Chatfields Bridal Boutique

Sample Sale - Modest Wedding Dresses

2011-12-07T11:55:00.001-06:00

Received information from several of our designers on the designs that will be discontinued in 2012. In addition, we have several designs from Eternity Gowns, a company that recently closed their doors. That means we can no longer special order these designs.

We purchased a great deal of the excess inventory from designers at a huge discount, which in turn we will pass on to our brides. This means a brand new, never tried on dress at amazing prices.

Please pass this on to any bride looking for modesty.

Here is the link to our sample gowns on sale now: www.chatfieldsboutique.com/gallery3.htm

If you see a dress you LOVE, contact us right away - once their gone we can no longer order new ones.

Modest Bridesmaid and Evening Dresses - Under $100

2011-11-17T12:20:00.000-06:00

In the previous post, I mentioned the closure of Eternity Gowns and the frustration in finding modest bridesmaid and evening dresses.

I have found two designers that have good reputations and thought we should share with our followers.
Diviine Modestee carries several modest dresses that can be used for a special evening or bridesmaid dress. Unfortunately they only carry up to a size XL, which according to their size chart is a 14/16.
Diviinemodestee - Modest Dresses

The second designer we have found is
Dainty Jewells Website

Very cute dresses that can easily be mixed and matched to match the color palate of a wedding. She is an Apostolic seamstress so the dresses meet our modesty requirements and several designs offer additional coverage many women ask for.

Her gowns are custom made.

Both companies have good reputations.

Let us know what you think of these new finds.

Is there a Need for Modesty?

2011-10-22T13:34:00.002-05:00

Sadly The Emporium, a very large bridal store in Provo, Utah closed unexpectedly. They represent Eternity Gowns. Eternity Gowns website is down and retailers can no longer order new modest wedding dresses.

En Vogue a popular modest line we carry just announced that there is not enough orders for evening and bridesmaid gowns so they will no longer carry these lines. In this instance the demand is not there.

Our bridal store does not see the volume of brides that other stores do that carry strapless, as we only serve girls that choose modesty. However nearly all our brides find their wedding gown here.

I've posted previously on supply and demand. Is there still a need for modest evening and bridesmaids? There is a need for modest bridal, but I'm not sure there is enough demand for others.

We became a modest-only bridal shop because we believed that all brides should have options and not every bride wants a strapless dress. We'll continue to have a succesful store until brides no longer choose modesty. But looks like we won't be offering bridesmaid dresses any longer.

What is your opinion?

Gossip Girl, Blair's Wedding and a Modest Wedding Dress

2011-09-30T12:39:00.000-05:00

So I'm downright giddy that Blair, on the TV Show Gossip Girl is wearing a modest wedding dress. I'm especially giddy because it's very close to the Epoch dress named Vyvyan.
Link to Gossip Girl Blair's Wedding Dress.

The Vyvyan dress has a bateau neckline, but it also comes with the lace removed to reveal a scoop. You can see our modified Vyvyan dress here: Link to Epoch Collection: Vyvyan Dress

How do they compare? Fairly close.

Modesty Struggles for Jewish Community

2011-09-24T13:45:00.000-05:00

If your faith and personal conviction means covering your elbows and collarbone, your often struggling to find something to wear.
Personally, I think kudos to these young Jewish girls for wanting to be fashion-forward, stylish, modern and yet maintain their personal convictions.

Forward.com Article

All our wedding gowns can be altered to meet the modesty standards of our Jewish Orthodox brides. The dresses have seam lines at the shoulders and we replace or add length to an existing dress. However many of our lovely bridal gowns can be special ordered with the alterations needed.

Rachel Lee Carter - A Modest Model

2011-08-10T16:34:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Carter followed her conviction and only modeled modest fashions. Our favorite part of the video is her advice for girls - "instead of the everyone telling you to if you've got it, flaunt it - you should protect it!"

Rachel Lee Carter - A Modest Model Video - Youtube

Brides Website

2011-07-20T15:26:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite bridal websites is onewed.com. Similar to theknot.com and brides.com, to me it's less cluttered and a little more easy to follow.
Their blog is very well written and gives information that a bride would want or need.

I'm so excited that The Epoch Collection is being featured - right up there with the big name designers. I love that our modest wedding dresses are next to other designs. I just believe that brides should have options.

The Epoch Collection at OneWed.com

Epoch Collection

2011-06-28T19:43:00.000-05:00

SO EXCITED - the pics are finally in from the Epoch photoshoot. We added several new designs and modified some existing designs. Many of our brides seek longer sleeves and it's hard sometimes to visualize how it will look - so we added longer sleeves on our best sellers!

Let me know which is your favorite design.

Modest Couture Website

Bella's Wedding Dress - (Twilight Series) Breaking Dawn

2011-06-03T17:44:00.000-05:00

Breaking Dawn, the newest release from the Twilight Series features a wedding. Bella and Edward are getting married. What will her wedding dress look like? The series author is LDS. Will her Mormon standards be reflected in the bridal gown?

