A Letter from Steve Lang, CEO and Owner of Moncheri Bridals, etal.

As Professionals in the Bridal Industry, we work hard every day to offer the best of the best products from the major designers in Wedding Dresses, Bridesmaids, Mothers of the Occasion, Social Special Occasion, Prom, and Quinciniera.  We have invested thousands of dollars to become "Authorized Retailers" by these companies we represent and we stand behind what we sell.  We would not be in this business if we were not dedicated.

I would like to share a very important Notice received by Mr. Steven Lang, the Owner and CEO of Moncheri Bridals, ect., one of the largest Bridal, Prom, Social Special Occasion companies.  Mr. Lang is making every effort to stop the Counterfeit Manufacturing of all overseas manufacturing of Bridals and other fashions, as this is becoming a major problem and effecting "Brick and Mortar" bridal Stores.  Being a "Brick and Mortar" store, I cannot stress further to stop buying from these overseas dealers.  They steal our ideas, and we resent this.  We put long hours meeting with clients only to get ideas from us and then try to purchase overseas.    I will say it again..you will never and cannot expect to get the same Bridal gown overseas that costs $300, that we sell for $2500 from a major designer!  It's a fact.  Save your money and tears....we know our Industry otherwise we would not represent it in the Professionalism we do today.

Here is Mr. Lang's letter..please read it, remember it when you sit at your computer shopping online at one of these websites:


Before Ordering Your Prom or Bridal Gown Online…. Beware!
You've searched hours, weeks or even months online scanning dozens of websites 
for your dream dress. Then you find a site with fantastic prices that beat the 
competition. The site features the same photos of dresses from designers that you 
recognize and respect. But the prices are half – or even less. Better yet, they offer 
to custom make your dress to fit your measurements instead of buying an off-therack size.
Sound too good to be true? Well, then it probably is! If you’re tempted to order a 
dress online and the price is super cheap, think again. The Internet is recently 
flooded with hundreds of websites selling knock-offs dresses. Instead of getting an 
authentic designer dress at a ridiculously low price, what you risk getting is a cheap 
counterfeit version coming to you directly from a factory in China.
Delivery to your home can take up to 30 days or longer and might not reach you in 
time for your event… and that’s if you even receive your order at all.
If you do get a dress from a knock-off site, it may or may not look like the picture 
on their website. The Chinese factories behind the slick websites are using the 
designers' copyrighted photos without permission. But the counterfeit sites lack 
the original patterns needed to sew the dresses. Instead, they try to duplicate them 
based on the photo taken by the original designer. As a result, a lot of guess work 
goes into the dress when it comes to construction, fabric and embellishments like 
beading and lace.
Do you really want to leave your once-in-a-lifetime-event prom dress or 
wedding dress to chance?
Here's how to spot a website selling knock-offs or counterfeit dresses:
 If designers are named on a website, find that designer’s website. Then 
check the Store Locator for a list of retailers authorized to sell their dresses. If 
the website/store is not listed, then beware that they are not selling true 
designer gowns.
 The Contact Us page should have a phone number and address listed (preferably 
within the US), not just an email, for customer service. If the site has a phone 
number or address in China, that’s a red flag. It might be difficult to contact 
them about your order given the time difference and the language barrier. 
Some U.S. phone numbers merely forward the calls to China so ask where you 
are calling. If the website claims that you can return the dress for a full refund you can be 
fairly certain that this is a China website. In most cases, Authorized Retailers 
for these dresses cannot take returns unless the merchandise has a factory 
defect. Many people who order from the counterfeit websites are not able to 
get refunds either unless the item is shipped back to China which can be very 
costly.
 The websites requests more than a few of your body measurements.
Professional dress and bridal shops in the USA typically rely on three to four 
key measurements as provided on size charts created by the designers.
 If the models heads are cropped off in the photos, this could be an attempt 
to try to disguise copyrighted photos the counterfeit sites are using without the 
permission of the designers.
Before placing your order directly from a Chinese counterfeit website please 
understand:
 You may not be able to get a refund if the dress you ordered arrives not as 
pictured
 If you are required to return the dress to China to get your refund, the shipping 
can be costly ($50-150 or more). Whether or not you will actually get your 
refund is not certain. You may end up with no dress and no money.
 Your local bridal and prom stores have no connection to these sites and can not 
help you with a refund. These dresses are only copies and the original 
designers or stores who sell them are in no way responsible for defective or 
poor construction.
 There is a pending lawsuit against these counterfeit websites. Once the lawsuit is 
won, shipping companies such as Fedex, UPS and DHL could begin seizing 
packages with dresses that arrive at U.S. Customs that have shipped from 
China labeled as "samples" so that the the American consumer can avoid 
paying the customs duties and taxes that are legally required. Your order could 
be one of the packages that are seized by the shipping companies and you 
may never receive it at all or be required to pay the taxes due before it's 
forwarded on to you.
 Consumers ordering merchandise directly from China are hurting American 
businesses that are facing loss of business resulting in layoffs of many 
American workers by stores and their suppliers.

