434- Online Wedding Shopping Guide with Cher Irlandez

Leah Haslage:

Welcome to the Bridechilla Podcast. I'm your host, Leah Haslage. Whether you're just starting to plan or you're counting down the days, I'm here to help you stay cool, calm, and collected throughout the wedding journey. So let's get this wedding party started and embrace your inner Bridechilla.

Hey, Chillas, I'm so excited today. We have Cher Irlandez, who is the senior buyer and developer at Lulu's, the online retailer. Cher, I have to tell you this straight off the bat because I am a Lulu's fan. This is not a sponsored episode, just so everyone knows.

When your team reached out wanting to talk about your wedding shop, I was so stoked because I've been shopping for a long time at Lulu's. If anyone follows me on Instagram, @clevelandleah, the dresses I wore to this year and last year's Regional Emmy Awards, this past New Year's, they are all dresses from Lulu's. I already have my dress for this New Year's from Lulu's.

Cher Irlandez:

Oh, I love that.

Leah Haslage:

And this gray airport sweater I'm wearing. This is like one of the first pieces I bought. It was back in like 2016 or 17. And one of my biggest fashion regrets is not buying more of them, because there was like five or six colors. And you guys had it for a couple of years, and then it disappeared. And so I'm asking you, Cher, to please bring the airport cardigan back.

Cher Irlandez:

You know what? I'm close with that buyer, so I will try to make that happen for you. I hear it all the time. It's so funny because I actually hear it from, I mean, we have such a strong customer following that when I tell people I work at Lulu's, I just absolutely love hearing about their experiences and the things that they buy and also regretting not buying something again because I also do that with our own store as well. So yeah.

Leah Haslage:

Yes. The airport cardigan. Bring it back.

Cher Irlandez:

I will I will mention it.

Leah Haslage:

So Cher, for those not familiar, tell us about yourself and about Lulu's.

Cher Irlandez:

My name is Cher. I am a senior buyer and developer, as Leah mentioned. I have been working at Lulu's for over five years. I have had experience designing dresses, buying dresses. especially in our bridal world. But even outside of just bridal, I do our day event category that also specializes in her other moments and our bride's other moments of her life. So that could include a rehearsal dinner, her bridal shower, even baby showers, things like that. And we also specialize in wedding guests as well, and to also include bridesmaids. Everything bridal, we offer it, and I'm there every step of the way.

Leah Haslage:

When did you expand to weddings? Because I feel like when I first started shopping with Lulu's, it wasn't really a thing yet.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah, it wasn't. We actually expanded to a bridal site in 2019. So we actually have a sub-site where you can click on our actual lulus.com site and there's a panel at the very top that says Lulu's Weddings, or you can actually access lulus.com slash bridal. And then from there, it will take you everything bridal world, bridesmaids, special occasion dresses, wedding guests, cocktail dresses, bachelorette, everything you would need for your journey, we have it and it's really great. It's just all dedicated to everything in your journey that you're looking for.

Leah Haslage:

And I love the price point too, because if you're trying to be budget savvy, it's wonderfully made clothes, but at a great reasonable cost.

Cher Irlandez:

I love hearing that because as our team on our buying team, we actually pride ourselves so much in achieving attainable luxury goods for our customers. So she doesn't feel like she has to break the bank just to buy something for her wedding party or for anything throughout her journey.

We really try to keep everything under $100. That's our key price point is just making sure that the customer feels excited about all the things that she gets and she just doesn't feel like a high price tag means that it's actual luxurious and expensive and it's better because it's expensive. We really try to make sure that you can buy multiple items and still have money left over for the actual wedding.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah. And I think the other way too, sometimes people think because it's quote unquote cheaper, more inexpensive, it's going to be cheaper material and just going to be like a fast fashion type deal. But it's not like, I think I paid somewhere between $50 and $75 for this cardigan, right? And I've had it since 2016, 2017.

Cher Irlandez:

That's amazing.

Leah Haslage:

And I've worn it so much. I also take very good care of it. my items, you know? I'm also kind of careful where I wear it, but if you see me at the airport, I am wearing it. But yeah, that's the great thing, like you said. You can have wonderful pieces. And your wedding collection, your wedding store, I have a lot of things saved, because you can heart and save in your personal account. Because even as a wedding guest, there's so many wonderful options for you. And side note, outside of weddings, I love your stuff for workwear, too.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes. We really offer it all from, you know, from the office to a wedding, to dinner, to a date, we have everything covered and going back to, like you said about quality, every buyer developer on our team actually handpicks every fabric that goes into each item. So we actually make sure that item has the best fabrication.

We fit every garment to make sure that it's to Lulu standards. And, um, we take a lot of customer feedback very seriously because we want to know if something's fitting too tight or this was really uncomfortable or they didn't like the quality. We go back and we double check. What could we have done better? And especially things that we want to bring back and stock.

Leah Haslage:

But you guys do. I have to say this too. I've had to reach out to customer service before. And it was more about shipping items back as opposed to for exchanges and that. And your customer service really is on it. I gave you guys kudos because A lot of stores are good about that, you know? And I want to talk about this actually later on when it comes to, you know, sizing outfits and stuff like that. But just want to get that out of the way.