The books were on the New York Times best seller list for a long period of time. Many women follow the series faithfully. My opinion is that the style Bells wears could set a trend for 2011 and into 2012. Will she be modest and demure like Princess Catherine?

We hope Bella wear a modest wedding dress!

Princess Catherine - Another modest dress

2011-05-27T12:18:00.000-05:00

The President and his wife met with Prince William and Catherine several days ago. Princess Catherine was wearing a lovely modest dress. Within hours the designers website crashed twice because so many girls wanted her dress.

CBS News Report - Princess Catherine dress sells out.

The dress has now sold out! So exciting to see a modest dress sell out!

Supply and Demand - Modest Wedding Dresses?

2011-05-19T14:30:00.000-05:00

Doing some research today on the 2011 new designs. I thought perhaps there may be new designs featuring modesty. On the website http://www.theknot.com/, they promote over 3000+ wedding dresses. There is a category called "Modest". In that category there are 11 dresses. Several of the dresses in the category are strapless, so I assume they were mislabeled.

Out of the 11 - there is ONE dress that is modest enough for our brides. The gown does not have sleeves, but features a lovely bateau neckline.

I find it frustrating as do so many of our brides that out of the 3000 designs, there is ONE that meets their modesty needs.

Am I to assume it's a simple supply and demand marketplace?

Just a thought.

Wedding Dress with Long and 3/4 Length Sleeves

2011-04-19T13:20:00.000-05:00

So many of our recent brides are choosing longer sleeve lengths. As all our bridal gowns have a seam line, it's very easy to change out a sleeve for additional coverage.
In recent years the highest demand was for dresses with short sleeves, but more brides are asking for longer sleeves!

A lace gown featuring long lace sleeves is so lovely and demure. As October is becoming the ideal month and most popular in the St. Louis area, longer sleeves just make sense. A wedding in August may be a little too hot for longer sleeves. It's really up to each bride on how much of her arm she chooses to cover.

More designs are coming to the shop with longer sleeves. Stay tuned!

KMOV Great Day St. Louis

2011-03-15T15:57:00.000-05:00

On Monday, March 7th I was on Great Day St. Louis with Carol Daniel. I had the awesome opportunity to show St. Louis modest wedding dresses. Three of my favorite girls showed some incredible wedding dresses.

http://www.kmov.com/great-day-st-louis/Chatfields-Wedding-Dresses-117416048.html

Of course there were 10 other things I wanted to mention about modesty, but forgot and ran out of time.

CBS St. Louis - Chatfields Best Bridal Store

2011-02-01T08:56:00.000-06:00

We've won another award! CBS/KMOV has announced that Chatfields is one of the top three bridal stores in St. Louis. In a town of 20+ bridal stores, we are honored to be named one of the best!

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/top-lists/best-bridal-shops-in-st-louis/

Mormon Times Article

2011-01-27T16:46:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited that a writer from the Mormon Times included Chatfields in their feature store on Modest Bridal Stores. We serve a lot of LDS Brides and so happy that the article is helping us spread the word about the store.

Mormon Times Article January, 2011

Thank you Deseret News for including us!

Buying a Modest Wedding Dress Online/Internet Sales

2011-01-14T15:24:00.000-06:00

I know it's hard to find a modest wedding dress, as I mail dresses weekly to brides across the United States, and even to other countries.

I am asked all the time for the opportunity to purchase a gown online from our store. If a gown is purchased online, there is such a big unknown and potentially a very unhappy bride.

As a bridal store owner, I know every dress in our store. Each dress has a specific feel, texture, weight, and length. When brides call our store, I ask lots of questions. By looking at a photo, a bride won't know how heavy the dress is. If a bride is a size 2 and 5 feet tall, getting married outdoors in Florida in August, there are many dresses I would encourage, while there are many I would strongly discourage. For instance there are some very heavy bridal satins that I typically discourage for a bride that is very petite. I don't think she'll be very comfortable on her wedding day in a 5 pound wedding dress!

I feel that a bride is trusting me with the most important fashion purchase she'll ever make. Her children will one day look at the photos of their mom on her wedding day. Her selection of a gown should reflect the bride and happiness she'll feel on her wedding day.

Don't purchase your bridal gown online, consider bridal stores that only serve Modest brides.

Nicole (Richie) Madden in a Modest Wedding Dress

2010-12-21T14:25:00.000-06:00

I recently saw pictures of Nicole Richie's wedding dress. She wore three and it appears that two of the dresses had LONG SLEEVES!

Kudo's to Mrs. Madden for choosing a more modest and amazing wedding dress. Bravo for not selecting another (snooze) strapless wedding gown.

I personally love lace wedding dresses and vintage-inspired gowns are timeless.

