Bridal Salon Offering Disney Princess Gowns
It’s a ceremony and a celebration that will always be in style. A young girl dreams all her life of the moment she will ‘say yes’ to that special dress for the most important day of her life…her wedding day. Sarnia’s only full-service bridal salon, Aliya Bridal Fashions has been helping brides-to-be to make their dreams come true for nearly 25 years in the bridal business. Originally located on Front St., they later moved to Christina St., and are now located in the Bayside Centre as of March of 2009. It’s a family business with three generations involved…Ella Rabi, owner/founder, daughter Najma Michelucci, and granddaughters Anastazia and Felicia Michelucci. Aliya Bridal Fashions specializes in anything you need to dress for a wedding or special occasion and so much more: bridal gowns, dresses for bridesmaids, mothers of the bride and groom, flower girl and First Communion, prom, graduation, and special occasions. Their accessories include tiaras, handbags, jewelry, shoes, veils and hair accessories. They also specialize in foundation undergarments such as bustiers, bras and Body Wrap Shapewear. Anastazia says, “we can outfit the bride and her attendants with everything they need, from head to toe, with affordable pricing for all budgets and tastes. We also carry a beautiful selection of Plus sizes in stock in all our collections from bridal, bridesmaids, mothers and prom.”
Anastazia Michelucci was born and raised in Sarnia and has been working in the wedding business since the age of 11. After university, she worked for a manufacturer of wedding gowns and soon found herself designing dresses and realizing, “I was born and bred to do this.” After spending 3 months in Italy, she longed to come back to Sarnia-Lambton. “I have seen many changes over the years in this business and the current economic times have affected the bridal business just as they have everyone. At Aliya Bridal Fashions we pride ourselves on almost 25 years of providing the absolute best service to our customers. We want every bride to feel special from the time they enter our store right up to their wedding day; they aren’t just customers, they’re family. We have even gone as far as helping the bridal party get dressed at their homes on the wedding day. We feel it is very important to shop locally and support Sarnia’s commerce. No bride should need to leave town to find the dress of her dreams. At Aliya Bridal Fashions in Sarnia we have everything you need to make your special day perfect. We go above and beyond to fill our store with the hottest styles, best quality and affordability. Our customers are always at the heart of every decision we make.”
Aliya Bridal Fashions has a team of on-site fitters and seamstress with all alterations done right on the premises. “We feel a gown must fit perfectly and with expert in-store alterations and attention to detail, we provide the look that a bride has always wanted. Many people can sew, but it takes an expert seamstress to turn what looks like an impossibility into something spectacular. Our store offers a vast selection of colours and designs for the bridal party…with so many styles and more than 60 hot colours, we can find a dress for that ‘picky’ sister or find just the right shoes and accessories to coordinate with your wedding décor. There have been many times when we have helped brides who found themselves in a predicament, whether it be after a bridal shop has closed its’ doors or a dress bought on-line does not fit properly; we were there to help make their big day perfect.”
The staff are very excited about their new lines for Spring, with many of them arriving in January. The store carries the full Alfred Angelo collection who have a world-wide presence in the bridal market which allows Aliya Bridal Fashions to help brides coordinate attendants who may be scattered across the globe. Alfredo Angelo teamed/partnered with Disney Corporation to launch a new line which was presented in Chicago, October of 2010, creating ‘Disney Fairy Tale Weddings by Alfred Angelo’. Their collection will impress all brides with their breathtaking styles. The wedding gowns are inspired by Disney Princesses and showcase the unique flair and personality of each bride. Included in the line are wedding gowns and bridesmaids’ dresses, prom and ball gowns and this year they are featuring the Twilight Prom collection. Alfred Angelo also have exclusive rights and are the only authorized designer to replicate Bella’s wedding gown from the Twilight movie. There is just one place in this area where these gowns can be found and that is at Aliya Bridal Fashions, in downtown Sarnia.
It seems that strapless wedding gowns have been the popular look for many years and although they are still the #1 choice, Anastazia explains, “The one-shoulder is very current and, of course, the sleeves have made a comeback, thanks to Princess Kate, but each bride is unique and at Aliya Bridal Fashions our goal is to make sure every customer feels confident and beautiful in whatever look she chooses.” Aliya Bridal Fashions can customize your dress from adding sleeves and straps to custom beading. Another big trend right now is ‘TRASH THE DRESS’, where brides take fun candid photos on the beach, in the water or even four-wheeling in the mud! Bring your gown to Aliya Bridal Fashions and they can clean, preserve and box your wedding gown so that the memories are protected for future generations.
Aliya Bridal Fashions will be showcasing the 2012 collections at the Bridal Odyssey at Hiawatha Horse Park on January 8, 2012. They have a staff of 7 waiting to serve you; they are located at 150 Christina St. N. at the Bayside Centre and their hours of business are Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. For appointments or any inquiries call 519-332-8700. Watch for their Anniversary sale, in-store events and promotions in the New Year. You might want to check out the following websites and see what is offered…
www.aliyabridalfashions.com, www.disneyweddings.com and www.alfredangelo.com.