Choosing your wedding dress is an exciting experience that many dream of and plan for from a young age! The reality is that when saving for your gown, there are many other costs to be prepared for, besides the gown itself. Here is a list of five costs, beside the dress itself, to consider when saving up for your dream gown!

1. Alterations

When saving for your dress, setting aside some money for alterations is arguably just as important as the dress itself!  Altering your dress ensures that your dress will fit you perfectly, allowing you to be your most comfortable and confident self on your big day! Bridal alterations typically range between $300-$800, however, every situation is unique, so we encourage you to keep this in mind when saving up! Here at Coreena’s, we conveniently offer in-house alterations with an incredible team of seamstresses that are excited to work with our brides to perfect their dresses!

The most important take-away here is the sooner you purchase your gown, the less your alterations will cost. All of our designers allow us to order gowns with shorter lengths (which 95% of brides need). However, ordering a custom length gown usually requires longer production time. If your wedding is too close, you won’t be able to order a shorter length gown and will then need to hem the dress in alterations. This is easily the most expensive aspect of any bridal alterations, especially for dresses with a lace edge.

Because we want to minimize your alterations cost as much as possible, we always encourage ordering a custom length if possible. This is also why we call our brides before their visit to suggest they bring a pair of shoes similar in height to what they plan to wear on their wedding day. Solidifying little details like this early on can save HUNDREDS down the road when it’s time for alterations.

2. Customization

When looking at gowns, you may find one that is just about perfect, however, there may be something missing that would make this dress the one! While a lot of the dress-magic happens in alterations as previously mentioned, there are circumstances in which elements of a dress can be added or changed, for an additional charge, during the production of your gown. For example, this could be adding or removing rhinestones, shortening a train, creating sleeves, etc. Customization options vary between designers and dresses, with some even having to be approved by the designers themselves. It is always cheaper to customize your gown during the production process, rather than during your alterations. During your bridal appointment, our staff will always let you know if there is a possible customization that could benefit you!

3. Rush Fees

Because bridal gowns are custom made to order, they typically require 4-6 months to be produced, or sometimes up to 8 months with customizations. Some designers, however, offer rush delivery at an additional charge. At Coreena’s, we encourage our brides to purchase their wedding gown at least 9-12 months prior to the wedding. This allows our brides to have the largest selection of gowns, enough time for alterations, and to avoid any rush fees. However, if you have a shorter timeline, make your bridal appointment as soon as possible, and we will always work with you and do our best to help you stay within your budget!

4. Accessories

You’ve found your perfect dress, but now it’s time to accessorize! Veils, headpieces, and jewelry can transform a look and reflect your personality even more. In general, the more “simple-style” dresses are less expensive which leaves more room in your budget for jazzing it up with accessories!

To give you a general idea of cost, below is a breakdown of price ranges for each category we currently offer.

• Veils: $81-$765
• Shoes: $79-$275
• Jewelry: $25-$150
• Headpieces: $108+
• Belts: $100-$500

While the cost of accessories can add up, at Coreena’s, we happily offer our brides 20% off of accessories upon first visit! All the more reason to utilize our stylists’ knowledge!

5. Preservation

For those who want to maintain the integrity of their dress in the future, wedding preservation kits are the solution! These kits will allow you to keep your dress in the best shape possible for years to come. You can purchase a preservation kit from us at any time for $275, and if you have any questions about the kits and how they work, our staff will gladly tell you more about it!

Here at Coreena’s, we want our brides to have a fun and seamless experience! Going into your bridal appointment with an understanding of the costs and commitment that comes with a wedding gown will allow you to have the most enjoyable experience. Our staff is fully committed to providing the best service possible, ultimately leading to the perfect dress, which is priceless!

Post Written By Bridal Stylist, Claire Shakesby

Photos by Thomas Ross Photography

Hair and Makeup by Naturally Flawless

If you’ve been following us for some time, you will have seen that we often host designer trunk shows throughout the year. However, we are still often asked, “What is a trunk show?” and “Is this like a normal appointment?”

This post will not only answer all of your questions, but tell you how to make the most out of our trunk shows!

The purpose of a trunk show is to allow our brides to view a larger selection of gowns by a particular designer and bonus, earn some amazing discounts!

Bridal salons only carry a small selection of gowns from each season of a designer’s collection. For example, for the 2020 Kitty Chen Collection, we selected 10 of our favorite dresses to carry in the store. However, during our upcoming Kitty Chen Trunk Show (January 24-26), we will have the FULL 2020 collection in store for you to try on! After the trunk show ends, we must send the gowns back to the designer that we don’t already own.

As a friendly perk, we will offer a discount on dresses for the particular designer being featured! In this case, we will be offering 10% off all Kitty Chen dresses!

