Small town meets the Big Apple at Little White Dress. This premiere bridal boutique brings exclusive wedding gown designs from New York to the Bakersfield Area. With chic sophistication, Jennifer has created a full service boutique that caters to brides looking for an elegant yet distinctive look on their wedding day. Jennifer has had a hand in creating some of the most beautiful bridal ensembles we have ever photographed. Through her hands on approach, she has a way of bringing out the natural style and beauty in brides, while simultaneously capturing their unique personality. If you are ever downtown, definitely drop by her stylish little shop at the corner of 21st and G. If you’re on your way to Little White Dress, don’t forget to mention Behind The Ceremony and receive 10% off all bridesmaid dresses.
Tell us about yourself? Did you pretend to put on dream weddings as a little girl before doing it as a profession?
I have loved wedding gowns since the first moment I saw photos of Princess Diana on her wedding day. Once I discovered Martha Stewart weddings, my obsession just got worse. In high school and college I had a yearly subscription to wedding magazines and would scower the entire magazine front to back ripping out the photos of my favorite gowns. I think it scared a few boyfriends away, but I knew then that I would spend my future helping girls find their dream wedding gown.
Is there any interesting history behind The Little White Dress?
After college I worked for an organization called Little Black Dress. It was an amazing opportunity in which I helped organize events in both England and Los Angeles. I told my boss that whenever I decided to open the bridal boutique I’d always talked about, I would name it Little White Dress– a little homage to my favorite job before the boutique.
What dress designs do you carry?
I travel to New York twice a year to bring back exclusive wedding gown designers to the Bakersfield area. I only carry lines that continue to build a high quality brand. I look for designs of simple elegance and classic sophistication.
What accessories do you offer in the store?
We offer most of the accessories a bride would need to complement her wedding gown. Veils, jewelry, shoes, headpieces and garters. We even have gifts for the bride and bridesmaids.
What is the average price range for your dresses?
The price of gowns depends on each designer. We have gowns that range anywhere from $600 – $6,000 with the majority of them being in the $2,000 – $3,000 price point.
What top brands do you have? Who is your favorite designer?
Our top brands are Melissa Sweet, Priscilla of Boston, Winnie Couture, Legends by Romona Keveza and Martina Liana for bridal. For special occasion dresses we have Anna Elyse, BCBG, Max and Cleo, Nicole Miller and more. My favorite bridal designers are Romona Keveza and Melissa Sweet.
Do you do alterations as well? Do you have an in-house seamstress?
We do offer in-house alterations for any of the gowns sold here. The best thing about having an in-house seamstress is that we get to see each girl from the first day she tries on her gown until her last fitting right before the wedding. We get to see the whole process from beginning to end and in that time you become so close to the brides and bridesmaids that it gets a little sad when the weddings are over. For that reason we started to carry ready-to-wear dresses from BCBG, Max and Cleo and Shoshanna. That way our past brides can keep coming in the store to get dresses for any occasion.
Do you work with any specific men’s formal wear vendors?
There are a few men’s formal wear stores that we refer business to but we work mostly with Jerry from Fino’s menswear. Jerry is amazing and the guys really feel comfortable working with him.
What advice would you give a new bride who is looking for the perfect dress?
Don’t settle. There are so many beautiful gowns and when you start shopping for your perfect gown you will get comments from everyone with you. Try to make decisions based only on how you feel in the gown and not what others think about it. It’s great to have one or two important people in your life to come with you and give you ideas, but in the end you will be the one wearing it all day and looking at the pictures for the rest of your life. So never settle for a gown you almost like because someone else loved it on you.
How far in advance should a bride start to look for her dress?
Most of the designers we carry don’t make the gowns until they are ordered by the bride. This means the whole process, from ordering the dress to its arrival for the first fitting, can take up to 5 months. In order to have plenty of time, you should start about 8 months to a year before the wedding and plan on purchasing 5 – 7 months before. If you have over a year until your wedding, I don’t recommend purchasing anything that far in advance. New bridal gowns come out twice a year and you don’t want to buy a gown and then realize a few months later that a gown you love even more just came out.
What differentiates you from the mainstream bridal stores in town?
All of our designers are exclusive to the Bakersfield area and most of them are exclusive to the whole central valley area. We offer private appointments, where the bride and her wedding party can have the store to themselves. You can come in and enjoy a glass of bubbly with all of your favorite girls while looking for the perfect little white dress.
What is your favorite reality/fashion show, if you watch any?
My favorite reality/fashion show is “Say Yes to the Dress”. It’s about the legendary bridal boutique in New York, Kleinfelds.
Contact:
Little White Dress
www.littlewhitedressbridal.com
1800 21st Street
661.633.2318
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