don’t be surprised if a cat wanders in during your fitting. “What I have seen is that people are going for the all-out, ball gown fantasy again,” Engelman says. “I am talking hoop skirts, trains that are 12 feet long. I need to move all the furniture in the studio to even get these dresses in.” There’s data to prove it: For one recent dress, the hoops alone weighed in at seven pounds. “That’s just the hoops,” Engelman adds for emphasis. In many ways, the change in fashion reflects the change in weddings themselves. And a lot of that parallels the pandemic—from an era of tiny weddings or Zoom weddings, there is an opportunity again to get people together in large numbers and make weddings that feature a series of events over multiple days. “It seems like weddings have gone fantasy too,” Engelman points out. “Some people get married at Disneyland in the castle. We’ve gone from keeping things simple and elegant and sleek to, ‘We are going full in, let’s do it all!’” Doing it all when it comes to the dress often means ornate (see trains and hoops, above). But that of course is not practical for the variety of a multi-day event, so brides often request multiple outfits. There are mix-and-match configurations—a lacy top, for instance, that might pair with an elegant skirt for the ceremony, then pants for a dance party. The multi-outfit concept also holds true at Magnolia Monterey Bridal, located on Cannery Row. Owner Tina Fashion MICHAEL DADULA RYAN CHARD SMITH 16 The Best of Monterey Bay ® Wedding Guide 2024-2025 ElkhornSlough_1-3h_WG24_KB.indd 1 2/22/24 2:50 PM
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==