For our Hayley Paige trunk shows, the opportunity to save is significant. Brides not only receive 10% off Hayley Paige gowns (which, for these gowns could amount to $550 in savings), but we also offer up to $300 off a select list of customizations! It is very common for brides to order dresses in a shorter length so that they don’t have to be hemmed after they come in. Ordering the proper length can save hundreds of dollars on alterations costs and also preserve the design of the gown! Hayley Paige typically charges $300 for a custom length gown but during trunk shows, this option is FREE! Let’s add that to our 10% savings and this could amount up to $850 off your dream gown! We love nothing more than helping our brides take advantage of all the savings they can. This is why we contact our brides before their visit to make sure they are educated and prepared. For example, bringing the right shoes is crucial to ordering the correct length of gown and in turn, saving money on alterations down the road!

The other benefit of coming to a trunk show is sometimes these are gowns that haven’t been shipped to stores yet. They might be a brand new collection that you can be the first to try on! Keep in mind, these gowns are often coming straight from the runway which means sizing is usually going to be limited to smaller samples. However, this is not the case with all of our designers. Maggie Sottero for example, allows us to pick from a larger selection of sizing for trunk shows – up to size 24!

Since we will have trunk show gowns in our store from a Friday through Sunday, we will conduct appointments the same as we normally do. Each bride will have 90 minutes with a stylist, fitting room, and private appointment area. Remember to bring ALL of your important friends/family members because this is your only chance to see all of these gowns at once and also take advantage of the trunk show specials going on! If you fall in love with a trunk show dress, you may not have another chance to put it on for your loved ones since we will have to return the gowns to the designer the following Monday.

As we continue to grow our brand new boutique, we will invite other vendors to participate during our larger trunk shows. This could mean we’ll have areas of the salon designated to hair and makeup artists, photo booths, cake artists, etc. All in all, we love to foster a fun and interactive environment for these events!

As many of you know, we love participating in styled shoots with our local wedding vendors. We’re fortunate to work alongside the best of the best and the finished product is nothing short of amazing. It is no surprise that many of these images are often featured on the social media pages of our designers.

We find it important for our brides to see our dresses on real girls, close to their age and at an actual venue rather than a studio.

As a bride, it can be difficult to find a style that works best for your body type if all you see is designer stock images of models. Our advice- when looking for wedding dress inspiration, look for images of girls with a similar body type to yours. At the very least, begin your dress shopping with an open mind. About 9 out of 10 brides we see end up falling in love with a dress that is the complete opposite of what they saw themselves coming in for.

It is perfectly OKAY to change your mind. After all, how much experience do you have trying on wedding dresses? We know this is all new and can be an intimidating process. That is why our core mission is to educate and comfort our brides, allowing them to enjoy this once in a lifetime experience.

This most recent styled shoot focused on the versatile looks of many of our new gowns. Our Marsden gown for example, has the option of detachable off-the-shoulder sleeves. Although beautiful, sleeves can often restrict movement. With this type of gown, you could wear your sleeves during the ceremony and bridal portraits, then surprise your guests with an entirely different look for your reception, making it easier to dance and hug your guests.

Our Judson gown by Maggie Sottero Designs pairs beautifully with both our beaded cathedral veil and our fur shawl. Depending on your wedding season and venue, this gown can be accessorized a number of ways to suit your theme.

Another gown with multiple looks is our brand new Fall 2019 arrival Elke by Hayley Paige. This dress can be worn as a simple fitted silhouette or with a handkerchief skirt for more bounce and flow. It has become quite popular for brides to wear two different dresses on their big day. With the Elke gown, you can get two looks for the price of one gown!

A great way to tie your personality into your gown is through your shoes! One of our favorite new pair of Badgley Mischka shoes are the Finesse heels. They can be ordered in ivory, blush, or blue but we especially love the fun pop of color the blue pair adds to a dress. See below how we paired this shoe with our Tulua gown!

Having many options is great, but it can also become overwhelming. That is why every bride who sees us has a personal stylist to guide her through her appointment. Our stylists spend the first 10-15 minutes of your appointment getting to know you and your vision for your wedding. The more we learn about you, the easier it is for us to help you create your perfect bridal look!

Vendor Credit:

Photographer: Thomas Ross Photography, Hair/Makeup: Naturally Flawless, Florals: Urban Rubbish Weddings, Venue: Miramont Country Club

At Coreena’s, many of our brides love the idea of dressing up their gown with sparkling accessories. However, we find that they are often unsure where to start and that’s where our knowledge steps in. Not every dress needs to be decked out in multiple accessories. Sometimes a simple pair of earrings can do the trick. The idea is to compliment the gown in a cohesive way without distracting from the beauty or interrupting the design.

