Dana Found The Dress @ The Dress

Dana found the dress @ The Dress for her October 2010 wedding to her husband Greg. They met at the restaurant she was working at, Redstone American Grill in Oakbrook Terrace. "He would come in every day for lunch, and eat at the bar. His office was walking distance away. I always thought he was so handsome, but could never find the right way or time to talk to him. So after months of agonizing, I said to my mom (who also worked there) 'That is the guy I am going to marry'. She of course said , 'Well, maybe you should talk to him first!' 
So one slow Friday, I wrote my phone number down on a piece of paper and gave it to a server to give to him. He came up to me, said he would call.  That Monday we went on our first date....the rest is what you might call history! After that we were together all the time, went on vacation and by that December we had moved into an apartment together in Oakbrook Terrace. By April, we had moved into our dream home in Glen Ellyn.

How Greg popped the The question...it happened on December 2nd, 2009. "I actually knew the proposal was coming. We decided to pick out the ring together, because as my husband put it 'I don't want you to not like the ring you will wear for the rest of your life!'.  The ring arrived in November, and Greg showed everyone but me.  It was almost more fun, wondering when and where it might be. I kept thinking it would be at dinner, or out, but no...WEEKS went by! I thought maybe he changed his mind...just kidding!"

"Then one cold night in December, we were finishing dinner. It was late, and the fire was going and the TV was on and I was putting olive oil away in our pantry. I turned the corner to go back into the kitchen and there he was on one knee, with white ring box in his hand.

I wish I could tell you what he said...but I can't! I just held on to our counter and tried not to pass out. I was so in love and so excited. He said some very nice things I am sure, but the most important thing at the end I DO remember clearly "Dana Marie Mazzuca, will you marry me?" Of course I said yes and jumped into his arms."

"It may not sound  romantic or crazy, but he accomplished what he set out to do, completely surprise me! And to me, there was nothing better than that moment being in our home, with our dogs Bella and Bauer. Now, every time I put Olive Oil away I smile, or when I look at that spot in the kitchen where he proposed, I smile. It was the perfect memory to start our lives in what we call our "forever home".

They chose October for the wedding because they didn't want to wait a full year, neither wanted a winter wedding. "Fall seemed perfect. Also, my parents were married in October, it was the month we met originally, so there was a lot of meaning in that month."

They chose the Westin for their 200 guests for the ceremony and reception. A hotel was the perfect choice because they had a lot of out-of-town guests including Greg's family from Ohio. "We knew SO many people were flying in and we wanted a nice location that was close to the airport and where our guests would not have to worry about rental cars or traveling. One stop shop! We wanted our guest to feel comfortable. The hotel had everything, great accommodations, was set right in Yorktown mall and was only a year old. They were so wonderful and organized that it was perfect. Our block of rooms was set, each overnight guest had a gift bag waiting, and we held a brunch there the morning after. Every detail was perfect and thought out and every dream I had about my wedding, The Westin made come true. I was very set on not moving during the day. I wanted to get ready and take pictures and do everything all in one place. Call me a control freak, but it was orchestrated perfectly."

 
"Oh my dress....I knew from day one that I wanted a big beautiful ball gown, strapless, sweetheart neckline, satin dress. I always dreamed the bigger and fuller the skirt the better! I started searching for dresses almost right away because I only had 9 months to find, order and alter a dress. What I came to find out, was that ballgown style dresses were very hard to come by. I tried on beautiful dresses, in all styles and of course I loved every minute of it...who doesn't like trying on beautiful gowns?? It was like playing grown up 'dress up'. I always just went with my mom, because I wanted my dress to be a surprise. But as my search continued, I got really frustrated. No one seemed to have what I wanted. I started putting 'wedding dress shops near Glen Ellyn' into Google, since I had just moved there. I had only been to the more well known shops, because that was all I knew. When I Google searched that day The Dress by Nicole came up-and it was just two miles from my house! I browsed the website and the designers and told my mom about it."

"We went in one quiet night. We walked into The Dress and met Nicole and started browsing. I still didn't see what I was looking for, but Nicole pulled a variety of dresses and tried to find what I was looking for. Every single one was beautiful, but I kept saying "not big enough". Nicole was laughing and she told me to hold on-it was like a light bulb went off in her head. She told me she had a dress that I might like in the basement. She wasn't carrying the designer any longer and this was a floor sample in a size 12 (I am a size double zero!) BUT with a hopeful grin she went and got it. She walked upstairs carrying this large garment bag, and I all I saw was gorgeous white satin. So we tried it on and with the help of those handy clips, pulled it all the way back to make it fit me." 