Famous brides tend to set the trends - I hope that designers will take notice and at least offer something besides strapless bridal gowns.

Are Strapless Wedding Dresses Going Away?

A Royal Wedding

2010-12-03T14:40:00.000-06:00

I am so excited about Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding. Of course as a bridal store owner, I'm most interested in the dress she will wear. When Princess Diana was married, her dress was the number one copied bridal gown of all time.

I hope that Kate will choose a more modest design for her wedding. Her decision will most likely set the trend for the year 2011 - and encourage more girls to think conservatively in their wedding dress choices.

No matter what she chooses, she is a beautiful girl - and will be a beautiful bride.

Plus Size Wedding Dresses in St. Louis!

2010-11-20T15:41:00.001-06:00

As I've posted, I really don't care for the words - Plus Size, I prefer Alternative Sizes, but that's just me. Of the last 3 years of business the number one sized bride we have most often sold is a size 22. We've sold more size 22 bridal dresses than any other size.

Most of the alternative sized brides we see prefer not to show their arms and are searching for the additional coverage that a strapless dress cannot provide.

That's why I'm so excited that bridal gowns in sizes 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 size wedding dresses have arrived at the shop. We already had a significant inventory and now we have more!

I am just thrilled to have even more options for brides to try on. You have to try on a wedding dress. I'm so discouraged when I hear of other brides didn't have the opportunity to try on a sample, and must guess what the dress will look like. A wedding dress is such an important purchase, you have to try on the dress so you can see what you'll look like on your wedding day.

At Chatfields Bridal Boutique we carry sizes 0-30 sample gowns so everyone has a chance to try on a modest bridal gown.

New Line - Sophia and Camilla

2010-11-17T16:30:00.000-06:00

As previously posted, I attended the Chicago Bridal Market to find new Modest Wedding gown designers. I am so happy to announce that the Sophia and Camilla gowns have started to arrive at the shop.

More are on the way due in January 2011.

Here is the link to our site that shows some of these amazing designs:
www.chatfieldsboutique.com/gallery2.htm

What I specifically love about this designer is that we can make adjustments to the gowns, raise necklines, make sleeves longer etc.

Let me know what you think.

Katy Perry - Wedding Dress with Sleeves?

2010-10-30T15:35:00.001-05:00

The pics haven't been released just yet for Mrs. Brand's wedding dress. But I was slightly giddy when I read that she chose a wedding dress with sleeves - YES a wedding dress with sleeves!!!! Not enough material to be considered modest enough for the brides we typically see - but I'm so excited that it wasn't strapless.

I'm so glad that Mrs. Brand doesn't look like so many other brides that wear strapless gowns.

Did Katy set a new trend?

St. Louis Riverfront Times - Best Bridal Shop 2010

2010-10-16T11:11:00.000-05:00

The St. Louis Riverfront Times is a fairly progressive publication, which makes this award even nicer. I am so excited that our little bridal shop won Best Bridal Shop for 2010. Here is the link:

RiverFront Times 2010 Best Bridal Shop Award

The editor was spot-on. Vera Wang's new collection is strapless and until there is a major designer such as Ms. Wang, creating new designs that are not strapless, the trend will continue.

I am very grateful that we won Best Bridal Shop as a Modest-only committment store. There is a need for modest wedding gowns - and we are so happy to help serve this need.

Thank you Riverfront Times!

Sophia and Camilla - New Bridal Line

2010-10-05T13:27:00.000-05:00

At Market this past weekend, I spent several hours going booth to booth in search for modesty. Out of the thousands of new wedding dresses on display, there was one designer that qualified for our shop - with being consistent with our modesty standards.
In the modest bridal industry there are only a handful of designers that choose to offer modest wedding gowns, so I was already familiar with this line. This was the first opportunity, I had to see the dresses and meet the owner.
I'm really happy to announce that sample gowns from this lovely designers will be here by the end of the year. The designs we chose are lovely and think our brides will also love the fashionable bridal gowns.

Personally, I was terribly disappointed that there were only 2 designers that even remotely had options that were not strapless.

Contact us if you have any questions about our new fun designer.

Chicago Bridal Market

2010-09-29T16:07:00.000-05:00

There are several bridal markets throughout the United States. A market is where designers bring their new lines for the next year. It allows bridal stores to view many different vendors and dresses at one time, one place. As our bridal shops has become more successful, that has allowed us to take on new lines and designers.

I'm really looking forward to the Bridal Market in Chicago. Out of the hundreds of designers, I'm hoping that I can find at least one modest bridal line that I can carry in the store.

Stay tuned.

Youtube Video of Chatfields

2010-08-18T13:08:00.000-05:00

Our business is word-of-mouth or searching the Internet for Modest wedding dresses. This year we decided to use some of our advertising funds to create a promotional video of the store.
So many of our brides drive more than 4 hours to find modesty, so we thought it would be helpful to see our store. Brides can feel more comfortable knowing there are many options not just one or two modest bridal gowns.