Shop from "Brick and Mortar" stores for your wedding dress...I can say no more!

Here at Collezione Fortuna Fashion Boutique and Bridals, our wedding dresses are authentic, along with our Bridesmaids Collections.   We are "Authorized Retailers" for Allure Bridals,(Private Collection), Allure Bridesmaids, CB Couture, and their Private Collection. White One by Pronovias, Christina Wu, and their Private Collection, Bill Levcoff  Bridesmaid's, and other exclusives to our store in Carmel only.

We offer the best from these collections here locally.  For an appointment, give us a call (831)626-1287, or email us at collezionefortuna@yahoo.com.

Be educated, be wise!

CONGRATULATIONS STEPHANIE AND CLAUDIO ORTIZ

We would like to extend our congratulations to Stephanie Taylor and Claudio Ortiz who were married on August 5, 2012 at the Georis Winery in Carmel Valley, CA!

Stephanie scheduled an appointment with us at Collezione Fortuna Fashion Boutique.  We met with Stephanie and worked with her over a period to help her select the "perfect" dress for her, as she wanted something special that was more "fashion forward" than any other wedding dress she had ever seen.

Stephanie and her Mother Pat both said "YES"  at the same time to our gorgeous Allure Couture Bridal Gown that fit her perfectly off the rack requiring no alterations at all!  Stephanie was totally thrilled..and we all shared the excitement, and the box of kleenex for the tears of joy!  She had found her dress..and she looked just stunning, and it was exactly what she was looking for to wear on her wedding day!   Stephanie is a local resident , and she was thrilled to the fact that she did not have to travel to the San Francisco Bay area and search for her dress when we had everything she was looking for at Collezione Fortuna Fashion Boutique and Bridals here in Carmel!

We thank Stephanie for trusting US with the most important purchase of her lifetime, her wedding gown and accessories!  Gals, we can do the same for you! How about it?? Give us a call for your appointment (831)626-1287, or email us at collezionefortuna@yahoo.com today!  http://www.weddingwire.com/vendor/VendorViewStoreFront?mode=edit&tab=profilewww.collezionefortuna.com

PART 2: THE TRUTH ABOUT BRIDAL ALTERATIONS

AS WE CONTINUE OUR TOPIC IN PART 2: THE TRUTH ABOUT BRIDAL ALTERATIONS,  with many years (over 40 years) experience in Fashion Design, Alterations with the Couture design emphasis, I cannot enforce enough be educated and informed about the person you choose to do the alterations on your wedding dress!


Always ask for references.  A good seamstress in this field will either have a Portfolio of her work. Ask to see it!  Word of mouth is the best advertisement.  She will also have experience in fashion design just in case you want to personalize your gown.  She will know how to match beading, how to take in a zipper properly, and where seams can be taken in or let out.  Think: you have  invested at least $2000. on the average on your wedding dress, which is the most you will spend on any  one dress in your lifetime....are you going to hold back when it's time to pay for alterations which can run anywhere from $150.-$500. on the dress?? 


If you recall in a previous BLOG, I mentioned "BRIDAL ALTERATIONS ARE NEVER FREE AND THEY ARE INCORPORATED INTO THE COST OF THE DRESS."  This fact remains true!  No one works for free, and if they offer free alterations..be careful!  You may not get quality work on your dress!


