Say Yes To The Dress

It’s the most important dress a girl will ever wear. For many brides, shopping for a wedding gown is the moment when it all sinks in: they are getting married. Saying yes to the dress should be an enjoyable time, and Kleinfeld’s fashion director Terry Hall said that it’s all about how a bride feels in the dress, and everything else will fall into place.

“I’ve been the fashion director at Kleinfeld for four years. I designed my first wedding dress when I was 12,” said Hall of his time in the industry. “My job is to scour the globe looking for new designers and looks we don’t have in the salon.”

The famous TLC show “Say Yes to the Dress” follows the consultants and brides around the Manhattan salon, and airing the show in 180 countries doesn’t hurt exposure.

“We pride ourselves in having something you can’t find anywhere else in the world,” said Hall of exclusive designers like Pnina Tornai, Mark Zunino and Dennis Basso. “We have 60 different designers and more than 1,600 samples for every bride and every price point.”

Fresh off the glitz and glamour of New York Bridal Fashion Week, Hall said that this season’s hottest trends for wedding dresses include jumpsuits, crop tops and heavily embellished ball gowns. Sheer sheath dresses, simple silhouettes and high necklines are also favorites.

“The two main looks I saw were soft A-lines featuring beautiful laces, two-tone beading, an illusion neckline or detailed back and then very sexy dresses. Not a lot in between, but we’re having a sexy moment right now and we’ll see that for a few more seasons,” said Hall.

But for the brides who don’t want a plunging neckline and high slit, there are plenty of options, especially for fall and winter brides who want to play on the seasonal weather.

“For several years, it was all about the strapless, sweetheart dress. Now we’ve seen a movement to brides wanting sleeve in some capacity: full lace or beaded sleeve, a capsleeve, spaghetti strap and three-quarter sleeve,” said Hall. “It’s not so much conservative as it is traditional these days.”

Hall is a firm believer that a bride should wear whatever she wants, but should try and keep climate in mind.

“You don’t want a satin ball gown on the beach or a chiffon sheath in winter, but there are ways to incorporate the seasons, like detachable capsleeves, bolero jackets and fur or faux stoles,” said Hall. “Overskirts and body veils look like cloaks, which would be wonderful for a winter wedding. There are so many different options and you can create a second look with one dress very easily.”

To epitomize the autumn and winter, Hall said designers are getting creative. It can be as simple as a leaf motif throughout lace or bead work that looks like branches for fall or glitter tulle and shimmery crystals for winter.

“Metallics are also having a moment, so incorporating silver and gold into dresses is a nod to the season, as well as colored ribbons and belts,” said Hall, who recommended that brides should do their homework before coming shopping to avoid feeling overwhelmed. “The date of her wedding and price point will dictate the selection she has to choose from, so having a date already set is helpful.”

No matter if it’s a fitted, all over lace mermaid gown or a princess ball gown with sleeves and a beaded illusion neckline, every bride will feel beautiful on her wedding day. Have a vision, trust the consultant, and next to saying yes to the proposal, saying yes to a dream dress will be the easiest decision a bride ever made.

Looking for your dream dress closer to home? Consider these Long Island bridal salons.

Bridal Reflections
3 Broadway, Massapequa, 516-795-2222 and
80 Westbury Ave., Carle Place, 516-742-7788

New York Bridal Outlet
2263 Broadhollow Rd., Farmingdale, 631-465-9779

The Wedding Salon of Manhasset
1468 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, 516-869-8455

David’s Bridal
5290 Sunrise Hwy., Massapequa, 516-882-5397

Estelle’s
1600 Broadhollow Rd., Farmingdale, 631-420-0890

Eva Boutique
4840 Sunrise Hwy., Sayville, 631-567-6650