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Gothic Gown for a Halloween Bride
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When my youngest daughter became engaged and the set date was Halloween 2013 in the ghost town of Jerome, AZ (where she and her then fiance work) I knew that her gown not only needed to show her personality, but also be a statement for a Halloween wedding.
My daughter, April, has always had a flair for the Gothic/Medieval/Renaissance look and knew this was going to be a tough order in a standard bridal salon. Living in a tiny town, 100+ miles from a major city, was also going to be a problem when it came to
shopping for the right bridal ensemble. We had purchased a wedding gown for my other daughter, as well as countless bridesmaids/prom dresses from David's Bridal in the past, so knew what they had in the way of gowns. All were beautiful, but none were "April".
Off to the internet to search for ideas! After Googling corseted gowns, THE DRESS showed up. It screamed my daughter's name over the computer screen and I knew that there was no other dress, no other way to make a statement that was pure April, nothing better
for her, so I went to work to search out the dressmaker and get things rolling. This was November of 2012 and knew that a custom gown would take TIME!! Not like the dress maker had no other orders and could devote the entire time on only one gown... I read
reviews, articles, watched an episode of My Fair Wedding with David Tutera, where Belinda's gowns were featured, did my homework before contacting Belinda. I did not go into this venture blind! With my very first communication with Belinda, after I placed
the order through her Etsy site, I never looked back. I KNEW the gown/cape ensemble would be perfect. We had an open communication through the entire process, from beginning to end. I told her from the start that, even though I ordered the gown at the end
of November, 2012 it was for a Halloween 2013 wedding and at no time, expected the gown to arrive in May, June, July.....as that would be ridiculous, as much because a custom gown takes time, but also, why have it hanging around months before the event. I
understand wanting things all in order, all nice and tidy before the big day, but ours (April's ) was not the only big day on the planet! I made sure Belinda has all the information she needed from my end and let her be until mid-Summer 2013, when I checked
in with her. She said she was just finishing up with the Summer wedding gowns and beginning on the Fall/Halloween orders and that all was well. This was the type of communication we had during the entire process! As the date of the wedding drew closer and
we were getting anxious, I contacted Belinda. Some say they received excuses as to why and when and such, I received VALID REASONS as to why and when and such; a much different outlook. Still with time on our hands, I put worry aside and let the professional
do her work. The less time she needed to spend emailing me and consoling my bride, the more time she could do her job! Not a regret anywhere with that. The gown arrived in time for the wedding. The gown was BEYOND perfection. To say the gown/cape ensemble
was stunning lacks the effective description that I want. Watching my daughter stand in front of the mirror, tears streaming down her (and my) face as she tried it on for the first time, is an image that I will never forget. I emailed Belinda that day to say
that the gown had arrived and that it was PERFECT, PERFECT, PERFECT. I sent pictures to my albeit skeptical friends that had wondered silently if I had been scammed, asking week after week, 'Where's the gown, where's the gown!' 'Have faith!' I told them, as
I knew that Belinda would come through! No doubt about it, she did! Belinda was patient with my emails, though I kept them to a minimum. She acknowledged each one with vital information and never once did I feel like she was brushing me off or giving me an
excuse. The wedding was last week (Halloween) and I continue to receive accolades about the dress. The stunning workmanship, the design, the detail, all well worth the wait and definitely well worth the price! This was a custom order, for a hard to fit bride
and not one disappointment from this mother-of-the-bride. I will continue to look to Romantic Threads in the future if I should be in need of her work and have recommended her work, as well as shared her Facebook page with many who have asked, "Where did you
find that AMAZING, AMAZING gown!". THANK YOU, Belinda!
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