Time Weddings, almost all of our designers allow us to change the length of the gown.  This fee is $50-75 depending on the designer.  This means that if you're short, you won't have to pay $350 to hem eight layers of your gown.  Plus, you have more time after your gown arrives since these changes were made in the factory.
  4. NEED A GOWN NOW? No problem, all of our styles that are in store are ready to take home TODAY.  The truth is that Once Upon A Time Weddings carries stock that helps all of their brides, so whether you need a specialty size and have time to order or your wedding is tomorrow, Once Upon A Time Weddings is the perfect place to shop.  We also can work with our designers to have gowns arrive faster than standard delivery times, sometimes at no additional charge.
  5. SAMPLE SALE:  Sample sales are an awesome way to save money and get a designer gown.  A couple times a year Once Upon A Time Weddings will sell sample gowns and you can save up to 50% off! What’s the difference between a designer gown and a mass produced copy?  FIT & FLATTER.  The bodices are constructed so differently, its insane.  Instead of 2 seams in the bodice of a mass produced gown (the top of the gown that is shaped around your curves), you have 6- 12 in a designer gown.  What does that mean?  It means the construction of the gown can now curve with your curves.  All of a sudden, gowns fit you correctly, they don’t pull, and you don’t have chicken-wings popping out from your pits over the neckline of the gown.  Most women don’t like that feature of cheap gowns.  Inexpensive gowns are often guilty of using the neckline to hold up a strapless gown - which gives you armpit spill/ aka chicken wings.  A designer bodice is held up through the waist, and the fit is to die for. And cost on a designer gown?  They start at only $899.  Totally reasonable and totally worth it.  If you care how you look, you should check out the designer version of your gown.  Who wants Prado when you can have Prada?  And if you get it in a sample sale, odds are it is cheaper than the knock off hanging at the big box store.
  6. PAYMENT PLANS: One thing that draws people to the big box stores in masses is their financing programs.  Well, did you know that you can get the same deal at the local boutique?  We can arrange a payment plan if you need it. 
  7. SAVING MONEY & TIME: This is the main reason people flock to the discounters.  They think they are saving money.  Brides purchase a $99 wedding gown only to pay $424 in alteration fees (national average cost of alterations at chain bridal stores).  If you really want to save money, shop when there is a sale.  You can truly save money on your gown and get a gown that has the quality and construction that does not require spending almost $500 to make it wearable.  Examine the total cost of your gown, including bustier, crinolines, and alterations.  Gowns with cheaper construction cost more to alter and need all those foundational garments to keep you from looking like a frumpy mess.  You’ll find that many designer gowns have the bustiers and crinolines built into the gowns.  Remember to also factor in your cost of alterations.  At Once Upon A Time Weddings we strive to keep our alterations costs down.  So you might be able to find a similar gown at a box store, but the quality isn't going to be as good.  Then you'll spend up to four times as much in alterations.
  8. OTHER SAVINGS: Did you know that your local bridal shop has partnered with other local wedding vendors to give Once Upon A Time Weddings Brides special offers not available anywhere else?  We've got some savings on photography, and other wedding day services, and you’ll be saving some serious dough.
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9.  SPACIOUS STORE: People are always shocked when they first walk into our store.  Our selection is incredible, our sales staff approachable and the size and spaciousness of our store is unlike any of the area's stores.  We have three stages, five fitting rooms, a VIP room, and tons of mirrors.  We've got comfortable seating and we serve coffee and tea to you and your guests.  We go above and beyond to make this an experience you'll never forget!
10.  IT’S MORE FUN! Yeah, I said it.  ;o)  Once Upon A Time Weddings is a more fun place to shop.  Have you been at one of those other places on a Saturday afternoon?  Oh goodness.  I hate shopping like that - getting bumped every 5 seconds, it’s so loud, people are everywhere, you can’t see anything, there is no place for your mom to sit, the high school girl helping you gave you a gown that is too small and now you have your arms plastered over your head while trying to pull the gown off…Now you have to open that door to the 100 people out there to get unstuck.  Compare that to a private shopping appointment - even on sale days - where you have an entire bridal lounge to yourself and your friends, with a plush chair for mom, it’s quiet, no one’s bumping you, and you don’t have to beat another bride with a whistle to get your wedding gown.

If you're ready to purchase your wedding gown the way you deserve, call 519-245-7997 to book your specialized appointment.  You'll discover what brides all over Southwestern Ontario know, that Fairy Tales Do Come True!  Because it really is all about the experience.  As always you can find us on the web at http://www.onceuponatimeweddings.ca/ or on our facebook fan page here.

Friday, October 14, 2011

How to Dress the Men...

