Dresses, dresses, and more dresses! Is that how some of you are feeling? Picking out a wedding dress can be one of the most stressful parts of your planning. But, it doesn’t have to be. Ever heard of Alta Moda? For the few of you that haven’t, get down there right now! Since 2005 Alta Moda has been providing Utah with dresses from industry-leading designers from all over the world. I sat down with the owners, Hillary and Justin, to find out what you should keep in mind when you are getting ready to find that perfect dress.
What is the story behind Alta Moda?
Hillary: “We like to say it’s the complete opposite of most everyone else’s bio you read. So many people say ‘I always dreamed of doing this from the time I was young,’ but for us it was different. Justin was working in the technology industry when the bubble burst and was a victim of all the layoffs, I was teaching part time and freaked out, so I went and got a part time job at a bridal store. A year later it was a full time job, five years later it was both of our full time jobs. We just fell in love with it.”
What sets you apart from other bridal boutiques?
Hillary: “A wild devotion to our clients. We are very passionate about what we do and we are very committed to making sure each bride gets something very unique and personal. As a result we carry all the best designers that offer that, like Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier and Anne Barge. We do most of our customizations right with the designer. So if a bride gets an Anne Barge and needs alterations we don’t just add fabric or do patchwork, Anne Barge and her staff are creating a whole new gown from the same pattern to make whatever the bride wants. Our designers themselves do all of the modifications as they build her dress from the start.”
Who are your favorite designers right now?
Hillary: “My personal favorite right now is Rosa Clara.”
Justin: “I think it’s alway been Atelier Aimee. They are based out of Milan, Italy so their technique is that old world classic dress making with amazing craftsmanship. Next would be Monique Lhuillier, her style is very soft and romantic and the brides respond well to that.”
If you could make sure every bride knew two things about picking out a wedding dress before they walk through your doors, what would they be?
Hillary: “Number one for me is know your budget. Whether it’s high or low, just know what your parameters are. The second is break all the rules. Wear what you love. If you want to wear a ball gown and your getting married in a meadow, do it. If you want to wear a slinky gown and your getting married in a cathedral, do it. Just break every rule and wear what you love.”
Justin: “Mine would be to pick who comes with you carefully. A lot of girls think they need to bring their sorority sisters, and their cousins and so on. When you get too big of a group you get to many opinions and the bride almost always ends up feeling overwhelmed. It’s heartbreaking to see a bride fall in love with a dress, and she looks great in it, and then turn away from it because one of her friends doesn’t personally like that particular style.”
Are you noticing any trends beginning or continuing into 2010?
Hillary: “Texture is still really big this year, especially in skirts. Thats probably the biggest trend I’ve seen so far. Also it’s nice to see that ball gowns are coming back; we’ve seen the slim lace dress popular for so long. So ball gowns are coming back in as well as natural waist which means the most cinched part of the gown is focused on the smallest part of the body. So I would say those are the three, texture, ball gowns, and natural waist are the biggest trends.”
Is there anything you are seeing less of that has been a trend for a while?
Justin: “It seems like the colored sashes that were big for a while are going out. It was a safe way to put color on a dress. I think there were so many brides that were doing it that now girls are starting to turn away from it because they don’t want to look like everybody else. There are other ways to put color on a dress. Also the pick-ups or bunches throughout the whole dress are starting to fade.”
So there you have it. Some awesome things to keep in mind in your quest for the dress. And make sure you plan a trip to Alta Moda. They have dresses from eleven different designers across the world ranging from $1350 up to $8000. So don’t think you have to have an unlimited budget to afford an Alta Moda dress. Also Hillary and Justin are very resourceful. Because they have such a good working relationship with their designers, many times a dress can be recreated with more economically priced material to fit into certain budgets. So if you want to find a dress that is straight off the runway, visit Hillary and Justin at Alta Moda.
www.AltaModaBridal.com | 801.532.1215
