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BEST
PLACE TO FIND THE PERFECT WEDDING DRESS ; SASSY'S BRIDAL |
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Tammy
L. Carter, Sentinel Staff Writer. |
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(Copyright 2003 by The Tammy L. Carter found the
perfect wedding dress at Sassy's Bridal, I
had the perfect wedding dress in mind when I walked into Sassy's Bridal in The chiffon mermaid dress,
which I spotted in a bridal magazine, had a cowl-draped, empire bodice with a
sequin and crystal bust line. The sheer sleeves featured a long, flounced
cuff. I just loooooved those sleeves! That style looked perfect
on the tall, slender model in the magazine, but it didn't do a thing for my
short, hippy frame. "Oh noooo. Take that
off," shop owner Shirley Gonel said as soon as I put on the dress.
"I'm not even going to lie to you. That just doesn't look good. "Let me show you this
. . ." From that point on, I knew
whatever dress I decided to buy, I would buy it from Gonel. When it comes to
wedding dresses, honesty sells. "I'm not about making
money. If I were, I would be selling haute couture," says Gonel, who
opened Sassy's (her family nickname) in 1993. "I'm about the woman who
comes in here and knows that she will find the dress that is beautiful and
not have to spend a fortune. I never put a price tag on happiness." In addition to putting
brides' needs first, Sassy's stands out because Gonel stocks dresses designed
for "real-sized" women, not just those who wear a size 4 or 6. "I'm real big about
shopping for dresses that everybody and her mother doesn't have," Gonel
says. The bubbly former teacher, who has more energy than the Energizer
bunny, also believes it's her job to help the bride-to-be with everything
from accessories to something blue. "I'm a psychiatrist,
psychologist, maintenance person," she says. "You have to be almost
everything to everyone." And you have to give the
bride what she wants -- or, as in my case, show her what she doesn't want. "I cannot expect to
sell a dress to everyone who comes in here," says Gonel, 42, who has
been married to her husband, Renault, for 23 years and has two college-age
children. "The women can go anywhere to get a dress . . . but it's the
lasting impression at the end of the day that makes the difference. I just
want the bride to be happy." Honest. |