It’s all about the dress. We can fuss about the flowers, the location, the shoes, the jewelry – we should actually focus on the actual guy too, but it all really boils down to one thing—THE dress. Your wedding dress, whether you’ve been dreaming of the perfect matrimonial concoction since you were a little girl or a ring just slipped on your finger, is one of the most important things you need to focus on. It’s okay if you’re not a princess girly girl or even all that concerned with the details of your wedding—it’s just that once the dress is chosen, everything else will fall into place. Really.
This is it. The once in a lifetime opportunity to wear whatever the hell you want, be the center of attention, set a precedent for all future brides to try and live up to. You may get tired of hearing ‘It’s your day!’ You may thrive from the adrenaline rush of it all. Either way, it is of the utmost importance to find a great bridal salon. The big shops from the wedding shows on TV look fun, sure, but where’s the personalization of a private appointment? For an indecisive bride who wants more than a cupcake gown with a handful of glitz thrown on the bodice, a place like Veka Bridal is fiancee heaven.
Ksenia and Jana are the fashionable owners of this boutique bridal shop that specializes in unique, specialized bridal designs. They are of the notion that not everything about your day must fit into a perfect box—rather, you should wear your dress instead of your dress wearing you.
They opened up shop in 2002 and from day one the intimate boutique has focused on innovative indie designers that challenge the traditional view of the bridal industry, yet maintain a sense of romance and femininity. Based out of Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, it is absolutely worth the trek to their charming shop. Appointments only, so call ahead.
Dress shopping can be as exhausting as a day at the office. It sounds fun but if you chose the wrong location you get overwhelmed by pushy salespeople, the amount of options and just the vanilla-ness of it all. The dresses that Ksenia and Jana stock are anything BUT vanilla.
That’s not to say each piece is outlandish—just that it can be what you want it to be. They have dresses you never see in bridal magazines, styles that fit every last incredible detail on your almost impossible must have checklist. Everything looks straight off of Fashion Week’s runway.
Of course, for our Luxury Wedding this past January the entire affair started in January of 2013 with a visit to Veka. Immediately I was drawn to the warmth of both Ksenia and Jana, with their Eastern European style and inviting smiles. The interior design aesthetic is modern, the walls lined with the crème de la crème of just a few choice exquisite designers—including Palazzo, Suzanne Erman, Amanda Garrett, Veronica Sheaffer, and Adele Weschler. I wandered aimlessly through the racks of silk and chartreuse and lace and chiffon, impressed by the effortless chic of it all.
We tried on at least 10 gowns of all drastically different shapes and styles—as important as it is to not be overwhelmed it’s also important to know what you don’t like. How else will you find the perfect fit?
Eventually we came across THE one – but I was in love with the sleeves of another gown. No worries. Their expert in-house seamstress combined the styles and bent over backwards to make sure each addition was exactly as we imaged. When the stunning made to order Adele Weschler gown finally arrived, it felt like the big day was actually here. The luxurious fabric, expert stitching, the lavish feel of it all…twirling in Veka’s mirror with Ksenia approving smile I knew there wasn’t another dress in the world for me. It feels even better with an audience.
This is it. One shot, one chance, one walk down the aisle. (Well, hopefully). Make it count—you won’t find style like this anywhere else.