The video can be found here on youtube: Chatfields Bridal Boutique - A Modest Bridal Store

Let us know what you think!

Grateful for Modesty - Homeschooling Community

2010-07-23T15:37:00.001-05:00

I had a lovely bride come in this week. They are part of a homeschooling community, that apparently our shop has been on their pray list. I cannot be more thankful that our little shop is in the prayers of so many people.

Promotional Video for Chatfields

2010-06-03T12:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was an exciting day at the shop. We hired Michael Chappel of Chappel Video Service to create a promotion video for the store.

We are interviewing three very different brides that all chose modesty for different reasons. Plus I hope we can get the husband of one bride to speak. I know I always like to hear what the men say about modesty.

I'll have more details as he edits away.

Stay tuned.

Modest Wedding Dress without a Train

2010-05-22T12:50:00.000-05:00

In St. Louis there are private schools that require girls to wear a white wedding dress for the graduation ceremony.
I've had two board members from schools in the shop to inquire about our modest wedding dresses. I've been told that there was a wardrobe malfunction mishap at a graduation ceremony. (Yikes).

We've had many brides this year request a train removal or opting for shorter trains. There are many styles already in the store, but I wanted a wider selection.

These lovely wedding dresses will be in the shop in September.

You can find examples of the gowns here: Gallery 5 at Chatfields

Let me know what you think of the styles. Would you wear a wedding dress without a train?

Last Minute Brides

2010-05-05T12:31:00.000-05:00

Most bridal stores ask that brides choose a wedding dress anywhere from 9 months to a year before their wedding date. Ha, ha, ha. I laugh because I don't believe I've ever had a bride with that much time before their wedding date. Typically my brides range on average 2 to 6 months.

In April, I had a bride that came into the shop on Tuesday and her wedding was the following Friday. That was 8 days prior to her wedding date.

Last night, I had a bride that is getting married on Saturday! That is only three days. My lovely bride takes the prize! She had purchased another bridal gown which wasn't modest enough for her and was going to add a jacket. Her friend found our store and called us. Can you believe the dress almost fit her perfectly? No alterations needed.

Of course we try to accommodate our brides schedules and we often offer our sample dresses as a solution.

Best Bridal Shop in St. Louis

2010-04-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

I am absolutely thrilled that Chatfields Bridal Boutique won the Best Bridal Shop in St. Louis award by KTVI's CityVoter.
A great big thank you to our brides that voted for us.
My mom and I have also read the reviews that were posted. Another thank you for all the kind words.

Link to KTVI CityVoter - Best Wedding Dresses in St. Louis.

How exciting! A Modest-Only Bridal Store won!

Harry and David at West County Shopping Mall

2010-03-10T12:48:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to be the wedding dress provider for the display window at Harry and David's store located in West County shoppping mall. Our modest wedding dress, a lovely sheath gown with lace and beadwork is vintage-inspired.
Our wedding gown will be on display for a month until April 10th.

Here is a picture of the dress on display:
En Vogue 3983

I'm so happy when other retail stores choose to display modesty! A big thank you for the additional exposure this front window will give us.

The Bride Makes the Final Decision

2010-02-25T14:30:00.001-06:00

You are the bride. You make the final decision about the single most important fashion piece you will ever purchase. You can listen to your maid of honor, or mom, or sister, or the bridal consultant, but you are the one to make the decision.

I offer this advice because of several funny stories I've had recently with brides.

I served a 50+ first time bride. Typically I direct them to the section of "non-princessey" looking dresses. However, she purchased the largest, poofiest dress in the store. She looked amazing - and what a fun bride.

One bride went to Hawaii for a destination wedding. Knowing that she'll have to either mail or hand carry her wedding dress onto a plane, I directed the bride to bridal gowns made of chiffon. I've been to Hawaii it's not 60 degrees year round. But once again, I was surprised that she selected a very heavy bridal satin gown. She loved it and the pictures were amazing.

Another bride was an alternative size 22 bride (I don't care for the phrase plus-size) and was very shy. I showed her several A-line dresses that are super flattering to any shape. It wasn't until she tried on the body hugging, hiney shaping, mermaid style that she beamed. Embrace your curves - it's your day! Funny because she said absolutely no mermaid style dresses. HA She also sent me photo's and looked wonderful.

You should listen to the advice - but that doesn't always mean you have to take it!

Finding a Wedding Dress that FITS!

2010-02-24T16:49:00.001-06:00

In the last 2 months, I have seen 4 brides that had no intentions of purchasing a modest dress when they originally found my store. These four brides were very large breasted and a strapless wedding gown was totally out of the question for them. (that's what was expressed to me by each bride) They all found bridal gowns here that fit them. Several of the brides said they were going to remove the sleeves - but when the dress came in none of them did.