 
"I walked out and looked in the mirror and started crying. This was my dress. It was the only dress that evoked emotion in me like that. It was a deep sweetheart neckline, it was white satin fitted so perfectly in the waist and opened to a ball gown style dress with a train that had the most incredible detail and detail all around the bottom. Nicole asked, 'more poof?' I said, "Yes!' We put a big tool skirt underneath...even more of a ballgown! I was so excited. I didn't want to leave, I stood up on the box and Nicole draped the dress all around me and put the final touch...and long, cathedral style veil with details that matched the beading on my dress perfectly. She had me face the opposite side of the mirror and gave me a mirror so I could look back...and It was perfect. I knew it was THE dress. She told me that she had a big ballgown style dress as well and that if I wanted even MORE poof I could add a hoop skirt (which I did). Sadly, after what felt like all night I took the dress off. I called my Dad right after we left and told him I had found THE DRESS. He was fine with the price, but told me to sleep on it (had it been up to me, I would have bought it right then and there!)"
"We also needed to find a seamstress who could make a size 12 fit a size 0! Nicole was amazing and had Mary Burlingame,  a local seamstress in Glen Ellyn, come look at the dress. She assured us she could do it and that was all I needed to hear. I LOVED going for my fittings. At my last fitting, Mary had it so perfectly tailored to my body. It was tight and fitted at the top, down through the waist and then just blossomed into this stunning satin skirt. We poofed it out more with a hoop skirt, and Mary added buttons for an English Style bustle, which made it even more elegant. The final touch were my Christian Louboutin wedding shoes, a gift from my husband. The red bottoms made the all white dress just POP! The whole experience of buying my dress, finding that one, and having so many people at The Dress excited and helpful made the whole process even MORE magical for me. I loved that The Dress by Nicole had a personal touch to it. Sometimes I wish I could do it all over again (with the same guy of course!)"

Dana wanted a simple, and elegant wedding. She chose classic black and white for a few reasons. Truly it was black, white and twinkle lights. "Black and white surrounded by candles gave the reception this amazing old Hollywood feel, which fit my very traditional wedding. My girls had black gowns with white sashes, they carried white bouquets, my junior bridesmaids were in white, mini versions of me and the boys had tuxes in black and white accented with white flowers. The flowers were all white, tall vases with orchids up the middle, dripping with floating candles everywhere. It was stunning, when you walked in, you felt like you were walking into a glamorous movie from the 1950's. It was just an electric feeling when you walked into the room."

Dana's favorite moment of the day was tough to choose only one..."there were SO many great moments. But the one that sticks in my mind was my grandmother coming up to my bridal suite when I was getting ready. She had be very sick leading up to the wedding and we were not even sure she would make it, but she was determined to see her only grandchild walk down the aisle and she did. When she came through, being wheeled in by her care taker, it was the only moment I cried. I really worried all morning about her and to see her there, looking at me, talking to me, telling me I looked beautiful...well there are no words to do that justice. She meant the world to me and once she was there and ok, well THAT was my favorite part. She died just a year later, so I know in God's hands the timing of our wedding was perfect."

Dana's favorite detail of the wedding was the weekend that we made out of the wedding. The wedding celebrations really started Thursday. "We had our rehearsal dinner that night with about 40 people at Carlucci. The next day, my husband hosted a golf outing with all the guys. That same day, my bridal party got together and went to Cosmo's in Glen Ellyn for mani/pedis,/drinks and fun! Then we came back to my house, girls only, and had a proper girls night, while the boys stayed at the hotel. The next morning the limo came to take us all to the Westin. While some people do it differently, I loved the unique idea of making it "wedding weekend" and involving everyone. This was just as much about us as it was our family, friends and loved ones."

Dana's advice for other brides is..."TRY not to stress out. Easier said than done. Go to your bookstore and get The Brides Essential Wedding Planner Deluxe. It is a life saver! It helps give you timelines and guidelines, even if you don't follow them to a tee. Shop around and NEVER take a first offer, people in the wedding industry are there to negotiate! Make use of this, I know I did. Most of all, remember this is your day. Other people will offer their opinion, their input, etc. And they might be hurt if you don't use it. But YOU are planning YOUR day....so make it essentially YOURS. You can't make everyone happy, but that doesn't matter, only making yourself and your groom is priority."

