Wedding Gown Preservation

I received a phone call the other day from one of my past brides.  I could tell from her voice that she was distraught.  She told me that she had a flood in her house and her gown had been ruined.  When she discovered the water she set the boxed gown up but didn't check it as she assumed that since she had had it preserved in a box it was safe.  After she attended to the other things she went back to the box that held the most important outfit she had ever worn.  Her shoes, bra and veil were also in the box.  When she opened it all she found was a mildewed mess.  Black fungus had begun to grow in the fibers.  I can picture her now and she probably looked a lot like the girl in this picture.  I was heart sick for her. I had not handled her gown preservation.  I wish she had let us do that for her.

Not all preservation is created equal.  I hear stories of dry cleaners requiring a release prior to cleaning a wedding gown.  They don't want to be held responsible in the event that your gown is damaged or ruined in the cleaning process.  Some cleaners will dry clean your gown and put it in a box.  Sometimes it will be in a bag, usually not sealed.  Some so called authorities say that a gown should not be sealed.  That fabric needs to breathe.  Fabrics don't have lungs, why would they need to breathe?  When you preserve peaches you seal them in a jar in a process that removes oxygen and bacteria and the peaches stay beautifully orange.  There are 4 things that will deteriorate your gown.  Air, moisture, sunlight and insects.  If any of these come into contact with your gown you will have a problem.

Several years ago I was chatting with my preservation company rep. and she said that there had been  flooding in Florida so severe that coffins were erupting from the grave yards and even some of their boxed wedding gowns had been recovered and returned to her for re boxing.  As long as the inner clear packaging had not  been punctured the gown was totally protected and preserved.

At The Gallery by Lynette we do not recommend any preservation method except first, cleaning by the best method for your particular gown, if it is silk it must use a low moisture cleaning process.  Many gowns can be wet cleaned but must be dried thoroughly.  The air within the preservation chest must be totally moisture and oxygen free and the sealed very heavy clear covering must be administrated by an expert.  Sure, you might pay slightly more (usually not more than $20) but isn't it worth it to know that if your gown were found floating it would be protected.  Our process is totally guaranteed and is only $199 for most gowns which includes both cleaning and archived.  Drop your gown by and we will handle the rest.  You can also include two accessories at no extra charge.

History of Saint Valentines Day

St. Valentine's Story

Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I
lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time,
Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and
I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.
Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join.
Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their
wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made
Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men
were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not
to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I
thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!
Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favourite activities was to
marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing
marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting.
Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We
would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps
of soldiers.
One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I
was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I
used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was
death.
I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened.
Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up
to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.
One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father
allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours.
She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by
ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was
to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and
loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."
I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on
Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now,
every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about
love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how
he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that
love can't be beaten!

Bridal Guide

I just got off the phone with the Editor of Bridal Guide Magazine.  He wants some input on the problems that brides are facing with the issue of buying wedding gowns off the internet.  It is a big problem because un suspecting individuals are being tricked into thinking that the picture online is a representation of what they will receive.  All I can say is the immortal words of Clint Eastwood  "Do you feel lucky?  Well, do you?"

(Read More)

Modest Conversion

Caroline Williams has shared her pics with us to show a beautiful modesty conversion by Cheryl at The Gallery by Lynette alterations manager.  Doesn't she look happy?

Why Shop Now!

Last July to September David and I attended our markets and met with factories to select the dresses and accessories for The Gallery by Lynette 2011 season.  We are so excited and have been receiving them during the past few weeks.  Along with the beautiful gowns we have also been receiving notices from our dress manufacturers that even though prices were up 15-20% from last year, they didn't estimate sufficiently and are raising prices on reorders by another 12-15% after the first of the year.

Why is this happening?  Well, the Chinese currency is gaining value against the U.S. dollar, Chinese families can only have one child and this generation is now old enough to work in the factory resulting in a diminished work force, As the world is more globally minded Asian workers have more opportunities and the list goes on.

What should I do? you might ask.  If you are going to be needing a prom dress, a wedding dress or a dress for a special occasion we recommend that you shop right away.  One of our main suppliers' prices are going up on January 1 but it will take a couple of weeks to finish re pricing.  We do sell off the rack but when we order we have to charge the higher price and it is confusing to have one price on the tag but a different price when ordering. 

When you shop at The Gallery by Lynette be assured that you will receive the very lowest price possible.  Our economy is actually in a recovery but it may take awhile for the effects to be apparent. We will do everything we possibly can to make sure that you can afford to have a beautiful, well made gown. 

Please visit us today.  Also, please pass this information on to your friends.  We will keep you updated on specials, new arrivals and pertinent info when you follow our blog.

Have a very Merry Christmas

Design and Alterations

We are happy to introduce Cheryl Yearsley who is a very talented and experienced designer with many years of experience in alterations and design.  She also manages our GBL 2 Outlet where you will find amazingly low prices on wedding gowns, formal dresses, accessories, shoes, veils and more.  Located in the same shopping center as our Gallery by Lynette store at 5392 S Freeway Park Drive.  http://www.gallerybylynette.biz/ 801-920-0602

Wedding Specials

We hope that those of you sho attended the Wedding Showcase in Logan last week were as impressed with the new Accolade event center at Hamiltons as we were.  It is beautiful.  (Continued below Pictures)

Later that evening David and I went back for a reception for a bride who feels more like a daughter than a customer.  She came to me for a prom gown a few years ago and we fell in love with Kyla and her family.  When she came to me for her wedding gown I knew it had to be over the top as Kyla is beautiful and has exquisite taste.  She brought her mother, her grandmother and some of her siblings to help her decide.  She tried on several gowns and then I pulled out the Maggie Sottero gown called Ambrosia the shopping was over.  We discussed how we would make the modesty conversion and we began.  Without getting into a lot of boring descriptions I will say that this is one of the most elaborate projects we have ever done.  However,  if you have ever shopped with us you know that your dress should not look like it was ever changed no matter what we are doing to your gown and we tweek and personalize a lot of gowns.

 

Kyla, I hope your wedding tomorrow is as beautiful as you are.

 

If you were at the Wedding Showcase, give me a call on my direct line and when you come in for your free gown consultation with me or Chelsa, you will receive a free pair of real pearl stud earrings valued at $30.  No strings attached.  You must be in the market for a wedding gown.  You will also receive other really great offers.  Click here for more info.

 

Companion Special:  You can bring a friend who is also getting married and needs a dress even if she wasn't at the show.  She must come with you or mention Wedding Showcase and your name that is on the attendee list for the free gifts and specials.