Each girl explained to me that they didn't want to be "hanging out" of their dress, they didn't want to be constantly pulling up on a strapless dress.

If you are uncomfortable or looking to minimize your bust area, consider a more modest wedding dress.

I'd love to show you options!

Pure Fashion St. Louis Show

2010-02-12T15:18:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to be part of the Catholic Pure Fashion Show. The Fashion show is March 27, 2010 at Spazio's Salon in West Port Plaza.

Pure Fashion.com
Pure Fashion is an international faith based program designed for girls 14-18 to help young women re-discover and re-affirm their innate value and authentic femininity.

Pure Fashion is a character formation program that enhances not only a young woman's external appearance, but more importantly, her interior beauty and balanced self confidence.

Our goal is to emphasize a young woman's inherent dignity and therefore create in her a desire to dress and act in accordance with that dignity. We understand that many young women today are losing their sense of innocence at a very young age, and Pure Fashion aims to reverse this trend by offering a fun, exciting and effective virtue formation program that can impress the hearts and minds of young girls at a very critical stage in their lives.

OneWed Best Vendor of 2009

2010-01-15T10:52:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I received a letter from OneWed, (one of my favorite bridal websites), that Chatfields Bridal Boutique won the Best of 2009 Vendor award! Yippee!
Chatfields Bridal at OneWed

A special Thank You to many of our brides that wrote a glowing review about the store.

Michelle Duggar and a Strapless Wedding Dress

2010-01-15T10:40:00.000-06:00

I saw the video of Michelle Duggar going to Kleinfelds in New York searching for a wedding dress to renew her vows. I wonder if the Producers of the Network selected Kleinfelds as "Say Yes to the Dress" is also on the TLC Network.
However, I was still sad to see Michelle looking at strapless dresses. When the dress was finished, to me, it was still a strapless dress with material underneath.
There are some fantastic bridal stores that feature only modest wedding dresses. I've mentioned before in previous posts other all-modest bridal stores.
Of course as a modest bridal store owner, I would have loved to have shown her our fantastic styles that did not require serious alterations.
A designer creates a strapless wedding dress design, it was not meant to have a modest neckline and sleeves - it was meant to be strapless.

Kleinfelds is an amazing bridal store. Their website states that they have the most bridal gowns in the world. Out of all of those incredible gowns, they didn't have ONE dress that was considered modest enough for Michelle?

Interesting.

Couture for a Cause - In Stages Prom Event

2010-01-15T10:23:00.000-06:00

We have been asked to participate in the Prom and Party Dress Fashion Show and Expo presented by In Stages.
On Sunday, January 31st, 2010 at the Missouri History Museum, Chatfields will have a booth presenting the latest in Modest Prom and Evening Wear. The event proceeds will be donated to the Women at Risk International (WAR).
Expo hours are 2-6:00pm and the Fashion show is at 4:00pm.
Stop by and see us.

Click here for more information:
What's Your Stage Prom Event

Modest Prom Dresses

2010-01-09T13:02:00.000-06:00

Modest Style Prom dresses are on their way! Please contact the store (314.965.6565) to schedule an appointment. There is a limited supply so hurry to come see the designs before they're gone.
I have stocked various sizes from size 0 to 30.
Check out the gallery for some of the designs in the store:
Chatfields Boutique Gallery 4

We track each dress to ensure no one else at your event will have the same dress.

Kevin Jonas and a Modest Bride

2010-01-05T16:28:00.000-06:00

I had read a while back that the Jonas brothers preferred girls that dressed modestly. I was happy that a very popular "boy band" would prefer a modest girl.
That's why I was a little dissappointed that Kevin's bride chose a strapless Vera Wang wedding gown.
What is your opinion? Can a modest bride wear a strapless wedding dress?

It is her choice to wear whatever makes her feel beautiful and glamourous on her wedding day.

Happy New Year

2010-01-05T16:22:00.000-06:00

To all our 2009 and 2010 brides, thank you so much for purchasing your modest wedding gown from Chatfields Bridal Boutique.

Your support enables us to expand our modesty lines and take on new designs.

We pray that you also have a wonderful and prosperous 2010.

Thank you for choosing modesty on your wedding day.

Cancer Survivor Bride

2009-12-17T12:46:00.001-06:00

I've had the pleasure of meeting some incredible brides, but there are some brides that I'll never forget. I feel sometimes that I'm able to be part of the most wonderful day of their lives.

I received a note this week from a very precious bride. She is a breast cancer survivor. She told me that she once thought that she would never be beautiful again after struggling with chemo treatments. But after finding her dress at my shop, she felt amazing and beautiful on her wedding day.
I cannot express enough, how much her note touched my heart.

It's a pleasure owning this little store - pure joy!

