Bridal Festival

Thanks to everyone who came to see us at the Bridal Festival on Sunday! A good time was had by all. :)

Bridal Festival

Just a reminder - we will be participating in the Bridal Festival at Phil Long Expo this Sunday from 1-4 pm. Please come out and see us, and take a look through our look book! We will be giving away two FREE design consultations!

New Logo and Bridal Fair!!

How do you like our new logo? Efrain, our new illustrator, created it for us! We are excited to use it next weekend, when we participate in our first Bridal Festival at the Phil Long Expo Center in Colorado Springs. The Festival is open from 1-4pm on Sunday the 5th. Please come out and see us! We will have a collection of pictures and illustrations you can look through, and we'll be giving away two FREE consultations!

Come say hi!

P.S. We just updated our site - come check it out!

Discount vs. Custom Bridal Gowns

If you’re like most brides shopping for a gown, you’ve already been to the discount bridal shops. Sure, they can save you money, but are they really all they’re cracked up to be? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of discount gowns and custom gowns.

There are definitely some advantages to buying a discount gown. If you have a short engagement, and need a gown within 1-2 months, discount shops keep gowns in stock and you can often buy off the rack. And, they are obviously inexpensive. If your wedding budget requires that you keep your gown price under $500, discount is probably the only way to do that, unless you find a very good sample sale in a bridal boutique. These are the two situations in which discount shops shine!

The list of disadvantages of discount bridal gowns is much longer, however. Discount gowns are inexpensive because manufacturers often use poor quality fabrics and poor workmanship – they take the quick route when putting together their gowns. You will notice this in the “feel” of the gown, and how well it handles your wedding day adventures, but probably most importantly, you will notice it in the fit of the gown. Because discount shops are so popular and their gowns are mass produced on such a large scale, literally hundreds of other women have been married in your same gown. Discount shops often use high-pressure sales to force you into a quick decision before you’re sure what you want, and everyone else gets the same treatment. There is no individual experience. Additionally, the sizes available are sometimes limited, so you may have to try on a gown that doesn’t fit, and order your size, hoping the sizing works out and that alterations can fix any issues. In that case, it will still take several months for your gown to be ready.

There are also some disadvantages to custom gowns. Sometimes the price can be higher – after all, the pattern is made to your exact measurements, you usually have at least 3 fittings, and your gown is created and fitted with great attention to detail. However, many times high-end designers mark up a gown (sometimes as much as 100% more!) just because it carries their name. So, without the big name, we can actually create a gown with the shape that you love, but without the massive mark-up. Creating a custom gown also requires you to make a decision about your gown before you can see the finished product. We guarantee it will fit perfectly, but you must be sure of the gown you want before we start the process. Finally, we generally need at least 3 months to complete a gown. This can be a disadvantage in a short engagement.

On the other hand, the advantages of custom gowns are tremendous. Why spend hours and hours searching every bridal shop in the region (as well as the internet!) for the gown you want, when we can create it for you? We could potentially save you hours and hours of your time! No matter what your body type, your custom gown will fit perfectly. We create the design and the pattern specifically for you – it will fit like it was made for you, because it was! You have the freedom to choose the fabric we use. We love to use the highest quality fabrics, but we also give you the freedom to save money on the fabric if you choose. The workmanship is always of the highest quality, no matter the final price point of the gown. 150 years ago, people more often had clothing made for them. Now, having a custom wedding gown made is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If there was ever a day to love what you wear, your wedding day is that day! Lastly, Maeve Bridal never uses high-pressure sales. We are laid back, down-to-earth, knowledgeable about what we do, we pay attention to fashion trends so we can make suggestions if you need them, and we love to get excited about your gown and wedding right along with you!

We hope this article helps you to better understand our business and why we get so excited about custom gowns! As always, if you have any questions, please contact us at info@maevebridal.com or 719-351-2604

Anna's Gown

Anna was looking for a hippie gown - which fit her personality and style very well! Her gown has hand embroidery down the front and a lace detail at the hem. Very fun!

This Just In!

Maeve Bridal will be participating in Bridal Festival at Phil Long Expo in Colorado Springs on October 5th, 2008. Admission is free - come out and meet us!

Getting married next summer? Book your gown now, before the rush. A 50% deposit will hold your spot in our schedule. We expect to fill up quickly! Contact us for a quote today!

Holly At Work

Though she'll probably try to make me take it down, (this is Sara, hi!) we have too many good pictures of Holly at work at Renee's photo shoot for me to be able to resist a post about her. :)

Holly is the creative talent/designer behind Maeve Bridal.

She has impeccable taste, does meticulous work, and is just generally fun to have around (note the picture of her hanging from the balcony railing!).

Your wedding gown is safe in her hands - she's sure to make your dreams come true!

Renee's Gown

We are pleased to present Renee's gown:
(Click images for larger version)
Raw silk provides the unique texture and drape for Renee's gown.

At Last!

We finally have pictures of two gowns we're working on! Well, at least pictures of the process. Final pictures of the gowns will be posted after the weddings in July. :)
First, Anna's gown:
Anna wanted a hippie gown, which we love! This is the basic structure of the gown. Several things have been added - lace, another layer of fabric over the skirt, hand embroidery, and Anna decided to change the halter strap to shoulder straps for more comfort.

And Renee's gown (sorry for the poor focus):


Renee's gown first went to the seamstress for the construction of the structure of the dress. Then Holly began working on draping the outside on a dress form. The outside of the dress is draped with silk - very elegant! As you can see, the draping process took some work and some experimenting. The finished gown is magnificent. We can't wait for you to see it! Check back for finished pictures of Renee's gown on July 7th!

Posts coming soon!

We currently have several gowns in process. Photos of their final fittings will be up shortly. We can't wait!