Her advice for brides the day of..."don't sweat the small stuff...something will go wrong and remember that when it does, it will make for a funny story years later. I will pass along the best advice I got from my cousin-she told me to enjoy every moment, because before I knew it, it would be over. She advised me at some point to go to the corner of the reception room, and just look around...at the flowers, the people, the decor, the dancing. To take it all in and 'take a mental picture'. I did get a chance to do that and it was one of the best pieces of advice I got." That's great advice from Dana! I also was told to take a mental picture and it's so true!

The couple chose Hawaii for their honeymoon and visited the islands of Maui and Oahu. They left a week after the wedding and said it was just the best way to relax.

Thank you so much Dana and Greg for sharing your beautiful day with us! If you would like to be featured as a bride that found The Dress @ The Dress contact us!

Aria Trunk Show and 2013 Prom!

We're so excited about the upcoming bridal and prom season! We're very proud to be the exclusive Chicagoland retailer for Aria Bridal and are now adding their Aria Bridesmaid collection! To celebrate, we are hosting a trunk show this weekend, February 15th-17th. Appointments are already booking up fast, this will be a very busy weekend!

Aria 272FB

Aria 616KJ

Aria 619FX

Aria 273FQ

We now have our full prom collection out and ready for you to shop! We've added a few more designers this year like Precious Formals and Angela & Alison along with our favorites Faviana, Mignon, LM Collection, and Clarisse. Shop early for the best selection and we only sell one dress in one color to your school! Be sure to stop by and see us in downtown Wheaton for all your prom essentials like jewelry, handbags, and don't forget your garter!

We now are open Sundays 12-4pm through May!

Angela & Alison

 Happy Valentines Day!

Brittney Found The Dress @ The Dress!

Brittney found The Dress @ The Dress to wear for her 2011 Labor Day weekend wedding to her husband Chris. The couple met at work and the rest is history! Chris proposed on the beautiful Hawksnest Beach in St. John.  "He had a little speech prepared, which began by him asking me how long I wanted to travel with him for.  I thought he was asking me how many days I wanted to be on vacation with him, in a row.  Of course, that was not the case.  He wanted me to say “forever!”, so he could follow up with saying he wanted to travel with me forever, and continue on with his speech.  My confusion caused a funny hiccup, but he kept at it anyway, and after a few seconds of trying to process everything that he said (and thinking in my head that he had the sweetest, most sincere look on his face at that moment), I of course said 'Yes!'."

Brittney and Chris love the fall, and since the ceremony was outside, they thought September would be one of the safest months’ weather wise.  "We were picturing a sunny day with a cool breeze.  It ended up to be about 95 degrees and sunny that day.  The poor groomsmen were extremely hot standing up near the altar, directly under the sun.  But no one complained and the guests danced through the heat.  To this day, whenever I mention it being hot, people that attended say they don’t even remember the heat; they were busy having too much fun!"

The couple chose Galleria Marchetti for the ceremony and reception for their 175 guests. It was the last place they looked at.  Right away, they felt like it was the right fit. "The space for a ceremony was beautiful and garden like. The cocktail area was hosted on the darling patio, right next to the ceremony spot.  The reception area was under a great big tent next to the patio."  They loved that it was all in one spot, so guests wouldn’t have to worry about traveling from the ceremony to the reception.  They could just move seamlessly from one place to the next.  "Chris and I are also self-proclaimed foodie’s, so the meal was an important factor for us, and they did it right.  All in all, it’s a place that’s in the heart of the city, but it feels tucked away somehow in this romantic, garden setting."

Brittney chose a gorgeous lace gown called Paris. It was designed by Amy Kuschel and was handmade with love at her studio in San Franscisco. The hem had a tightly gathered tulle ruffle just peaking out from under the skirt and really gave the skirt a vintage look. It was the very first dress she tried on. "I knew from the beginning that I wanted a dress with lace. 
With an outdoor wedding in mind, I felt that lace matched the idea of the style of wedding we wanted.  I was open to vintage and classic looks.  I loved everything about it, from the detail in the French Chantilly lace, to the cap sleeves, to the hemline.  I kept trying on others for good measure, but my mind kept coming back to Paris." Brittney says, "It was one of those 'when you know, you know' moments.  It just felt right.  Amy Kuschel also sent me a signed sketch of the dress, which was such a nice keepsake." One of the perks to ordering her gown during a trunk show weekend. "As far as where I purchased, I liked how The Dress By Nicole was an intimate shop.  It didn’t feel like you were one in hundreds of brides being shuffled around."

Her bridesmaids wore short navy dresses with white wedge heels. Brittney chose dark navy blue, apple green, ivory and hints or gold as their wedding colors. They wanted to stay away from flashy colors, and stick with a “simple elegance” theme.