1.  4-7 months prior to the wedding decide on what tuxedo your guys will be wearing.  We recommend that just the bride and groom come into the store to pick out styles.  It's a lot easier to do it just the two of you, without all those opinions. 
2. 4-5 months finalize your tux styles and colors, then go ahead and rent your tux NOW. You can take care of payment, select the style, and reserve it with Once Upon A Time Weddings so that your tux choices don’t get snatched up by prom kids or by other weddings.  Bud Gowan has a huge supply of tuxedos and vests, but they do have a limited number of each tux in certain colors and styles.  As they say, the early bird gets the tux.
3. Consider the HEAT.  Our designer tuxes have a high wool content which allows your tux to breathe.  That in turn makes you one cool dude.  We also have microfiber shirts that work better for outdoor weddings.  Having a destination wedding?  We have light suits for those too!  Need them for a week?  Not a worry!
4. Get ALL the guys measured at least 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding. This is your drop-dead date.  Which means if you miss it, you may end up paying additional fees.  This is also the part of renting tuxes that throws most people.  You do not have to be measured at the store that is ordering your tuxes.  You can have measurements done at a tailor, suit store, or bridal shop.  Call and ask before you head over because different stores will have different policies for ‘out of house’ tux measurements.
5. Out of town rentals made easy.  You can rent your tuxes at Once Upon A Time Weddings even if your groomsmen are out of town.  How?  Easy!  We can give you a card and the guys just need to fill it out and email it back.  Often, the bride or groom collects all the cards and hands them all in at once.  Easy peesy.  Or the guys can go into any other Bud Gowan location and get measured.  Just let them know you will be picking up at Once Upon A Time Weddings.  Or if it's easier, some of the guys can pick up in London and some at Once Upon A Time Weddings.
6.  Your tuxes will arrive at Once Upon A Time Weddings in Strathroy the week of the wedding. It is highly recommended that you come in and try them on ASAP.  We typically schedule a time where the entire party can come in and try the tuxes on.  If you have special needs (or people won’t arrive until the morning of the wedding) don’t freak - we can help you with that too.  But again, the earlier the better to ensure enough time for replacements if needed.
7.  Remember to get black socks. OK, this is a necessary evil if you dont want to see white socks, or no socks with your groomsmen.  Personaly I’m thinking no socks in rental shoes is kinda gross, but it doesn’t mean people don’t do it.  Once Upon A Time Weddings does sell black socks so maybe grab a few when picking up your tuxedos.
8.  Don’t worry about dropping your tuxes off right after the wedding. Tux returns can be done on Monday.  Have fun at the wedding.  And should you fall into a pool or have some accident with your tux, don’t worry - your damage waiver will a dirty tux.  (Designer tuxes cost about $600-$900 to replace - don’t fall in the pool).
9. Tux returns made easy - Make sure you have everything back in the bag.  But one guy from the wedding can drop off all the tuxedos.  If anything is missing, you'll get a call from us in the next week or so.


Call 519-245-7997 now to set up an appointment to pick out your tuxedos or get your guys measured!  Once Upon A Time Weddings is located at 6 Front St. W in downtown Strathroy.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

How to Shop for a Prom Gown..

I know it may feel as though you have a long time until prom, it will be here before you know it.  Here are some things to keep in mind as you eagerly wait for the most exciting night of your high school years!

1.  TRY STUFF ON! Let’s face it, a prom gown is not the same as a sun dress. It has yards and yards of fabric intricately sewn together to make some sort of shape – that is 100% undistinguishable on the hanger. Try it on!

2.  FORGET THE ADS: Those models wearing the designer gown in the ad you are looking at is a good reference point to start from, but that is all it is good for. Photos can be manipulated to make a dress look like it does something that it does not. Never trust a photo. (Mind you, a pro award-winning photographer is giving you this tip).

3.  SKIP THE CAMERA: Trust your eyes! Snapping a crappy pic with your iphone is a HORRIBLE way to choose a gown. And we all know that cameras add 15 lbs. Bad lighting can make a super fab dress look like rubbish. Trust your eyeballs. The see fine details that your camera cannot (eg sparkle), plus you’ll look thinner.

4.  DECIDE WHILE YOU ARE IN IT: If you have to sleep on it – it’s not your dress, keep looking. “Sleeping on it” is code for shopping losers who have been schnookered into buying crap they didn’t like or want. Don’t worry, it’s happened to all of us. Those who recover learn this trick. And you are not a shopping loser. Look in the mirror and address each like and dislike with THIS dress. It is much easier to decide if it’s THEE dress while you are wearing it.

5.  SAVE THE INTERNET FOR NON-CRUCIAL STUFF: Does it matter what prom gown you wear? If the answer is no, then go nuts and buy your gown from cheapassgowns.com and have at it. If you answered yes, see steps 1 - 4. If you purchase online, then you have a fundamental flaw - you can’t try the dress on.

