In the showroom at MB Bride & Special Occasion, Tracey Hess holds two essential devices for bridal-wear shopping these days: An iPhone is in her right hand and an iPad in her left.
She positions the electronics with precision, so the people she’s connecting with virtually can see the dress that the bride is trying on — like they were actually inside the Greensburg store.
The bride is Ariel Hess, who married Tracey Hess’ son, Dylan Hess of Pleasant Hills, in August. A military couple, they live at Fort Campbell in Kentucky and are planning a formal ceremony this October in Madison.
“It’s different not having everyone physically here, but I am thankful my mother-in-law was here with me because there are so many options,” said Ariel. Her mother, Celina Garza, and sister-in-law Alyssa Agulara were on the other end of Tracey’s Apple devices, joining the dress shopping via FaceTime.
“Technology has really helped,” said Reed Pederson, who bought MB Bride with wife, Maja, 30 years ago. “The bride can FaceTime with friends and family who can’t be here. That’s the new normal in this pandemic.”
Shopping for that special wedding dress might not look like it used to because of covid-19. Boutique owners do everything they can so the experience feels the same for the brides, Pederson said.
By appointment only
Most wedding dress shops are working by-appointment to allow for social distancing and time to clean and sanitize.
“With doing appointments, I feel like the brides who schedule are serious,” said Karen Fassinger, owner of Babe’s Broadway Bridal Boutique in New Kensington. “I also think they aren’t going to multiple dress shops because of the pandemic.”
Fassinger said the past 11 months she’s had to juggle many things, including wedding dates being changed and her daughter Kimberly Mentecki retiring as store manager. Fassinger said bridal shops have learned to still give a bride that special experience.
Shops have continued to work with brides, even if that connection has to be done remotely, said Jenn Mason, MB Bride store manager.
“We found ways to get it done,” said Mason. “We know how important this time is for the bride.”
Despite changes and new rules and regulations, one thing remains.
“They still want the dress,” said Fassinger, who has been helping brides for more than two decades. “They might downsize their wedding from 250 people to 25 people, and from a church wedding to Grandma’s backyard when churches were closed. They still want that their dream as a little girl come true — they want that beautiful dress.”
Fassinger said some brides have come back and told her the smaller, more intimate ceremony was perfect. The photos in the dress are keepsakes they will have for the rest of their lives, she said. The next most sought-out accessory after a veil has been facemasks with the words “bride” and “groom.”
Courtesy of Karen Fassinger
Bride and groom face masks available at Babe’s Broadway Bridal Boutique in New Kensington.
Pre-pandemic
Dania Cruz, owner of One White Lane Bridal Gallery in Avalon, has always worked by appointment as well as offered a virtual dress-shopping experience.
“So many things are out of your control with the pandemic,” Cruz said. “You might have to limit the number of people or change the wedding date. The one thing you can control is your dress. I want to help you feel that joy and experience a little bit of magic when shopping for your bridal gown.”
Cruz came up with the idea to connect people who can’t be in the store when she was planning the décor of her boutique. Her family lives out of state. She would FaceTime them to ask for advice. She connects people via Zoom or FaceTime.
She said meeting by appointment she can give all her attention to the bride.
“We as women have insecurities about our bodies, and we don’t want to be standing on a pedestal with people we don’t know walking by and looking at us,” Cruz said.
Courtesy of Kathryn Hyslop Photography
A look inside One White Lane Bridal Gallery in Avalon.
Less is more
Victoria Deardorff of Peters founded Burgh Brides, a multi-faceted wedding planning resource. She said the bridal dress shopping experience remains important. The fact that shops are having fewer people accompany a bride because of the pandemic is a positive.
“It is always a good idea to limit the number of people who come with you,” Deardorff said. “With too many people, it can be overwhelming for the bride.”
She suggests looking dresses virtually to get an idea ahead of time of what you might want before you schedule an appointment. Having fewer people allows a dress shop to keep everyone safe and spaced apart, Mason said.
Angie Maxson, bridal consultant at MB Bride, said having a smaller number of people makes for more intimate of an appointment with the bride.
“It’s about helping a bride find the dream dress,” Maxson said. “I am passionate about making this experience what they’ve dreamed of since they were a little girl.”
MB Bride utilizes a different entrance for alterations and steams each dress in between wearings. Mason said for some brides, they might get to wear the dress twice — for a small ceremony now and a bigger celebration later.
“They still want their special day and their dress,” Mason said. “Covid-19 might cancel the big wedding, but it won’t cancel the dress.”
Renee Martin, 28, from Brownsville in Fayette County, is getting married Sept. 25. Trying on dresses at MB Bride, she said they will have close family because she isn’t sure what the rules concerning gatherings will be then.
“You have to just go with it,” said Martin, whose fiancé is Lucas Smith. They have an infant son, Joshua. “If you wait it could be years. If you love someone, all that matters is it’s the two of you and close family.”
There is no precedence for the pandemic, said Pederson. It’s been an interesting challenge, he said, adding that he’s found that in times like these, a wedding means even more.
“We are super fortunate to be in an industry where people are still getting married and buying dresses,” Pederson said. “People want something to celebrate. They want something to feel good about. They want joy. They want that special dress.”
Pederson said he has recently noticed sales from other states, with customers starting to travel to his shop from Ohio and West Virginia and New York.
“A wedding dress is too important not to try on,” Pederson said. “Online is a big risk and usually doesn’t look good. This is a special purchase.”
Pederson said he believes brides are going to fewer places. MB Bride carries more than 600 bridal gowns and also hosts trunk shows where an entire designer’s collection is in store.
If there is concern about shopping with others in the store, a bride can rent MB Bride after hours to search for dresses and bring up to 15 people with her for $300.
Jessica Miller, 28, a Latrobe native who lives in Texas, is getting married April 21 to Paul Steinhauser. She was trying on dresses at MB Bride.
“This has been a fun experience,” Miller said. “They’ve been great to work with in helping me find the dress of my dreams.”
Courtesy of Stephanie Kase Photography
Choose 3 dresses from the Luxe in a Box collection to try on at home through Luxe Redux Bridal in Lawrenceville
Shop from home
Some brides want to shop from home. Luxe Redux Bridal in Lawrenceville is a designer sample boutique that offers the Luxe in a Box option: Customers can choose three dresses from the collection for $99 and send back the two she doesn’t want. The $99 fee can be used toward a purchase of $1,000 or more. A single dress can be tried on at home for $50.
The donation
The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Monessen, located at 1701 Grand Blvd., is having a Say “Yes” to the Dress Sale from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 27-28.
Bella Sposa Bridal Prom & Tux in Washington, Pa., donated more than 130 wedding, bridesmaids, mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom, flower girl and cocktail dresses from designers such as DaVinci, Kitty Chen Couture and Moda Bella.
The bridal shop finds a place to give the inventory that has been discontinued or from previous seasons to make room for the latest collections.
They are all new dresses. Some may have been tried on a few times. They are on display in the St. Vincent De Paul banquet hall and range in size from 4-24.
Most are originally priced over $800. The thrift store will be selling them for $200 or less. Cash only.
“There is such a nice variety of dresses in white and eggshell,” said Kathleen Molesky of Belle Vernon who is on the board at St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store who helped set up the sale with fellow board member Marianne Petrowski of Whitehall. “We are so grateful to have these gowns.”
Occupancy in the shop will be limited to adhere to the state’s covid-19 orders. There are three dressing rooms. A bride will be allowed to bring two people.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact JoAnne at 724-853-5062, jharrop@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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February 26, 2021 at 07:01PM
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