‘Tis the season: Wedding bells are ringing, but for the recently engaged, plans are just starting to come into motion for the big day. While the wedding ceremony and reception are of utmost importance on the planning to-do list, brides-to-be can’t wait to begin shopping for the most important dress of their lives. Today, brides have a variety of dress options. Bridal shops cater to the fashionista, the couture-minded and the traditionalist, all in a wide range of budgets. Orange County brides who are ready to try on wedding dresses have these five best bridal shops right at their very fingertips. Mon Amie Bridal Salon Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Mon Amie Bridal Salon has been catering to brides, bridal parties and mothers of the bride/groom for more than 35 years and has a personalized philosophy making each bride feel special. As a must visit in Orange County, this elegant boutique carries premiere designer dresses from all over the world including Berta, Suzanne Neville, Alvina Valenta and Lazaro.

Plus sizes are available, too. Appointments are absolutely necessary at Mon Amie primarily so that each bride has the proper amount of shopping time and is given the attention she needs for her first go-around at the store. 298 E. 17th St. Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Local California girl, Erin Cole, is an inspired designer with a bridal dress collection as her namesake. Shopping at the Erin Cole store allows brides an exclusive shopping experience, giving them the opportunity to select from the Erin Cole collection of dresses that are not available anywhere else. Cole, who has a love for organic silks, handcrafted fashion and exquisite detailing, wants her brides to feel beautiful. The Erin Cole team fits brides and their bridal parties with designs she creates locally in Costa Mesa. Her collection also features couture veils, modern vintage-style jewelry, sashes, tiaras and hairpins. 316 N. Anaheim Blvd. Mariposa Bridal Boutique owner Kacey Elkins found her true calling in helping brides find their perfect wedding gown after a personal experience of her own.

What makes Mariposa Bridal stand out from all the other salons is Elkins personal service. She and the Mariposa style team understand how even the most calm bride can feel overwhelmed, thus welcoming her and noting exactly what she wants and needs. With an array of styles and prices, Mariposa Bridal focuses on the timeless nature of each bride. Allure, Love Marley, Enzoani, Mori Lee and Shopia Tolli are just a few of the designers offered at this store. Brides are encouraged to check out the Mariposa Bridal website for sample sale announcements, which often promotes dresses for just $500! Related: Best Wedding Stores In the OC For the Vintage Shopper 320 E. Orangethorpe Ave., Suite #C Showcasing hundreds of gowns, ranging from informal to extravagant, Pebbles Bridal features several dress designers including Atelier Pronovias, Modeca, Stella York and Kenneth Winston. Gowns are priced competitively and Pebbles believes brides can find a dress for all budgets. This family-owned and operated shop invites brides to just walk-in without an appointment, with a promise to accommodate them.

Entire bridal parties (bridesmaids, mothers and flower girls) prefer shopping at Pebbles for the big day because the family-style service they receive. Gown orders take about 4-6 months to arrive, and rush orders are also available. 3007 N. Main St. Santa Ana, CA 92705 Lovely Gem’s Bridal is a diamond in the rough for brides shopping for wedding gowns. As one of the best discount wedding dress stores in the area, Lovely Gem’s gives brides runway designer gowns at a 30 to 70 percent discount from its original retailer. Swedish Barrel Knives For SalePlan on spending at least an hour sifting through the samples and overstock items. Inlaid Vinyl FlooringFrom trumpet style gowns and drop waists to ballgowns and a-lines; Cork Flooring In Half Bath

wedding dresses from Lovely Gem’s have all sizes and styles. No returns are accepted after dresses are purchased. Alterations and gown preservation services are offered at additional costs. Related: Best Bargain Hunting In Orange County Sheryl Craig is a writer with a passion for interesting finds and treasures in Los Angeles. She has a background in journalism and public relations. A mother of two daughters, Sheryl integrates her healthy lifestyle into raising her children. PRONOVIAS TRUNK SHOW – SAT 24th SEPTEMBER At this one day event you will be able to try many dresses from the stunning Pronovias 2017 collection, alongside our regular Pronovias collection. Discounts available for orders made on the day This is always a very popular event. Book your appointment now to avoid disappointment. Tel – 0208 605 9008Joanne Fleming Couture Vintage Inspired Dress Design | Joanne Fleming Couture Vintage Inspired Dress Design | Joanne Fleming Bespoke & Made to Order Wedding Dresses |

