COVID has caused a great deal of uncertainty for any bride planning a wedding in 2020, but a custom made wedding gown could be the silver lining! We asked Geelong’s very own bride-whisperer, Pearls & Roses owner Karen Bourdanis to share her thoughts on how to pivot as a bride, so that your big day can still happen, but maybe a bit differently!
Karen, what style trends do you see emerging for brides during COVID and do you think the pandemic has changed the industry forever?
“I do believe that the pandemic has changed the bridal industry forever. For us, it has promoted the implementation of new systems such as our booking system ‘Calendly’ to allow our brides to book their appointments online, rather than us manning the phones 24/7.
This simple fix has also allowed us to be more creative in what we are producing, as we are under less pressure with the workload. Additionally, we have learnt not to rely on overseas imports and have gone back to our roots, custom made bridal gowns designed in Geelong – which has been fabulous.
I think for the brides, a lot of them are considering smaller weddings. Financially, they are feeling less pressure, and while they are still happy to have their wedding, they aren’t encouraged to have these huge events. Instead of ticking every box of what a conventional wedding should look like, I’m noticing many are leaning towards a more intimate affair of close family and friends.
As for the dresses, I think some are wanting to spend less and some are wanting to spend more, however, a trend for upcoming weddings will be the custom made bridal gowns and accessories. During COVID-19 our custom manufacturing schedule has been a swift 4-week turnaround, meaning clients are getting their dream dresses at a much quicker rate! It’s a very rewarding experience for us”.
Choosing a custom made bridal gown means you can design your own dress to suit your shape, style, and vision. Bring your vision board and ideas to Karen, and she will work with her talented team to create and craft your dress. You visit their COVID safe fitting rooms at each stage of the creative journey, and adjustments can be made to produce a dress the perfectly fits your body and makes you feel amazing for your special day.
Make an appointment today with Karen to start your journey to the perfect dress!
