It’s an important day – and outfit – for the mother-of-the-bride, too
By Lyndsey D’Arcangelo | posted on September 16, 2011 at 9:35am
When you’re the mother of the bride, it’s hard not to get too involved in your daughter’s wedding planning. After all, you want her to have the wedding of her dreams, and you want her to remember the day for years to come.
While offering a few personal opinions here and there is perfectly reasonable, be careful not to take over completely and make her wedding into your wedding. This bit of advice also applies to the outfit the mother-of-the-bride wears. She wants to look good for the ceremony and reception, but she also doesn’t want to take attention away from the bride. Finding an ensemble that accentuates her best features and is subtle yet elegant is the goal.
“Certain styles of dresses are not made for everyone,” said Jacqueline Blemel, owner of The Jacqueline Shoppe in Williamsville. “You have to find a dress that suits your body type. That is the key.”
When customers come into her boutique, Blemel likes to sit them down on a comfortable couch in the sitting area and let them browse through catalogs to see what they like best.
“This gives us a starting point,” she said. “Rather than having them browse through hundreds of dresses on the rack, I can show them specific dresses to match their taste. I try to present what I feel would be the most comfortable and flattering for them.”
Blemel will also ask about the color scheme for the wedding so that the dress will compliment the bridesmaids’ dresses and flowers. “We always ask,” she explained, “because you have to consider the theme, the pictures and how the colors are going to come through.”
Color, fabric and size are determined once a customer has selected an outfit. All alterations are done in-house.
“The key is not to upstage the bride,” Blemel advised. “The bride is the bride. It’s her day. She’s going to look and be special regardless of what the mother wears.”
When a customer selects a dress that isn’t appropriate for the day or their body shape, Blemel and her staff will guide them (gently) to a more appropriate choice.
“I try to make suggestions as far as what would look good and what would not work,” she said. “It’s our name out there. We want people to be excited and to ask, ‘where did you get that dress?’ and not, ‘why did you get that dress?’”
The wedding day is an important day for everyone involved — including the mother of the bride. Blemel feels that the appropriate outfit will make all the difference. “Ten years from now when you look back at wedding pictures, you don’t want to be thinking, ‘what was I wearing?’”
Keeping up with the style and trends of the fashion world can be a daunting task, but Blemel has worked hard to build up her business. A former public accountant, she felt compelled to own her own business. In August, The Jacqueline Shoppe will be celebrating 10 successful years.
“I enjoy it,” said Blemel. “We’ve gone through a lot of challenging times, but we are still here. When I see how happy the customer is with the dress and with themselves, I feel as though I’ve done something good.”
The Jacqueline Shoppe has a wide selection of dresses from notable designers such as Jovani, Daymor and Moncheri Bridal. Dresses range from $199 to $600, and there is always a sales rack. Every January, Blemel holds a special promotion discounting many designer outfits and dresses.
“We are not for everyone,” she added. “But we do have a wide range of selections. It’s all about finding what works best for you.”
For more information on The Jacqueline Shoppe, visit www.jacquelineshoppe.biz or call 631-2722.
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