At Collezione Fortuna Fashion Boutique, there are never hidden costs in our dresses.  We have a wonderful team of Professionals we highly recommend for Bridal Alterations and the feedback we have been receiving from our Brides and other Customers has been excellent!


In Part 3, of this series, we will discuss more what to expect when you have Alterations on your Bridal gown, and much more!


We would also like to mention, there is no need for locals to travel to the Bay Area for Bridal, Bridesmaids, Mothers, and much more!  With rising gas prices, limited time to shop(no Online shopping for Bridal..please..another horror story to tell)we have a great selection and you are supporting local small business.  For your appointment, give us a call (831)626-1287..and all appointments are FREE!!  Have a wonderful weekend!Part 2: The Truth About Bridal AlterationsPart 2: The Truth ABOUT BRIDAL BLTERATIONShttp://www.facebook.com/collezione.fortunahttp://www.facebook.com/camyrotella

LET THE BUYER BEWARE OF CHINESE BRIDAL WEBSITES....

We  are all on a budget when planning a wedding.  One of the most important purchases is your wedding dress.

Our recommendations are to buy from local  " Authorized Dealers" who can offer the best Bridal gown you are dreaming of at the best price available.  There are too many Chinese Websites who undersell authorized products we offer at unheard of low unbelievable prices, only to cause dissapointment and heartache later.

This is one site for example:

http://www.g-marrybridal.com/prom-dresses-2012-c-346.html

We do not recommend buying the most important purchase of your life which is your  wedding dress from any of these sites. 

You cannot get a $2500 wedding dress for $300 and expect it to be exactly the same thing!

Here  at Collezione Fortuna Fashion Boutique and Bridals, we sell Bridal Gowns, Bridesmaids, Mothers of the Occasions, Social Special Occasion, Bridal Accessories from "Authorized Retailers"  who not only stand behind 100% on their product, but you will recieve assurrance what you do order is what is expected and will arrive in time.

Want to see our Collections...just give us a call to set up your appointment (831)626-1287..and there is absolutely NO charge for your 2 hour private appointment in spite of what you have been hearing!   Hope to see you soon!

 

www,collezionefortuna.com

BRINGING THE BEST WEDDING PROFESSIONALS WORKING TOGETHER

I am proud to announce that Collezione Fortuna Fashion Boutique has been invited to join the "Monterey Bay Wedding & Event Professionals" , also known as "MBWEP".   The organization brings together the best of the best wedding professionals in the area from Event Planners, Photgraphers, Hair and Makeup Artists, Florists, Venues, Caterers, and much more......

About

::OUR MISSION::

To promote a community of local wedding & event professionals with integrity at its core, providing the utmost in professional services to our clients, and a commitment to excellence in all that we do.

::OUR VISION::

• Provide a central source of information to those planning a wedding or event
• Bring businesses together to advance our industry through networking, marketing and promotions.
• Increase the profile of the Monterey bay area by marketing it as a unique destination for weddings and events.
• Showcase the products and services of our members dedicated to quality.
• Offer opportunities for professional growth through the sharing of ideas and knowledge.
• Foster a caring attitude among members in dealings with the community, clients and each other.

Click to view the 2011-2012 MBWEP Board of Directors.

::MBWEP FOUNDERS::

Amy Byrd Amy Byrd Weddings & Events
Anthony Karabetyan, DNA Entertainment
Richard Wood, La Playa Hotel
Hunter Lowder, Holman Ranch
Heidi Hughett, Coastside Couture
Mike Steelman, Mike Steelman Photography
Peri Basseri, BigTime Video Services
Karissa Paxton, Coastside Couture
Brenna Catalano Rhoades, BC Design Studio
Nancy Rohan, Paradise Catering
Nick Elliott, Paradise Catering
Beth Belatti, Amy Byrd Weddings
Kim Lemaire, Ensemble Productions
Jullienne Chranowski
Sarah Ward

In my next blog, I will list the members and their expertise!  Please call on them this Wedding Season and support all of these wonderful local Professionals service your wedding needs!