THE BENEFITS OF A BRIDAL DRESSER
I am often asked what a Bridal Dresser is and why a bride should hire one. If you have never been involved in a wedding with a Bridal Dresser, it is understandable that you may not acknowledge the importance of this role and how it can benefit the bride on the wedding day. Before I discuss the advantages of this service, let me share some words of praise from a bride, who herself, was not entirely certain that a Bridal Dresser was necessary on her wedding day:
image: Charlotte Jenks Lewis
“I honestly don’t know what we would have done without Beth by our side at my wedding. From dress steaming, to getting my mom, bridesmaids and myself dressed, to sewing my bridesmaids’ dress straps back on after they broke, Beth was with us every step of the way, keeping all of us smiling and stress-free. She also assisted my photographer in styling my bridal portraits, first look, and family photos. This service was not something that I originally thought I would need, but in hindsight, it was beyond helpful! Beth was there to hold my bouquet when needed, re-apply lipstick and lipgloss, make sure I was staying hydrated, carry my dress train while walking through our outdoor photo locations, and position my dress train in the most flattering way for photos. Amongst my bridal party, Beth and her team are now referred to as our wedding “fairy godmothers.” They were extremely professional, adorable, and had a bag of magic accessories for all of those last minute mishaps that you would never expect to happen. Beth’s attention to detail combined with her impeccable taste and own personal style come together to make for an invaluable service that every bride should consider for her big day.” – Kristina Christensen (Martha Stewart’s niece)
I view a Bridal Dresser as insurance policy. You have hired a team of professionals to make sure that your wedding day is perfect. There is a professional in charge of planning your event, someone to create floral displays to make your venue beautiful, and you picked the perfect person to capture every special moment on film. Why not hire someone to make sure that all aspects of your bridal fashion are also perfect?
A Bridal Dresser ensures that everything goes smoothly and looks beautiful from a fashion perspective. A Dresser is a lady in waiting. She steams the gown and prepares it for dressing, assists the bride in getting dressed, and performs a final ‘fluff’ before the walk down the aisle to make certain that the first impression is perfection. The Dresser also bustles the gown prior to the reception and can assist the bride in changing into her reception look if needed.
image: Charlotte Jenks Lewis
She ensures that any and all fashion emergencies are taken care of. Whether it is a broken zipper, a lost button, or a stain on the gown, the Bridal Dresser is equipped to handle any fashion related mishap.
A Bridal Dresser makes the life of an event planner a little easier, as she allows the planner to focus on the wedding details, instead of on the fashion. The planner’s forte is planning and designing an exquisite event. That is what they have been hired to do, and a Dresser frees up their time to do just that.
The dressing process can often be a source of stress for the mother of the bride and the bridal party. There is so much nervous anticipation on the wedding day, it is nice to be able to hand the responsibility of dressing the bride over to someone else, so that everyone can relax and truly enjoy themselves.
Along with being a bridal stylist and dresser, I am also an editorial stylist, so I treat each wedding as I would a photo shoot and make sure that every fashion detail is perfect. My services are a blessing for the photographer, as it is a guarantee that every hair is in place, that the train is placed just where it should be, and that every bridesmaid has their bouquet for the photos (which can be quite a feat). Ultimately, it saves the photographer time in editing.
image: Carla Ten Eyck
Every bride is unique, but a commonality among all brides is that they want to look drop dead gorgeous on their wedding and have a stress-free day. Hiring a Bridal Dresser for your wedding day can ensure both of those things!
image: Carla Ten Eyck
A recent appearance on WWLP’s Mass Appeal, discussing the benefits of a bridal dresser.