6.  DON’T EVEN THINK IT: You might be thinking I can so try on the dress – this shop down the street carries my dress. I’ll just try it on there and order it online. You have two major problems with this mindset. #1 – The shop you are using is individually owned and operated. That means the dress you are trying on and the services (consultants, dressing rooms, and time) cost something. To go into a privately owned store and use their stock and staff, tie up dressing rooms, and then buy online is whorey. If you have trouble rationalizing this – look at it this way. This is someone’s aunt, sister, or mother who is trying to feed her kids. You go in waste her time, wear out her dresses thereby devaluing them, and then you say sionora and buy from the net. It’s technically not stealing, but it should leave you feeling like scum because it IS a scummy thing to do. If you have no conscious and can look the woman helping you in the eye and still feel okay with yourself, you have a second major issue. #2 - Online retailers don’t give a crap about you. If you have a problem with your order, your dress is damaged, you need a seamstress, or you need your gown steamed – you are 100% on your own. The most often net ordering issue I hear is that they never placed the order for the gown with the vendor. You’ll find out with less than one weeks notice (assuming you even get notice) and then you are back to square one with no dress. This happens VERY OFTEN. It is a major problem because no one thinks it will happen to them. You also have the problem of the net vendor taking your money, not ordering your dress, and going under. And since this is not a local person who has to sit next to you at church, they keep your money and don’t feel guilty about it. Nameless and faceless business are NOT your friend. Save the internet purchases for stuff that doesn’t matter if it shows up or not.


7.  MATCHING YOUR MAN: For the love of all that is good – tell your guy to make sure his butt is in the tux rental store at least 4 weeks early. No, you can’t walk into the store pick one, and walk back out. It typically doesn’t work like that. And all the good tuxes get snatched early during prom season, so don’t wait until it’s too late. Your date will end up being the screw-up who has to wear his Easter/funeral suit to prom – which does NOT match your awesome dress.
These wonderful tips brought to you by H.M Ward

Saturday, October 8, 2011

The Changing Times of the Bridal Industry...

Why Price Shouldn’t be The Only Deciding Factor When Choosing A Gown
By: Erin Bouchard
Owner of Once Upon A Time Weddings
For years, retailers and manufacturers thought that the wedding industry was recession proof. They thought, surely girls will continue to get married and we’ll be safe where doing what we do. While it may be true that the recession certainly hasn’t hit the wedding industry as badly as it has hit other industries, it is a mistake to think we haven’t been affected. You see long time bridal giants like Priscilla of Boston closing their doors and you know that it’s not smooth sailing for everyone in the bridal industry. Thankfully and graciously they will remain open until the end of the year to fulfill all orders. Some brides haven’t been as lucky. London has seen two of it’s bridal stores close, and Sarnia has seen two of it’s stores close as well. Some of these stores have left brides in a panic.

The other change in the wedding industry is that some department stores, see that the wedding industry is a huge industry and decide to jump on the bandwagon. So we suddenly have stores where you can buy a 40 pack of toilet paper and a wedding gown in the same visit. These stores are seriously lacking what today’s bride needs, which is attention to detail and excellent customer service so that she can have the wedding of her dreams. After all, it’s still her wedding day.


Customers who are looking to purchase a wedding gown, or bridesmaids attire should be wary of stores who sell gowns at a much lower price than other stores in the area. I’ve had brides into the store in the last couple of weeks who have had the store they purchased their attire from go out of business before they received their gowns. Many of them have said they decided to purchase from the store they did because they found the lowest price there. While price shopping for some purchases, like a new vehicle, is a good idea, customers need to be wary of doing so for such an important purchase as their dress. The recession has taught us Canadians to look for deals and to be cautious of how we spend our money. This is a good thing. We need to be aware of where we’re overspending and cut back on it. The problem is that when stores are in trouble, they often lower their prices. So if you can find a gown at a store for $150-250 less than other stores are selling the same gown, the truth is they are probably really hurting and are just trying to get some money into the door. This should be a red flag, not a good thing. It’s going to cost you more if that store goes out of business and you’ve put down a deposit there and then have to go and order your gown at full price from another store.
Customers believe that a store that is new isn’t going to be around for long. The truth of the matter is that stores that are closing are those that have been open for years. Do a little research and you’ll find that the stores that are closing are those that are continuing to sell like they did before the recession. They aren’t staying current with the changing industry. Girls today are still getting married and still purchasing wedding gowns, they just do so with a different mentality. They want excellent customer service before and after they buy their gown. They want unique, beautiful styles that will flatter them and wow their guests. And that’s why brides are turning to Once Upon A Time Weddings in Strathroy because they listen to their brides and they stay on top of current bridal trends. We travel all over to find the most fashion forward gowns, so that you don’t have to travel far. Shop with confidence at Once Upon a Time Weddings at 6 Front St. W in downtown Strathroy. For more information check out Once Upon A Time Weddings at
www.onceuponatimeweddings.ca or call the store at 519-245-7997.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Dress the Guest