Figure 1 – Teagan by Maggie Sottero

While finding the perfect dress is step one of creating your ideal bridal look, accessories can play a large role in completing your ensemble. For example, let’s say you fall in love with a clean and simple gown (see Figure 1) but you find yourself wanting to add some flare that shows your personality. The bride in this photo chose a pair of pink tassel earrings and a gold bracelet to personalize an otherwise “traditional” gown. 

Necklace and Earring set by DS Bridal ($237)

However, let’s say a bride with the same dress wants to incorporate a sparkle aspect. Gowns with a lot of embellishment such as rhinestones and beading tend to be much more costly than a clean, more simple dress. This dress however, won’t break the bank and you can easily add a necklace and earring set to “bling it up.” If you find that is not enough, you can always add a belt and sparkly shoes for even more shine.

Figure 2 – Andrea by Kitty Chen

On the opposite spectrum, a gown that is heavily embellished (see Figure 2), needs very little to complete the look. Where some brides wouldn’t add any additional sparkle, others might want rhinestones from head to toe. The bride in this image chose a simple necklace and headpiece that beautifully echo the bead work on her gown.

As far as shoes go, we always stress that you should be comfortable on your big day. Think about how long you will be wearing your dress and more often than not, your shoes are not visible. That being said, a beautiful pair of shoes might be great for bridal portraits and getting ready photos, but maybe you opt for a more comfortable pair to walk down the aisle in. Some brides even choose to walk down the aisle in heels and then change into flats for the reception. However, you must keep in mind the length of your gown and the ease of walking once you remove that extra height.

Of course we cannot forget the epitome of bridal – the veil. While not every bride chooses to wear a veil, those that do have several styles to choose from. The important thing to remember is to choose a length that doesn’t “chop” your dress up in an unnatural way. Let your stylist guide you by having him/her explain the different lengths that pair best with specific silhouettes.

Your wedding venue also plays a key factor when picking a veil. Church weddings are a beautiful setting to create drama with a cathedral veil. Brides don’t run the risk of wind or snagging on an uneven surface. In addition, a bride seeking a traditional look might also opt for a blusher (a layer that covers the face) or a lace edge that frames her from head to train.

Other gowns and venues might better be suited for a fingertip length veil. For example, a gown with an elaborate train doesn’t always need the additional drama of a heavily embroidered cathedral veil. Rather, a simple tulle or rhinestone edge might just do the trick!

The keys to accessorizing are to listen to your stylist, try multiple options, and go with your gut! We often have brides come in for accessory appointments after they’ve purchased their gown. While dresses take four to six months to come in, accessories often take anywhere from one week to three months. Sometimes it is better to wait until your gown arrives and then schedule a time for a personal stylist to assist you. This way you don’t have to worry about feeling rushed and you can better envision the full look with a gown that is your size! Although the abundance of options can be overwhelming, we are here to make the experience enjoyable and stress-free!

If you’ve been following along with us on social media, you might have seen that we put on a fashion show at Peach Creek Ranch last month!

This was such an amazing opportunity for us to showcase our brand new arrivals as well as a few of our favorites! We featured 27 dresses and 9 models, ultimately closing the show with our signature Zander gown in Black by Maggie Sottero Designs.

All of the gowns were featured in two separate show times and with over 450 total attendees, the event was a huge success!

Behind the scenes, members of our staff hurriedly helped the models into their dresses and fluffed their trains as they began their walk down the runway provided by Details Party Rental.

Showcasing styles from each of our 6 total lines by our designers Hayley Paige, Maggie Sottero, Calla Blanche, and Kitty Chen, attendees were able to identify specific gowns using programs that we handed out before the show.

It has always been our mission to provide the most unique and jaw-dropping selection of bridal gowns, allowing brides that shop with us to truly make a statement with their wedding dress.

For this show, we put it all out there, presenting everything from bridal capes and pockets, to bohemian styles and a BLACK wedding gown! Yes that’s right, black! We pride ourselves on being just ahead of the curve for what today’s brides are asking for. That being said, don’t be surprised if at the next wedding you attend, you see a bride walking down the aisle in a black dress. 😉

With the help of Leanna Duran and her team at Naturally Flawless, our models were looking fierce with hair and makeup that perfectly fit the style of each of their three gowns. Meanwhile, the crowd sipped on bubbly cocktails provided by Luke’s Bartending Service, patiently waiting for J&A Entertainment to hop on the mike and announce the countdown between showtimes.

To add that “bridal flare” to our runway, Urban Rubbish provided a gorgeous

arrangement of flowers that truly brought the space to life.

Last, but certainly not least, Thomas Ross Photography captured every second of the show along with crowd reactions and behind the scenes action using two cameras and four Go Pros!

With the help of our incredible staff and these amazing vendors, we are proud to have put on a fashion show unlike anything College Station has ever seen. With this just being our first of many, we are excited to see how the show will grow and become even more polished as time goes by!