Epoch by Modest Couture - Modest Wedding Dresses

2009-12-12T10:07:00.006-06:00

I am so excited to announce Epoch by Modest Couture. For brides that are searching for a modest wedding dress that's unlike any other wedding dress, check out these fantastic new custom designs.
Many are vintage-inspired and yet still meet the standards for many faiths, including LDS brides and Apostolic brides.
The website address to preview the designs: Modest Couture.com, or through the Chatfields Bridal Boutique shop - Chatfields Boutique.com.

Also on Facebook. Facebook Modest Couture

Vera Wang does Sleeves!? Sorta

2009-11-25T14:23:00.005-06:00

In October, Ivanka Trump married publisher Jared Kushner in a Vera Wang dress with - SLEEVES. Although they were sheer, which doesn't meet most of the modesty standards of the brides I serve; I was thrilled to see her in a bit more modest wedding dress, even if it was a tiny bit.

I love the lace and covered buttons down the back of the dress. Gorgeous.

For the wedding industry to change and move away from the strapless wedding dress, it would take a big designer like Vera Wang. Every magazine, tv show, and advertising of any kind show women in strapless dresses, so naturally that's what most brides think they are supposed to wear.

I've seen Vera's 2010 bridal collection which is almost all strapless, so another year of the strapless is what to expect.

Modest Bridal Stores

2009-10-15T11:53:00.007-05:00

In the United States there are very few all-modest style only bridal shops. This means that the bridal store has made a commitment to serve brides that choose modesty. There are no strapless or over revealing dresses in the store.

I have had the opportunity to talk with some wonderful bridal store owners that have made the same commitment that I have.

If you're in the New Jersey area, I suggest visiting Couture De Bride owned by Tova Marc. She's an Israeli born bridal designer and her fashions are fabulous!

If you're in South Carolina, I suggest Simply Elegant owned by Dana Ellison. Mrs. Ellison is a Christian who has a passion for serving women that also choose modesty.

If you're in Texas, check out The Silver Hanger.

If you're close to Atlanta, please visit The Yellow Rose Bridal, owned by Julia Kilgore.

Of course, if you're close to the St. Louis area, I hope you will consider Chatfields Bridal Boutique..

Christian - Metro Voice Publication

2009-09-14T15:21:00.003-05:00

The St. Louis News and Events Publication, Metro Voice contacted me after hearing we have become an all-modest bridal shop.
New Store Offers Gowns and Dresses for Modesty (Click here for the story)

A very special and heartfelt Thank You to Mr. Day for writing such a nice article about me and the shop.

I'm so humbled by the wonderful publicity my shop receives.

St. Louis Catholic Review - Virtue of Modesty

2009-08-26T14:34:00.003-05:00

I was so happy to see a recent article in the St. Louis Catholic Review on encouraging Modesty.

August 20th article on "Living the virtue of modesty through dress and thought" by Jennifer Brinker.

Here is an excerpt:
As an ancient tradition, some of the liturgical items the Church holds sacred — the tabernacle, the ciborium, even the chalice — are covered.
Similarly, human beings should be treated with the same respect, said Colleen Hammond, a Catholic author and national speaker on the topic of modesty.
That’s why practicing the virtue of modesty is essential for Catholics, said Hammond, who wrote “Dressing with Dignity,” a book geared toward the topic of dressing modestly.
The former model and television meteorologist, who left her career to be at home with her four children, is based in Dallas, Texas.
“Our bodies are precious and we are not to use them and abuse them,” said Hammond. “The same is true in nature. Anything precious is difficult to get to,” such as diamonds, gold and pearls.

The entire article can be found online at: http://stlouisreview.com/article/2009-08-20/living-virtue-modesty

2009 UPCI General Conference

2009-08-23T20:25:00.003-05:00

The UPCI General Conference for 2009 is being held in downtown St. Louis. I'd like to say a special thank you to so many of our UPC Brides that have suggested I have some type of representation.
Unfortunately I am too late to have a display booth. I know our happy brides will help spread the word to the thousands of Pentecostal sisters that there is a modest dress shop right here in St. Louis.
Thank You.

Modest Homecoming Dance Dress

2009-08-12T18:43:00.003-05:00

I've been conflicted on stocking the store with modest homecoming dance dresses. It's not that there isn't a need, but a matter of mom's and girls finding me.

I'm going to stock up on several different designs. I love the designs that Beautifully Modest carries. It would be nice to have many options for women and girls of all ages.

KEZK 102.5 Summer Salute to Women Owned Business

2009-08-05T07:34:00.007-05:00

KEZK salutes local working women in business with the "KEZK Summer Salute to Women". I was fortunate enough to be featured.

I will be on the air on Friday, August 7th at 6:30am.

