No need to leave the city for your wedding gown, great services here!

July 9, 7:29 PMFullerton Community ExaminerKimberly Wolfe

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   The Dresser, located in the Soco District in downtown Fullerton

 They are the stuff that dreams are made of.

 They are princess-like. They are a tasteful sense of your personality. They are dreamy. They are what you wear on one of the biggest days of your life.

 And a little piece of tasteful couture in Fullerton makes those dreams come true-with style.

 Today's entry in the wedding planning in Fullerton, CA, series takes us into the world of wedding gown shopping. Read on to find out a little bit more about The Dresser, a tasteful bridal salon in the heart of Fullerton. Marianne Shearer, the owner of The Dresser, gives helpful advice to brides looking for that fantastic dress to wear on their special day.

 She made a wedding dress for Barbie when she was 6 and hasn't stopped since.

 Orange Blossom Barbie looks proud as she sits on Marianne Shearer's desk. Wearing a short wedding dress with matching shoes and hat, she looks the part of a blushing bride, well-dressed for her special day.

 That love of making gowns grew to owning one of the longest-running bridal salons in Southern California and also dressing brides for television shows. Now in business over 20 years, Shearer bought a historic building in the heart of downtown Fullerton five years ago that she has rehabbed to be a tasteful bridal salon that also caters to prom dress shoppers, bridesmaids and mothers-of-the-bride. Shearer is also building a plus-sized wedding gown section. Honing in on her years of experience dressing over 5,000 brides, she gives valuable advice to brides shopping for that fairy tale dress:

• Get a good referral.

 Did you friend look like an absolute fairy tale princess on her wedding day? Was the dress fitted to perfection and did she look fantastic in the dress? Check the bridal salon out then to get some of that wonderful service for yourself!

• Bring pictures with you.

  This will give the bridal salon a great visual starting point to help the salon have you looking the way you desire to look on your special day. 

• Shop with an open mind.

 Shearer says that roughly fifty percent of the sales in her bridal salon are for dresses that a bride would have never considered before. You just might be surprised if you are willing to discover other options for your special gown on your special day!

• Take one or two trusted individuals with you who have your best interest at heart.

 Taking all five of your bridesmaids with you plus your mom, plus grandma, plus your friend who wants to tag along is fun, but it can also drive you crazy and leave you purchasing a dress that doesn't flatter you and maybe even one that you don't like. You don't want that! You want to purchase the dress that you love, not the dress that your friend would look great in.

"In the end," Shearer says, "in 25 years, you will remember details about your dress that no one else will."

• Show up for your fittings!

  Wedding gowns are not generally custom made to fit your specific body, which is why it is so important to come for the fittings for your wedding gown.

"It's worth every penny to make a dress truly yours," Shearer says.

 Shearer, who handles all wedding gown alterations in house, cannot stress this enough and adds that not a lot of bridal salons offer in-house alterations.

Have fun shopping for your special day and be sure to check out the great wedding vendors in Fullerton!