Joanne Fleming Elegant & Vintage Inspired Dress Design Style SHE LOOKED LIKE THE Schooled in Bath at The Royal School, where the ankle-length purple-lined wool cape was her favourite part of the school uniform, Joanne passed much of her free time hanging around the city's world reknowned costume museum. After a brief flirtation with Biochemistry at Bristol University, whilst ripping down the velvet curtains of her rented Georgian apartment to run up elaborate ballgowns in which to flounce around the city's decadent nocturnal demi-monde, she discovered her passion was for dressing herself and others in flights of outrageous fancy.Soon she was clothing the gothique belles of The Bastille in heavy gold brocade and moth-eaten damask, garnered from the dustier corners of the local flea markets (these were the dark days before ebay of course)One day Joanne decided some bracing sea air would be just the ticket, and climbed aboard the Mail Coach to Brighton.Having been weaned on the Regency Romances of the inimitable Miss Georgette Heyer (Devil's Cub!

, Regency Buck!, The Grand Sophy!), Joanne immediately fell for the raffish charms of this naughty-but-nice city, favourite hang-out of the Prince Regent and scene of his magnificently louche chinoiserie-drenched wedding cake of a palace, The Royal Pavilion.The next few years were a veritable whirl of lace and feathers, making corsets for can-can dancers and tight trousers for boys in bands.....but an epiphany was approaching! In a pause to draw breath, Joanne started to think that something was lacking....what was it? Since her time peering down microscopes whilst dreaming of Vionnet, she had never studied a subject in any formal sense....and enzyme pathways do not generally lead to a perfectly rolled collar or an immaculately executed button hole.Not short of creativity, and able to figure out most technical challenges, albeit in a somewhat convoluted and labour-intensive manner, Joanne nonetheless decided that now was the time to finesse her finery by buckling up and buckling down to an apprenticeship with someone who properly knew what they were doing.

Enter, stage left, Mr Paul Hubbard, Saville Row trained tailor, and the go-to man for some of the cream of British independent design talent looking for sample making and exclusive production of their collections. To this day, Joanne cannot speak highly enough of this period, learning from this master craftsman, and also from his right hand man Tara, a courtly Indian gent born in the days of the Raj who'd fled the violence of Partition to the cold shores of Britain.....he learned his trade on an old singer treadle machine, and his skills were manifold. The arts she acquired then are the foundation for everything she creates now.Freelancing for Madame Tussauds was the next venture....creating the red carpet looks for many a waxen faced figure in fields flung far and wide. When MT set up their outposts in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Joanne dressed 'The Twins' in clouds of tulle, and perched tiny swans on their heads, and sequinned and Swarovski-ed Leo Ku to the point of collapse. Drawing on her early work with velvet curtains, Joanne recreated (for Tussauds Hollywood) the green plush ballgown for Scarlett O'Hara's attempted seduction of Rhett Butler (oh be still my beating heart!), Jackie O and J-Lo for Washington, Madonna for NYC, Christine Aguilera in her glittery boudoir for London....

The problem was....her new clients were strangely unresponsive ( and sometimes headless!), and Joanne spent many an hour basically talking to herself. It was time to start working with humans again.... A little garret studio, tucked under the eaves of an old warehouse in Brighton's bohemian North Laine (the stomping ground of Graham Greene's Pinkie Browne), was where she next set up shop and opened her doors to real people wanting fantasy gowns. Freezing cold in winter, chicken-broilingly hot in summer, this was home to the fledgling Joanne Fleming Design for a full five years, and where Joanne gained a reputation for designing ensembles of charm and distinction for ladies who love to dress up.In December 2010, JFD relocated to the current premises in a building dating back to the Regency itself; in fact the original cast iron range is still in situ....and if the fashion thing doesn't work out, Joanne plans to set up The Olde Pie Shoppe. Let's hope it does as she is a rubbish cook....Since then JFD has quietly been building a reputation as a label of some distinction, and is frequently featured on many of the leading Wedding Blogs, as well as appearing in the bridal magazines.