A Gilt Wedding
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 9:18PM Holy crap! Have you guys heard about this yet? If not, y'all need to be ready to click away on Friday, March 12th at noon, EST. The Gilt Groupe has teamed up with The Martha and is having an amazing sale all weekend long! You know quantities will be limited though, so make sure you get on line early!

Not familiar with Gilt? What about Gilt Fuse? No? Oh honey-pie, you must become a member toute de suite (that means right now, y'all!). Go. Hurry. I think you get membership faster is someone invites you, but I'm not sure - I can't remember. I'm a member of so many of these damn shopping sites that I don't know if I had to wait on this one or not. Anyway, if ya need some help, shoot me an email and I'll hook you up! So what is it? On-line shopping that is so fabulous it hurts. Great designers, great prices, limited quantities. I love Gilt Fuse, it's a lot more affordable than Gilt, but Gilt is total eye-candy.
So what's going on this weekend? It's their Weekend Wedding! Here's a list of some of the incredible designers for sale!
Carolina Herrera gowns
Bridesmaid dresses by Thread, Amsale and Vera Wang Lavender
Flower girl dresses by Pippa and Julie
Lingerie by Elle MacPherson Intimates
Hickey Freeman Boys suits
Lulu Frost accessories
Temperley London dresses

The savings are generally pretty great. For Gilt Fuse prices are about half of retail. Right now they've got an American Retro silk floral dress for $68, retail of $198. Gilt has a Cynthia Rowley shoulder bag for $199, retail of $395. Not bad, right? I'd bust out the credit card and get ready to shop, especially if you are pretty true to size. And jewelry, come ON! It's a no-brainer.

Not sure how to buy a wedding dress on-line? Well, Gilt enlisted the help of Gabriella Risatti of Gabriella New York Bridal Salon for a little Q&A on their backstage pass area. Here's what she's got to say about it.
How long before the wedding should brides start looking for the gown?
If you plan to buy the gown on-line, you'll need plenty of time for alterations - at least three months before the wedding.
The Thirty-Something Bride Commentary: Dude. I say WAY before that. Keep your sanity and go for 6 months.
What information should you have on-hand when you're looking to buy your dress on-line?
You should know what types of silhouettes flatter you body and what color looks best on you: pure white or ivory. You should also have yourself professionally measured in advance. The three most important measurements are bust, waist and hip. You should reference the size chart of the designer and compare your measurements before purchasing your gown. And don't buy a gown with the hopes of losing weight - always play it safe with a wedding dress. It's a lot easier to take a dress in than it is to let it out!
The Thirty-Something Bride Commentary: Totally. You need to try on dresses in a shop before you buy on-line. And make sure a TAILOR measures you and not some 16-year old shop girl! And seriously, you need to check out the designer size charts. When I was measured for my gown, I was really worried that it would not be long enough. My worst nightmare was a high-water wedding gown. Even though the ladies balked at my request, I MADE them measure me from hollow (that little spot between your collar bones) to waist, waist to hem and hollow to hem. Why? Because I'm long-waisted as hell and you cannot tell this by looking at me at all. I ordered a size 6 dress. My hollow to hem measurement? A size 16 on the designer chart! I thought the sales girl was going to shit her pants. That measurement ensured my dress would be long enough.
How often should a bride go for fittings?
A bride should have three fittings, with the final fitting seven to ten days prior to the wedding. Brides often lose weight right before the wedding due to nerves, so that final fitting is crucial.
The Thirty-Something Bride Commentary: Yup. Sadly, I unintentionally lost several pounds the week before the wedding. Dress was a little lose and my chicken cutlets slid all around.
Do you have advice for brides on a limited budget?
If you have a limited budget, opt for a simpler gown and accessorize it yourself. By avoiding the embellishments - beading and lace - you can still have a wonderful gown, but at a lower cost. To personalize your gown and save money, ask friends and family for jewelry, sashes, veils and headpieces that you can borrow.
The Thirty-Something Bride Commentary: This is such fabulous advice and totally what I did for my own ensemble. My dress was classically simple with zero embellishments. I was able to make it my own with accessories.
Have you noticed and recurring trends among brides lately?
We have noticed most of our brides are looking for a fitted silhouette, rather than a full skirt. The mermaid silhouette and the birdcage veil are also very popular.
The Thirty-Something Bride Commentary: True enough, but you need to go with what looks good on you. Do not sacrifice beauty for trend. I REALLY wanted a birdcage veil. However, I have a REALLY long neck. The poof of the birdcage veil on top of my head made me look like one of those bobble-head dolls. I was so sad not to have one, but I know I would have looked dumb as hell.
How does the bride to be know when she's found "The One."
I often hear, "I couldn't stop thinking about that gown." There will be one special gown that you think about more than any other, and that is your dress.
The Thirty-Something Bride Commentary: True dat.
So get organized and get ready for this amazing sale! It starts on-line Friday, March 12th, at noon EST.
All photos and interview courtesty of Gilt.
Louise |
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