Day 30!!! I can not believe it’s already the last day of our 30 days of vendors! Today Andrea with August Veils is telling us more about her company! Enjoy!
Photo by Paul Rich Studio
Champagne: How did August Veils begin?
August Veils: I was part owner of AniA Bridal at its beginning. When I was there, I enjoyed making the items rather than selling dresses. When I became pregnant, under Doctor’s orders I had to slow down, so I sold my share to my partner. After the pregnancy I decided to delve into making hair accessories and veils. August Veils was born.
Photo by David Barss Photography
Champagne: Please tell us more about all of the great pieces that you carry—are they available to buy in the store or do you special order everything?
August Veils: We carry only our line of products that are lovingly made here in the studio using local talent. At times we have the ability to sell off the rack if there is a quick turnaround however we prefer to make the bride a new one if time allows. Brides misunderstand the phrase custom made. I have hundreds of pieces in my studio. We can offer custom because everything is made in house. It doesn’t make the price exorbitant. Frequently, my brides are so surprised at the prices. We are comparable to many bridal salons prices and often times we end up being a fraction cheaper. So how can you beat getting exactly what you wanted in less time and at or lower than the price found in bridal shops. Of course we are not as low as online shops like etsy. Why? To be blunt, we have overhead. I have a stake here in the community. I want to hire local talent so I know I can spread the love locally.
Photo by B Mac Photography
Champagne: We couldn’t help but notice that you also have options for the DIY bride, tell us more about that and how you came up with this idea! How much time will it take the average person to assemble the veil?
August Veils: DIY brides have always been around. We would always give out advice and found that sometimes that wasn’t enough. Creating a veil kit and a video was the best way to provide DIYers a way to be creative without too much effort. On average I would recommend that veils to be made 2 months prior to the event and give yourself at least a week to do it. Because we create them in the studio, we can make quite a few in one day but then again we make them all the time.
Photo by David Barss Photography
Champagne: At Champagne we’ve often used your Dress Preparation services—please tell our readers more about this as we feel like you’re one of the best options around for brides to get their dress pressed and perfected before their wedding day!
August Veils: This service was created out of necessity. Many brides that have come through The Bridal Loft do not want the responsibility of trying to press their gowns let alone trying to bring it to the site where they are getting ready. We make it easy for brides to bring their dresses to our location and we have proudly make every delivery on time without a wrinkle to boot. Not only have the lovely ladies at Champagne NW recommended us but quite a few other event planners in the city as well as Edgefield has personally sent their clients our way.
Brides usually will bring us their gowns at the minimum one week before their wedding. We carefully store the gown without the dress bag to allow it to relax. It’s been squished in the gown bag for a while. Then we press them to perfection. Delivery is available throughout the PDX metro area for a modest fee. Delivery to outlying areas is also available for a slightly larger fee. When the bride comes to see me for this service, we talk about where the dress needs to be delivered as well as timing of delivery. We usually deliver the dress to the location before the bride gets there. SO when she arrives, it’s displayed in a safe location.
Photo by David Barss Photography
Champagne: Do you do the cleaning in house or do you have someone special that you take the dresses to?
August Veils: We can do spot cleaning for small stains but for larger stains or full gown cleaning we take it offsite to a trusted cleaner. We’re picky about who touches our brides’ gowns.
Photo by Evrim Icoz Photography
Champagne: Alterations wise, how far in advance should a bride plan to schedule with you if she needs a moderate amount of changes made to her dress?
August Veils: Reserving a good alterationist is crucial. If the bride has her gown in hand and does not plan on losing drastic weight, I recommend getting in asap. The heavy season for weddings happen July - September. So the alteration department is working frantically starting in May. If the bride wants to lose weight, still call and make the appointment to get on the books. Last year we turned away so many brides because they waited till the last minute. The Bridal Loft is highly sought after for expertly altered gowns. We are no nonsense and charge a fair price. We receive calls everyday asking us for prices. It’s hard to give a quote over the phone due to the intricacies of construction on gowns. However, a bride is welcome to come in to get a quote and can decide from there. On average, I would expect to pay $200. When brides try to cut their expenses and just go on price for alterations, it usually backfires. There have been many times we have had to fix someone else’s work. Then they end up paying twice. If a bride wants major work done on the gown, make the appointment now. Multiple fittings are the case in this scenario. Oh my I can go on and on…
Photo by Green Door Photography
Champagne: What do you do, when you’re not doing what you do? We hear you love to hula!
August Veils: Haha LOL. I do dance hula! I am part of a wonderful halau (hula school) Ka Lei Hali’a O Ka Lokelani. We do charity events and private parties to help raise money for our ‘O.H.A.N.A. Foundation scholarship fund. We have only been in existence for over a year and we are proudly awarding 4 scholarships to the 2011 graduating class. I love the hula. It is so expressive. The songs speak of love for nature, family and love in general. And as slow as the movements are, it is quite the workout. People in the gym always stop and watch us. They think it’s so easy. They say oh it’s just hula. Give me 10 minutes and I’ll break you into a sweat. : )
I’m also a parent of a pre-teen boy Nicholas. My pride and joy. I help out at the school to fundraise money to be able to hire more teachers for the school and expand the school’s electives.
Photo by Jasmine Photography
Champagne: Anything else you’d like our readers to know?
August Veils: I love to laugh. I’m a season ticket holder for the Portland Baroque Orchestra because I love that period of classical music. Good food makes me extremely happy. I’m married to the most loving man. He puts up with me to no end. We’ll be married 19 years this March. He’s also a great cook. Which, of course, means I am no longer a size 8. But my husband delightfully says to me, “all the more to love!”
Photo by Paul Rich Studio
Champagne: Thank you, Andrea [August Veils], for telling us more about your company! Make sure to check out her website!
Day 29 of 30: Cardgirl Invitations
Day 28 of 30: Officiant Lisa Kristen-Scott
Day 27 of 30: Petalos Floral Design
Day 26 of 30: The Party Place
Day 25 of 30: Limelight photo booth
Day 24 of 30: AniA Collection
Day 23 of 30: Nicole Wagner Make up
Day 22 of 30: Alesia Zorn Calligraphy and more
Day 21 of 30: Bass is Loaded! Mobile DJ
Day 20 of 30: Effesenden Music
Day 19 of 30: Anne Adams Photography
Day 18 of 30: Paparazzi Tonight Photo Booth
Day 17 of 30: Timberline Lodge
Day 16 of 30: hi, friend.
Day 15 of 30: Byron Roe Photography
Day 14 of 30: Francoise Weeks
Day 13 of 30: phresh catering
Day 12 of 30: Carroll Myers
Day 11 of 30: Ryan Ricketts Photography
Day 10 of 30: Floral Designs by Alicia
Day 9 of 30: Domaine Margelle
Day 8 of 30: Crave Catering
Day 7 of 30: Pro Djs Oregon
Day 6 of 30: O’Brien Event Rentals
Day 5 of 30: Lauren Brook Photography
Day 4 of 30: Fleur:ology Wedding + Event Floral Design
Day 3 of 30: Pure Space
Day 2 of 30: Celebrate Life Photography
Day 1 of 30: Paper Bloom
Last year’s 30 days of vendors
What is 30 days of Vendors?
We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! Thank you for stopping by our blog! Happy Planning!
Cheers,
Mandi, Rachelle & the Champagne team
P.S. Oregon Bride Magazine just opened up the voting for this years “Best Of” issue. Make sure to go vote for your favorite wedding vendors!! We appreciate you all helping us win “Best New Wedding Vendor” last year! We’d love to win best planner this year- one can dream! : )