Her advice for other brides with their planning is that you should try to focus on one task at a time.  Getting the ceremony spot/church and reception site planned is the first big step, and major weight off your shoulders once reserved.  "After that, commit to the next task, and do your research and see it through until it’s booked.  If you’re looking at multiple vendors for each item (flowers, linens, transportation, hotels), keep a spreadsheet of information such as the vendor contact information, pricing, and any relevant notes.  It gets overwhelming to try and go back and find information in a sea of emails.  Also, most hotels require that your guests book a percentage of the amount of rooms you reserve.  So, try not to overestimate how many rooms you’ll need, or you might be shelling out cash for unreserved rooms.  On the other hand, you don’t want to greatly underestimate, and have the rooms booked up with many guests left that aren’t able to take advantage of the special room rate, or having to stay at another hotel all together.  I kept in contact with my two hotels and reserved more rooms when we were nearing zero rooms remaining."

Brittney's advice for brides on their actual wedding day..."A lot of blogs suggested getting a day of wedding planner.  Since we had an employee at Galleria Marchetti that was going to be there the whole time, I thought I could do without.  Looking back, I think this really would have helped to keep us on track and on time.  We started getting ready so early that morning, but the time really flies, and the trolley we bought to take the bridal party and groomsmen around to take pictures ended up waiting outside our hotel (without me knowing) for an hour.  Not only was not a lot of money wasted, but since we were that late, it cut down on the time we had to take pictures before the ceremony.  The photographer and I had a few spots in the city planned to take pictures, and we weren’t able to hit them because of the time constraints."

Her favorite moment of the day was probably the first look at Chris.  Since we took our pictures before the ceremony, the first look allows the bride and groom some private time to see each-other all dressed up for the first time that day.  "Chris cried! I think I was too overwhelmed to cry, but it was such a happy moment.  It kind of felt like an out of body experience, like the whole day did for me, but it was one I’ll never forget."

Brittney's favorite detail was that her mom bought a ton of mason jars, and filled them with fresh cut Hydrangeas from her parents’ house.  "It was such a cute idea, it looked great, and it was extra special since they came from my mom."

Hawaiian honeymoon in Maui and Kauai

Thank you again Brittney and Chris for sharing your day with us! If you would like to be featured as a bride that found The Dress @ The Dress contact us!

Lindsey Found The Dress @ The Dress!

Lindsey found The Dress @ The Dress for her August 2011 wedding to her fiance Josh. The couple met during her sophomore year and Josh’s senior year at University of Wisconsin. Josh’s fraternity, Sigma Chi, was hosting their week-long philanthropy called Derby Days where all the sororities compete in different events with one another.

"A bunch of my sorority sisters and I went to an event where the boys were being auctioned off  throughout the night. Eventually, Josh and 3 of his fraternity brothers did a dance to the song Foxy Lady on stage in front of the entire bar. Later on, I overhead two guys talking about my best friend and how they met her the night before and laughing. I thought they were making fun of her so I turned around and said 'Hey! That’s my best friend!' They reassured me they were discussing how funny they thought she was. They then told me they had been a part of the group that was up on stage for the dance and I did not believe that Josh had been up there. Immediately my best friend brought over photos and proved me wrong that Josh was in fact on stage!" And the rest is history!

How Josh popped THE question...when they met Josh was graduating a month later and moving to Arizona for his new job. They survived two long years of long distance and flying to see each other once a month. When Lindsey graduated from college, she knew she'd be going on to graduate school and decided to go to Arizona to be closer to Josh -knowing that he was the one she would marry one day.


"We had never really discussed getting engaged or when it would happen or our wedding but we both knew we were going to get married. A week before I was leaving to move to Arizona for school, I finished my last day at my summer job. My coworkers had planned on taking me out to dinner for my last day but had told me something had come up so we went to lunch instead. I got a text from my Mom on my way home asking how my last day went and she told  me that the garage was broken so to use the front door when I was coming home. I didn’t think anything of it and said okay. I tried to call Josh and he didn’t answer and then I got a text from him saying he was running and he’d call me later. I pulled up to my house and opened the front door and immediately my jaw dropped. I was greeted in the entryway with dozens and dozens of candles and rose petals leading throughout the house. As I followed the candles I looked out the back window and saw Josh surrounded by candles and flowers and on one knee. I was just in so much shock I stared at him until I finally walked out onto the deck. All I could say was “What are you doing here!” Because I had talked to him earlier and he had told me he was golfing all day…and was in Arizona! I just kept repeating that over and over again. Josh told me to come over to him where he grabbed my hand asked me to marry him! I immediately said yes! I just couldn’t believe how much he surprised me and was still in shock to as to how he pulled it off! Our families were waiting down the street at a restaurant to celebrate with us and he had told none of my friends because he didn’t want it to get back to me! That night I surprised many of my friends with the fact that I was engaged and we enjoyed the rest of our night with a big celebration with all our family and friends!"

