Nearly every bride has a picture of her dream wedding gown, either in her imagination or torn from a bridal magazine. When they go looking for that gown, they want to work with a bridal shop that has the selection and experience to make the gown-shopping process go smoothly.



Today’s Bride and Tuxedos is the perfect place to find your dream wedding dress. The store is tucked into a quiet corner of San Souci Plaza in California, and its interior is bright and welcoming, with a secluded area at the back for trying on dresses. Two large changing rooms allow plenty of space for the bride, dresses and someone to assist her, and the dressing area has two mirrored corners with raised platforms in front of them. Comfortable chairs are the perfect place to relax for Mom or the bridesmaids who are along for the shopping trip.



Racks of dresses line the sage green walls and fill the floor of one section of the store. Some hold white, ivory and champagne wedding dresses, some with sequins and beads, some with embroidery, some with more or less decoration. Other racks hold colorful bridesmaid dresses in a variety of styles. Another rack holds elegant prom and special occasion dresses.



Jackie Norris, owner of Today’s Bride, has about 15 years of experience in bridal shops; she has been the sole owner of Today’s Bride for 12 of its 13 years of business. Her staff, which includes two full-time and two part-time employees, also brings years of experience working with brides to Today’s Bride.



"I like meeting people and making their day what they want it to be," Jackie said. "That’s the best part -- making every girl’s dream come true."



Today’s Bride is a full-service bridal shop. Besides wedding gowns, bridesmaid gowns and prom gowns, the store offers tuxedo sale and rental, flower girl dresses, dyeable shoes and purses, dresses for the mothers of the bride and groom, accessories such as guest books and ring pillows, veils and headpieces, gown preservation and alterations for dresses sold at their store.



Jackie said there are many advantages to shopping in a bridal shop rather than shopping online. For one, the bride won’t have to pay shipping and handling on her dress. And, if there are problems with the order, the store will handle the headaches -- not the bride. Today’s Bride can also provide its customers with seamstresses; it has two on staff.



"We press and steam every dress that goes out of here, no charge," Jackie added, noting that this service alone can cost as much as $100.



Perhaps the biggest advantage is that you can try the dress on before you buy it. Remember that dream dress every bride has? Sometimes the dress she likes just doesn’t work for her wedding style or body type.



"You build a relationship with a friendly customer service person who helps you from start to finish," Jackie said. That person can help brides find gowns in the style she likes as well as suggest other styles that complement her.



"I suggest that they try different dresses and designers," she added. "What they think they like, sometimes they don’t."



Before dress shopping, Jackie said it is helpful if a bride has a few decisions made: She should know when the wedding is, where it is, what dress styles and designers she’d like to try on, her budget and what colors she is using in her wedding.



The store carries gowns for all budgets and has sizes from 0 to 44. The dresses on the racks are from some of the most popular wedding designers: Alfred Angelo, Alyce Designs, Bari Jay, Bridal Originals, Ginza, Jordan, Maggie Sottero, Mary’s, Mori Lee, Pallas Athena, Private Label by G and Raylia. Jackie said the store can also order dresses from most designers, even if they don’t regularly carry the line in their store.



Wedding dresses should be ordered eight to 12 months in advance of the wedding. Rush delivery is available for an extra fee, she said. Bridesmaids’ dresses should be ordered about six months in advance. Dyeable items can be ordered four to six weeks in advance.



Tuxedo reservation depends on the month they’re needed. For the popular wedding and prom months of April, May, June, September and October, Jackie recommends three to four months in advance. For the other months, she said six to eight weeks is enough time.



Non-refundable deposits are required on all dress and tuxedo orders. A 10 percent discount is offered on wedding and bridesmaids dresses that are paid in full by cash or check.