www.onceuponatimeweddings.ca or call the store at 519-245-7997 for more information.
Photos Generously Supplied by Partington Photography of Strathroy

www.partingtonphotography.com

Dress The Guest”
By: Erin Bouchard
Owner of Once Upon A Time Weddings

If there is one thing that I have learned over the last year, it’s this: being a business owner is not for the faint of heart. Once Upon A Time Weddings has been opened for just over a year in downtown Strathroy. This past year has taught me many lessons, but the biggest lesson is really a simple one, being a small business owner takes a lot of work! Don’t get be wrong I love my job and I love owning a business. But I also know the sheer amount of work and stress that goes into owning a business!
Once Upon A Time Weddings has a great group of staff and at one of our meetings we were discussing how we could let the wonderful residents of Strathroy know about the different services that we carry, while giving back in some way to the other business folks in Strathroy, since we know how hard they work to keep their business running. The idea to dress someone for an upcoming event arose and when we realized that the Strathroy’s Annual Chamber of Commerce was approaching, we thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase some of our products. When we learned that Ken Bumstead, owner of Giant Tiger, was nominated we realized we had found a perfect match.
Ken Bumstead was nominated for the Mel Veale Community Service Award for all his community involvement. Giant Tiger gives back in many ways to the community. They host BBQ’s, food drives, toy drives, backpack drives and other events that focus on giving back to community groups and those who are less fortunate. Ken volunteers a lot of his personal time to work on these events. Ken and his wife Nora Bumstead are very community oriented people and run a very honest business. Once Upon A Time Weddings was very proud to provide a tuxedo from Bud Gowan for Ken Bumstead to wear to the Chamber of Commerce Annual Gala.
Once Upon A Time Weddings has expanded to include tuxedo rentals through Bud Gowan Formal Wear in London. We chose Bud Gowan because of it’s longstanding reputation and service in London. Customers can now purchase or rent men’s formal wear in Strathroy at Once Upon A Time Weddings, saving them those trips to London.
Once Upon A Time Weddings is located at 6 Front St. W in downtown Strathroy. Check us out at

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Next Prom Model Competition...

Do you have what it takes to be Once Upon A Time Weddings next prom model? We are looking for a grade twelve student from a local high school to be the face of Once Upon A Time Weddings prom line. Our new line of gowns is designed exclusively for our store, and ensures that girls will be able to enter their prom wearing an exclusive, beautiful gown! We’re looking for someone to model these gowns when they arrive to the store for promotional materials. The winner of the contest will do a photo shoot with Nova of Nova Markina Photography featuring Once Upon A Time Wedding’s new line of gowns. The winner of this contest will also receive a $250 bursary for their post secondary education. The school that the winner attends will receive a $250 bursary for their prom. Applicants will be considered on ability to be the face of Once Upon A Time Weddings, community involvement and their future aspirations. Applicants who will to be part of the contest should submit an application no later than October 31st, 2011.  Applications can be picked up at Once Upon A Time Weddings at 6 Front St. W or emailed by sending an email to info@onceuponatimeweddings.ca


Criteria for being Once Upon A Time Wedding’s Next Model
Must be currently enrolled in grade twelve
Must be involved in your community in some way
Must have plans to attend post secondary education
Must be willing to have your photographs used in promotional materials
Once Upon A Time Weddings will narrow it down to 20 finalists. Those 20 girls will come into Once Upon A Time Weddings and be photographed in their favourite gown. Those pictures will be posted to the Once Upon A Time Weddings face book page. The five girls with the most votes will become the top 5 finalists. Once Upon A Time Weddings will interview the five finalists and choose a winner.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Thanksgiving Hours...

It's my favourite time of year again... FALL!  I love seeing the leaves changes and feeling the crisp air!  I love apple picking, making applesauce and apple cider.  I love chilly nights all bundled up.  Yes, this is definitely my favourite time of year!  I like to ponder all that I'm thankful for.  This year I have lots..
  • a very rewarding, busy business
  • three little nephews to love and cuddle with
  • an amazing and supportive husband
  • my parents and sisters all living close together
  • the opportunity everyday to work with some pretty awesome people - both my amazing staff and our awesome brides and their families
What are you thankful for?

Our Thanksgiving Hours for this weekend will be as follows:
Friday 9:30-7
Saturday 9:30-3:30
Closed Sunday and Monday

We strongly recommend that you make an appointment so we can serve you best for this weekend!  Enjoy your weekend with your family and friends!  Don't eat too much turkey!

Oh yeah, and if you haven't read our fall savings promotion going on until October 31st, you should read it here!
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