Lindsey and Josh's engagement night

They got engaged in August 2009 but even after she moved to Arizona they were still living 2 1/2 hours apart because of work and school. Her graduate school program was two years long, and did not want to start the marriage off as a long distance marriage so they waited until they were living in the same area. So, even though they did not want a super long engagement they waited until she finished school in August 2011 and she had also always wanted a summer wedding anyway.
 
"We chose to get married at Hammerschmidt Chapel in Elmhurst because my sister had gotten married there and I fell in love with the church. It is such a beautiful church and I loved every detail about it. It was exactly what I had always pictured in my mind. We chose to have our reception at the Abbington because I had always envisioned a very elegant setting and that is the exact feel I received from the Abbington. I could see every detail of the wedding come together when I went to visit the Abbington and I knew the food was amazing!" It was perfect for their 200 guests.

Lindsey started her search for The Dress. "I had not thought very much about my wedding until I got engaged but when asked what I wanted my dress to look like after our engagement, the first thing that popped into my head was lace. I knew I wanted a very delicate lace dress. When I walked into The Dress by Nicole I was amazed at all the beautiful lace dresses in the store. But the intricate detail of the lace on my Air Barcelona Debora dress and train awed me. It was so delicate and perfect. The jeweled broach I knew was a must because it gave just enough sparkle to match my personality and make the dress stand out for me and knew it was the one! I then picked out chandelier jeweled earrings to go with the sparkle on the broach, a jeweled bracelet, and a jeweled hair piece that matched the broach on the dress that all added just enough sparkle and fit the elegant theme of the lace dress- all from The Dress By Nicole. To fit my personality and my love for pink I added pink glittered Kate Spade shoes that made every detail perfect and very much me!"

Lindsey's absolute favorite color is pink and she's am obsessed with anything pink! "I didn’t want my wedding to explode pink but when thinking about my colors all I could think about were different shades of pink. I wanted everything to be very elegant so decided to add a pop of color and put my bridesmaids in long hot pink chiffon dresses and a hot pink bow on the flower girls dress (also from The Dress By Nicole!) and kept the rest of the décor and flowers pale pink and white throughout the ceremony and the church so it wasn’t complete hot pink craziness!"

Lindsey's favorite moment of the day was when she finally got to see Josh at the ceremony. "The entire ride in the limo to the ceremony I just kept saying I cannot wait to see Josh! I cannot wait to see Josh! The second my best friend started singing 'Feels Like Home' as I walked down the aisle, I could not stop smiling. I just felt the most amazing feeling when I saw him and an overwhelming feeling of happiness. I will never forget the look on Josh’s face when I first saw him and the look in his eyes when he took my hands and said his vows. It is something I will never forget!"

Her favorite detail of the wedding was that she chose to walk down the aisle to the song “Feels Like Home.” "The song encompasses everything I love about Josh and the fact that our love makes me feel like I’m home and safe." Her best friend sang the song as Lindsey walked down the aisle. "I felt like it made our ceremony really personable and about us. I will never forget the feeling I got when I heard the music change and heard the beginning of the song as my best friend began to sing. Our reverend then based a lot of the ceremony service on the song and our love for one another and it really made our ceremony personable and about our love for one another."

 
Her advice for other brides..."is to not get all caught up in the craziness of planning the wedding. When you are way overly stressed looking at your checklist, deadlines and listening to what everyone else wants and expects of you, take a deep breath and remember what this day is all about…the beginning of the rest of your life with the man of your dreams. Remember your doing this to celebrate YOUR marriage and the beginning of your journey and that everything else will fall into place perfectly!"

And her advice for brides the day of..."Take everything in because they day is going to fly by! In the midst of all the dancing and cheers and all the visiting with family and friends at the reception…take a step back into the corner with your new husband and take it all in and watch everyone who loves you celebrating your special day. Take a few moments to be alone with each other and see how perfect everything is around you and the amazing celebration that is going on in your honor!"

Thank you Lindsey and Josh for sharing their beautiful day with us! I can still remember Lindsey coming in over Thanksgiving to try dresses on when she found The Dress! If you would like to be featured as a bride that found The Dress @ The Dress contact us!