Wedding Gowns from Little White Dress Bridal
Wedding season will be here in a few months and Brides are now choosing their wedding gowns. One of the best bridal boutiques in Denver shares three of their best gowns. Little White Dress Bridal is run by the mother-daughter team, Cate Carpenter and Kelly Leggett.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY CARRIE KING // MODEL: VICTORIA ISAAC
GOWNS: MONIQUE LHUILLIER AT LITTLE WHITE DRESS BRIDAL SHOP
Cherry Creek Fashion: Little White Dress is known as one of the best bridal shops in town! Tell us about the history of the boutique and when it was started.
Kelly Leggett: My Mother, Cate Carpenter started Little White Dress as a small boutique in Castle Rock in 2008, Colorado, with the goal of providing incredible service to brides, as well as designers that were never before available in Colorado. After outgrowing the space and the location, in 2011, Little White Dress moved to the Historic Highlands Square area of Denver. At that point, the business grew exponentially as we began attracting brides from all over the state, region, and country with our continued mission of unforgettable service and incredible bridal fashion. In early 2016 we moved to a much larger space in RiNo, to the restored historic Epworth building, which is truly a one-of-a-kind location that is part of what enables us to give brides a once-in-a-lifetime experience when they choose their wedding dress.
CCF: What designers do you carry? How would you describe the aesthetic of the brands that you carry?
KL: We carry Anne Barge, Carolina Herrera, Claire Pettibone, Enaura, Galia Lahav, Inbar Freiman, Jasmine Bridal, Lela Rose, Lis Simon, Matthew Christopher, Mira Zwillinger, Monique Lhuillier, Naeem Khan, and Sassi Holford.
The aesthetic varies from brand to brand, from more classic to romantic to modern to boho to ethereal, and everything in between. We take pride in offering a large selection for every style and aesthetic, and we therefore attract a wide variety of brides. The common element is that these designers are truly the best of the best in every price range (from around $2,000 to around $20,000) – from the quality of their construction, fit, and fabrics, to the ability to customize, to their professionalism and responsiveness. We do endless research on designers from all over the world and have very high standards for who we work with, as we truly want our brides to have the most elevated quality gown regardless of their price point.
CCF: Describe the process that a bride goes through to choose a gown at the store?
KL: The process starts with our brides before she comes in store. Soon after a bride schedules an appointment, her Little White Dress stylist reaches out to learn more about the bride’s wedding, her personal style and what is most important to her for her wedding dress.
Typically the bride’s stylist already has a good idea of what to pull for the bride when she comes in, but we also believe it should be a very collaborative experience. We give brides a tour around the salon to show them our different designers, price points, and styles, and let brides guide with their preferences. Between the stylist’s suggestions and the bride’s interest, we typically start with around 5-6 gowns to try on.
When trying on each gown, the stylist helps narrow down the bride’s preference for silhouette, detailing, and fit, and – most importantly – how the bride feels in each gown. Sometimes a bride will end up trying on 10 or more gowns during an appointment, but the goal is always to narrow it down to 2-3 favorites. Stylists encourage brides to try on those favorite gowns again, and at that point, it usually becomes very clear which one is THE one.
CCF: What are the top wedding dress or outfit trends for 2020?
KL: We are seeing a spectrum of trends, with many brides either choosing a very clean and minimalist look and many others choosing very elaborate detailed gowns. Overall brides want to feel fresh and modern and are staying away from anything that feels vintage. Statement veils are a huge trend, paired both with minimalist gowns and more elaborate gowns.
CCF: What advice can you give to brides about selecting an outfit that suits their personality? How do they know when they have chosen ‘the one’?
KL: The biggest piece of advice for choosing a wedding dress that suits the bride’s personality is to limit the other personalities that are part of the decision. Over the past years we’ve seen the trend for brides to turn wedding dress shopping into a mini- bridal shower or bachelorette party, with large groups accompanying the bride. That can be a ton of fun, but it can also be very difficult for the bride to hear her own voice among many others and can limit her ability choose what truly speaks to her own heart. We encourage brides to bring only those whose opinions are most valued for the important decision of choosing her wedding dress.
One unintended consequence of the current pandemic on wedding planning is that brides may be forced to limit their guest count when wedding dress shopping, due to limitations on the number of people in a given space for the coming months. While it will undoubtedly be difficult to pare back on who brides can invite to shop with them, I do think it will help brides be more decisive and focused on what they truly want for their wedding dress.
After more than 12 years of helping brides choose their wedding dress, there are some telltale signs when it’s “the one”: she doesn’t want to take it off, she keeps patting or rubbing her hips with her hands while she’s in the dress (weird, but true!), she likes it even more when it’s paired with the right veil and jewelry, she can envision herself wearing it on the wedding day, she compares every other dress to “the one”, and she feels like herself in the dress. Something to note: none of these signs involves tears! Brides can sometimes have a strong reaction or tear up while in a dress or dresses that doesn’t end up being the one, and many brides never cry at all – all of that is normal, and brides shouldn’t expect their “moment” to feel or look like anyone else’s.
The team at Little White Dress Bridal Boutique
Little White Dress Bridal: @lwdbridal
Gowns: @moniquelhuillierbride
Photography: @carriekingphotographer
Model: @victoriaisaac