If you’d like to see more from this event, make sure to follow us on social media! We will be sharing more images and well as an exciting video that captures all of the action!

We are a little late on this post, but we are so excited to share with you guys our feature in Brazos Valley Bride Magazine Spring 2019 Edition!

We really embraced the “Modern Cinderella” theme and all of the vendors involved did a wonderful job at portraying a fairy tale wedding! From sparkle ballgowns to sleek fit-and-flare to long sleeves and blush, we really ran with the theme by capturing princess-like features.

Even the dreamy table decor gave us all the feels of romance!

Of course, we must talk about this work of art created by Top That! Cake Designs!

It doesn’t get more Cinderella than this cake!

We are so honored to be the featured bridal shop in this edition and it is always a blast working with other talented local vendors! Swing by our shop to pick up your free copy!

The End!

Vendors who made this possible

Photographer: Uncle Tio Photography

Venue: Inn at Quarry Ridge

Hair/Makeup: Chrome Hair Salon

Decor: Party Time Rentals

Cake: Top That! Cake Designs

Florals: Tricia Barksdale Designs

Production: Brazos Valley Bride

Wedding Gowns/Accessories: Coreena’s Bridal

We are so excited to share with you guys some really awesome events we having coming up this year! Listed below are the events we already have on our calendar and this list will most certainly grow, so refer to our website often to make sure you don’t miss anything!

Upcoming events are always posted at the bottom of our “News” page on our website, so you can refer to them at any time.

Best of Hayley Paige Trunk Show – February 8-17th: We have all of the top Hayley Paige styles in our store for a limited time! These gowns are also 10% off during our trunk show!

BABV Spring Bridal Show @ Brazos County Expo Center– February 24th (shop closed) Come see us at booth #508!

Calla Blanche Trunk Show – March 1-3rd: All Calla Blanche dresses will be 10% off!

Fashion Show @ Peach Creek Ranch – March 17th (shop closed): We will be putting on a fashion show showcasing our Spring 2019 arrivals during Peach Creek Ranch’s open house! Showtimes will be at 2pm and 3pm. Admission is free!

Kitty Chen Trunk Show – March 22-24th: We’ll have an extensive selection of Kitty Chen gowns in store for one weekend along with major discounts on accessories!

7F Lodge Live Wedding Experience – March 31st (shop closed): Come out to 7F Lodge’s open house to meet with local vendors as well as see what goes on behind the scenes during one of our styled shoots! Admission is free!

Best of Blush by Hayley Paige Trunk Show – April 12-14th: We will be showcasing the top Blush by Hayley Paige styles all in one place! All Hayley Paige gowns will also be 10% off during the trunk show!

Spring/Fall 2019 Blush by Hayley Paige Trunk Show – July 5-7th: We’re SUPER excited to showcase both the Spring 2019 AND the Fall 2019 Blush by Hayley Paige collections! These Fall 2019 gowns have NOT hit stores yet, so be the first to preview the new collection!!

Spring 2019 Hayley Paige Trunk Show – October 4-6th: Our Spring 2019 Hayley Paige gowns should all arrive by June, however, we only carry a small sample of the entire collection. Book an appointment this weekend to view the ENTIRE Spring 2019 Hayley Paige collection! All Hayley Paige gowns will be 10% off during the trunk show!

If you don’t already, follow us on Instagram @coreenasbridal to stay up to date with all events, sales, new arrivals, etc!

Brides are always going to be busy planning their perfect day and sometimes an important aspect of their day slips past them: their dress! Whether you are wondering when to purchase a dress, how long they take to come in, or even if you just need alterations, we will go over all these topics to make sure that you are prepared for your big day.

The first step is knowing when to purchase your dress. After you’ve said “yes” to your dream dress, we take your measurements and then place an order with the designer for the size with the closest fit. The sizes offered are based on standard bust, waist, and hip measurements and may not match up exactly with your body. For example, you might be a size 8 in the bust, a 6 in the waist, and a 10 in the hips. In this case, we would order the largest size and then alter the rest by taking in the bust and the waist as needed.

Designers don’t normally keep a large volume of dresses in stock. This is why they typically require four to six months from the time the gown begins production to the time it ships. After your gown arrives, we typically require at least eight weeks to alter your dress to ensure you get the perfect fit.

With this in mind, we suggest the perfect time to purchase your wedding gown is at least nine months prior to the wedding date or bridal portraits, whichever is earlier. This helps to ensure that the dress will be here in time and that any customizations/altering can be completed in time without incurring a rush fee.

If you are a bride with questions regarding timeline, ask your stylist for suggestions during your appointment. In the end, it is your day and you should feel at ease and assured that you will walk down the aisle in the dress of your dreams.