From their website here is the bio:

KEZK Link (Select hear entire interview)

Debbie WelcherOwner / Founder Chatfields Bridal Boutique

Debbie Welcher always knew she had an Entrepreneurial spirit and had dreamed of owning her own boutique shop. Her dream became a reality over a year ago leaving a successful career as a Corporate Executive to start a unique bridal store featuring hard-to-find wedding gowns. With so many thriving bridal shops in the St. Louis area, she knew to be truly successful; she needed to offer brides something different.

Debbie saw firsthand how difficult it was to find a modest wedding gown based on her husband’s family religious beliefs. Many of the brides paid a great deal to alter the top so it would be suitable for their ceremony or purchased a dress on the internet. Almost all the brides were unhappy for what should be one of the happiest days of their lives.

Her tagline is An Unexpected Wedding Store, for Brides Expecting Something Special, and that’s exactly what her customers get. In an endless sea of strapless options, Chatfields serves brides that choose a modest wedding dress. Chatfields’ gowns feature modest necklines and sleeves of various lengths.

Many of her customers are religious brides, plus size brides, 2nd time brides and older brides. One of the benefits of choosing Chatfields Bridal shop is that she is familiar with the various faiths she serves. Many ceremonies require certain details about a wedding dress. Debbie has worked closely with religious leaders and her brides to understand the requirements, ensuring the brides’ dress is completely appropriate for her ceremony.

Debbie believes wholeheartedly that leaving the corporate world and opening her shop was the best decision she ever made.

Open House/One Year Anniversary Event

2009-07-15T22:10:00.003-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce my one year anniversary. What a wonderful year it has been. Absolutely life changing.

Instead of a ribbon cutting ceremony, I am cutting a wedding cake. Knodels bakery has been so kind and offered to supply the wedding cake (and serve it). Their cakes are fantastic so this is a real treat for me.

I have asked local clergy to help me celebrate and make this a modesty event. Many faiths have asked me how other faiths support and encourage modesty. I've asked the various faiths to bring material and feel free to discuss with each other their success and frustrations.

I hope you can join this unique hour event to meet with many faiths in St. Louis.
The event is July 23rd (Thursday) at 11:00am.

If you have any questions, please contact me - 314.965.6565

Peter and Paul Community Services

2009-07-08T11:20:00.003-05:00

I met Keith Deisner and Steve Campbell of the Peter and Paul Community Services this morning. What a wonderful organization in St. Louis, Missouri that provides housing and supportive services to the homeless. A majority of those they serve need mental health and drug abuse support. Click here for Peter and Paul Website

In the St. Louis area, most are familar with the Larry Rice, New Life Evangelistic Center, but the Peter and Paul Center is not as well known. My goal is to help support them to reach out to volunteers, raise funding and help with more recognition for their outstanding work in the community.

As many of you know, I am launching a new line of Modest Wedding dresses I designed. I plan to give a portion of my profits to the Peter and Paul Community Services and help them continue the great work they do. Keep posted for more information on Modest-Couture.

CHEF Conference 2009

2009-06-27T08:27:00.002-05:00

I closed the shop for a couple days to attend the CHEF conference in St. Charles this week. It is an organization for Christian Homeschoolers.

We are always looking for new ways to get the word out about our unique bridal shop. Traditional marketing to the "masses" has not and does not work. I met some really nice and wonderful people over the two days and they choose modesty.

Many commented to me that they were so happy to finally have a place to shop. I heard so many stories of searching for a seamstress to make a dress, changing an existing dress top, or considering a plane ticket to Utah!

We'd love to hear from you on ways to communicate our modest wedding dresses, so brides can know there is place they can shop.

How to Marry the Wrong Guy

2009-06-18T15:40:00.005-05:00

My neighborhood friend gave me a book called "How to Marry the Wrong Guy", written by her friend, Anne Milford (and Jennifer Gauvain).
She asked me if that was strange for a bridal shop owner to read this book. We want all our brides to marry the right man and have a wonderful, long life together.

I thought it was delightful and thoughtfully prepared. It was interesting to me that all the women had that "gut feeling" that they were making a mistake. Some were brave enough to cancel the wedding and some ended up getting married.

I encourage you to take a look at this fascinating book - "A Guide for Avoiding the Biggest Mistake of Your Life!"

COLD FEET PRESS.COM

ABC Story Retailers widen options, including more modest clothes

2009-06-04T13:57:00.002-05:00

I've been searching news stories about women and girls choosing modesty - I found this on ABC News Source

Link to story: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Story?id=7035910&page=1

By Jayne O'Donnell, USA TODAY March 8, 2009

Here is a small portion of the Story:

Modesty in young women's clothing is getting a boost from the dismal economy.
When consumer spending was in overdrive, retailers could sell to the masses and ignore the more muted voices asking for, say, a decent supply of sleeved shirts or prom dresses that show more fabric than skin.
Now, however, it's the rare retailer who's willing to take the chance of turning off any possible customer. Luxury-store clerks can no longer afford to look down at scruffy shoppers, and store owners of every sort are recognizing the one-size-fits-all approach to retail buying no longer works.
Whether it's more of a fiscal or moral shift, understated girls' clothing may indeed be making a comeback.
Even flashy Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld declared "bling is over" and noted the economy is prompting a "new modesty," in an interview with the International Herald Tribune this year.
Retail consultant Ken Nisch says the trend is more moderation than modesty, but the effect may be the same.
"It's not because of a moral revival but about sensibility," says Nisch, chairman of retail brand and design firm JGA. "What's provocative has often been ultra trendy, and it just doesn't make sense to buy things you can't wear for a lot of occasions anymore." .....

