A Little Something White Bridal Couture | Vendor Love

A Little Something White Bridal Couture is a beautiful bridal salon located in Darien, Connecticut in the heart of Fairfield County.  I've worked with the ladies at A Little Something White on numerous occasions, and it's definitely become my favorite bridal shop to visit!  As soon as you enter the store, you're greeted with friendly smiles and a wonderful staff!  Natural light fills the showroom that displays some of the most beautiful wedding gowns I've ever seen.  I recently chatted with the Ashley Krauss and Liz Kohler, the owner and marketing/media coordinator of ALSW, respectively. These ladies are two of the driving forces behind A Little Something White, and I'm so excited to finally be introducing you to the entire ALSW team!

Tell me a bit about you and your business!  How did you get started in the wedding industry?
"People often ask why I chose to open a bridal salon, especially given my previous career in finance.  For as long as I can remember I dreamed of working with brides!  With no means to do so as a young college graduate, I put those dreams on the backburner and followed the path to Wall Street, where I was able to support myself and build a successful career in finance.  After getting married and starting a family, I felt a calling to pursue something I was truly passionate about, that would light a fire underneath me each day and allow me to positively impact the world.  I left finance and never looked back!  From the day I began writing the business plan for ALSW, and our first bride walked through the door, I knew this was my passion."

What do you love most about running a bridal salon?
"The most exciting part of owning a bridal salon is watching brides have incredible life moments every single day.  Watching someone see herself transform from a woman in a beautiful gown into a bride will never get old.  Of course, my inner finance geek also loves the business side of things, as I love to dig into the numbers and analyze (and sometimes overanalyze) things.  Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the amazing team of women who work alongside me each day helping brides find their dream gowns.  Owning a bridal salon feeds both my people loving side and my business side... it’s absolutely the perfect business for me!"

What should brides know about your process and about working with you?
"When working with brides we always lead with empathy.  We treat our brides like we would our best friend or our sister.  We know that gown shopping is not like any other experience a bride has had in her lifetime and that a bridal gown is often one of the biggest purchases she has ever made.  It is one that needs to feel right in her heart, it is a purchase filled with excitement, nerves, and joy all rolled into one.  We try and build a connection with our brides before they walk through the doors, whether that is through email or over the phone.  We truly strive to create a fun, stress-free gown shopping experience that is completely individual to the bride herself."

What is your favorite part about working with brides who are planning their wedding day?
"One of our favorite parts about helping brides is being able to bring her vision to life.  While a bride only wears her dream dress one day out of her entire life, the memory of the gown lasts a lifetime for the bride and her groom.  A groom will never forget what his bride looked like walking down the aisle and how her gown glided over the dance floor for their first dance (cue the tears!)  Not only that, but their wedding photos will hang in their home for years to come.  When they are old and grey, and their grandkids ask about their wedding day our bride will grab that photo off the wall and remember how amazing she felt on that special day.  Knowing that we had a hand in creating a lifelong memory is something that brings us so much joy."

What (or who) inspires your creativity?
"This is easy for us to answer, as we are inspired by our brides!  We love hearing the unique love story of a bride and her fiancé and build on that in selecting gowns.  We become so close with our brides that in a short span of time, we truly get a feel for who they are and how they want to express themselves on their wedding days.  There is nothing more thrilling than the moment you realize you have taken the vision in the bride’s mind and transformed it into reality.  The celebration that follows is magical."

How early should a bride visit your salon to ensure she'll have her dream gown for her wedding day?
"We suggest that a bride visit us for the first time about 10-12 months before her wedding and purchase her gown 8-10 months before the wedding.  Most gowns take about 5-6 months to be custom made and alterations on a bridal gown require 2-3 months as they are very complex.  We can accommodate faster time frames and work with designers who can produce gowns more quickly, which is great for brides who find themselves with less than 8 months before their wedding day.  What surprises most brides is how long it takes to produce accessories, which is usually 6-8 weeks!"

What is one tip or piece of advice you'd give a bride for her wedding day?
"The biggest piece of advice I give to brides is to soak up every moment of the big day.  It will go by in the blink of an eye.  Most things will go smoothly but don’t stress over the things that don’t.  If the napkins are one shade darker than you preferred or the song you had on the “no play” list is playing, try to let it go and focus on the important part: that you just married this wonderful person and will be spending the rest of your lives together.  You already did the hard part, you found YOUR PERSON in this world, the wedding is just the party!  So go out there, laugh, cry (happy tears), eat cake, and DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!

Of course, we also love to give brides tips on less profound things as well, like making sure to wear comfortable shoes and what to do when it’s time to use the ladies room.  You don’t have to have a scene out of “27 Dresses” with your Maid of Honor holding your skirt up.  Just slip the dress off, and then slip it back on afterward.  Also, make sure to have safety pins on hand; when alcohol and eveningwear mix, there can be mishaps, like when the Best Man gets a little too excited during the “Cha Cha Slide” and accidentally steps on the bride's bustle. OOPS!"

If you don't already, be sure to follow the ladies at A Little Something White to stay up to date with their latest styles in the salon!
Facebook: A Little Something White Bridal Couture
Instagram: @alittlesomethingwhite
Twitter: @LittleSomeWhite
Pinterest: A Little Something White Bridal Couture

www.alittlesomethingwhite.com
1292 Boston Post Road
Darien, CT 06820
(203) 309-5110

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Ashley, Liz and the team at A Little Something White Bridal Couture!  What style wedding dress do you want to wear on your wedding day?  Classic and elegant?  Modern and chic?  Share your style by commenting below!