Going Modest

2009-06-02T16:36:00.003-05:00

As of June 1st, we have become an all-modest bridal and dress store. We are in the process of having a huge sale, to reduce the inventory of gowns that are not considered modest.

One customer recently asked me if I wore a modest wedding dress. Without realizing that I was choosing modesty, my wedding dress had a modest neckline and short sleeves. So yes, it seems that I was meant to feature a bridal store with modest wedding dresses.

I'm changing the website now to reflect the new changes.

Big Sale for brides that want a strapless dress!

On-Line Reviews

2009-05-28T11:38:00.004-05:00

My mom, Vyvyan and I are humbled at the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received. I have read some of the on-line reviews from brides, mothers and friends about our store.

We have been invited to weddings, parties, and BBQ's from the brides we've served at our store.

Thank you for your kindness.

Jewish Bride - Hasidic Ceremony

2009-05-12T13:34:00.004-05:00

I've met some truly wonderful people, brides; their mother's, friends, sisters. I learn about their lives and their faiths and I'm sad when they pick up the dress and the alterations are finished. It means that I won't be seeing them again.

One family stood out to me recently. Charni and her mom Cathy Spizman. She needed a little more modesty for her wedding ceremony with a Hasidic Jewish ceremony.

We had a lot of fun with them. She was kind enough to send me a picture of her wedding day.

For more information on the ceremony and their wedding day click here: Hasidic Jewish Ceremony

Expanding Modest Selection

2009-05-06T15:51:00.002-05:00

I've just placed the order for a sizable amount of modest style dresses from Eternity Gowns (http://www.eternitygowns.com/) and Beautifully Modest (http://www.beautifullymodest.com/).

Expanding the selection of the store to include bridesmaid, semi-formal and evening in modest styles.

Now I can serve brides, women and girls who need a beautiful modest dress.

Stay tuned - I'll have them in the store in a couple weeks.

Why are modest-styles considered Frumpy?

2009-04-30T12:52:00.002-05:00

Strapless wedding gowns became the preferred style only about 10 years ago. Prior to that, wedding gowns had sleeves.

When I talk to women about modest styles the first response is the word frumpy. Aren't we past the Victorian era and Little House on the Prarie mentality? Out of the thousands of wedding gown designers, (and I do mean thousands), less than 10 actually do a modest line.

Now modesty standards vary, but typically the brides I see understand what modesty means and they are searching for those standards.

I've helped four brides this month that purchased a modest-style wedding dress, (that originally had no intentions of purchasing a modest dress). One bride was amazed at how comfortable the dress was and her dad was extra happy.

The brides I typically see are religious brides such as the LDS (Mormon Faith), Pentecostal (UPC headquartered in St. Louis), Jewish Orthodox, Southern Baptists etc. But I also serve plus size girls that love the extra coverage a modest dress provides, older or second time brides (most brides ages 40+ do not wear sleeveless or strapless clothes), and women with tattoo's that promise their families to cover them up.

There are many women/brides that are underserved. When women drive 6-7 hours to my store to buy a wedding dress, there is a need for modest dresses.

Check out : http://www.dressfinder.com/. You can scroll through the hundreds of wedding dress designers.

What is Chatfields?

2009-04-18T15:06:00.001-05:00

My name is Debbie (Chatfield) Welcher. I started a bridal store in St. Louis, Missouri - Chatfields Bridal Boutique.

I feature bridal gowns that the other bridal stores do not offer.

My store is reflective of my life honestly. I've had the opportunity to travel the entire world and meet wonderful people, different cultures, religions, various ways of life. The whole world opened up to a girl from the midwest. I couldn't afford to put $10 of gas in my car, and my company put me up in 5 star hotels. Surreal.

I'm very close to my one year anniversary. I left a good career as an Executive to open a bridal store, in a city that has 20 or more bridal stores, in the craziest economy since the 1920's.

Modest wedding gowns make up 75% of my bridal shop. I carry Eco Friendly wedding dresses, Destination type wedding gowns - and one my favorites - Vintage-Inspired wedding gowns.

I've spent countless hours reading books and meeting women from various faiths to understand their need for modesty.

I'm grateful for the experience of world travel. I truly feel that my store is a culmination of my life and experiences.

I bring that feeling every day I turn the key to open my bridal store.

I made the right decision.