I know this sounds really salesy, and it really, honest to god, is not a sponsored episode. I'm just fangirling over getting to talk about Lulu's. But yeah, so let's talk about shopping online. So, you know, everything's out there about when you should start looking for your dress and different outfits leading up to the wedding. But you're not just walking into a store unless you're, I think you have a new boutique that just opened, right?

Cher Irlandez:

I do, on Melrose in Los Angeles.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah. So unless, if you're not in LA, you don't have that opportunity. So you're going to just be shopping online. So how far in advance should you be starting to look there for your look?

Cher Irlandez:

To give you some background, I personally got married just recently.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, congratulations.

Cher Irlandez:

Thank you so much. So I know this journey very well. It's very fresh in my mind. So fresh. So I can also give you insight as to what I wish I did, what I wish I didn't do.

Leah Haslage:

Give us the wisdom.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah. So in terms of how far in advance, I always think it's never too early to start, even just to start a mood board. And putting together a mood board either on Pinterest or creating a folder on Instagram to kind of just brain dump your ideas. I think it's just a great way to get these visual things that you like all in one place.

So for me especially, I went to Instagram and I just had a wedding folder where there were just things that I saw aesthetically that I loved. And they don't have to be cohesive. They can actually just be things that you like, there's a vibe that you like, whatever detail it is, and just having it all in one place where you can later on curate and kind of hone in on what the aesthetic you're going for.

And once you find your venue, and once you kind of get an idea of the type of dress you're looking for, then it's so much easier to kind of go back and really fine-tune those ideas and bring it back into one place.

Leah Haslage:

No, I love that. So with that, you're finding your vibe. What are some things you should consider then when doing that? Because it can be really overwhelming because you might love this like sophisticated traditional look, but then you love this whimsical, and you can't do everything. So what's your way of narrowing it down once you start putting those ideas together?

Cher Irlandez:

I, you know, I went through the same thing. You wouldn't believe the mood board I had of just the, there were dresses that I was like, what, I'm not even this type of girl. Like I'm not, I'm not.

Leah Haslage:

You get a chance to play now.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah. And this is like your chance to be really whimsy and like really think outside the box. But what it really comes down to for me and what I think a lot of our brides is go into what works for your body and really hone in on things that you want to accentuate. For me, it was really kind of finding more of showing off my décolletage and having a collarbone moment where I was showing more of my shoulders and things like that. And some brides, they want to have more of their arms covered. So finding a long sleeve dress is more key.

So kind of going into those silhouettes of where you want to start in terms of what you want to accentuate on your body, I think is the most important thing. And then from there, you can kind of build out, well, I really love sequins, or I love lace, I love print, whatever it is. You can actually go then and look for those type of dresses that have those key details and silhouettes that you're looking for. And then it really just grows from there.

Leah Haslage:

When you find your dress, it's so common to say, I'm going in for this look. I want a mermaid, for example. And then you walk out with a ball gown. So did you have that moment where you're like, I'm going to have this kind of look and vibe, and you walked out with something Different?

Cher Irlandez:

Most definitely. You did? I actually, okay, so for myself, I went for a two-piece, which I never thought I would do. But I think what was funny was that I was trying to find, and this is very outside the box, but I wanted a piece where I could wear it again. So I did a corset and a skirt. And this is something we're actually expanding into in our bridal world for next year, I believe, is just having a two-piece set where you can actually wear the top again and be able to say that like, hey, this is like my wedding top.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, you can be wearing it for your anniversary with like slick pants or something. Yeah.

Cher Irlandez:

So I think it's just kind of making sure that you are finding a place where For Lulu's, you can actually buy a bunch of dresses and we have such a great return policy that you can really play around and do different aesthetics and do different silhouettes and you can really play into it and just try on all these dresses. We have a bridal concierge that's actually available on our Lulu's bridal site and you can actually utilize that and it's all free. They can actually help you find what you're looking for in terms of silhouette or what you're looking for in terms of neckline, sleeve length, things like that. And we actually have those filters as well, where it helps you shop and makes it so much easier to look for a dress.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, absolutely. So what are some do's and don'ts that we should be looking at then?

Cher Irlandez:

Well, first of all, keep an open mind. Like you said, it is really, I mean, you should have seen my brain dump folder and my Pinterest board. It was really, it would go from Victorian to beach to desert. Like there were so many ideas that I had. And so really keeping an open mind and making sure that you don't have to get it perfect right off the start.

And then don't choose something because your loved ones are into it. I think it's so important to have that opinion in mind and you want to take it into consideration. But at the end of the day, it's about what you're wearing, about how you feel in your dress, how your bridal party feels in their dresses, things like that. and then do read the reviews. We actually, our site has actually, like you're one of our diehard Lulu's customers.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, I love it. I love the reviews. Seriously, it's so helpful because women will give their shape, their size, their height and all that. So I can kind of base it. Like, okay, I might, I can be in between two sizes. And so I lean towards the one side based off of how people review. I should leave some reviews actually, just to be helpful.

Cher Irlandez:

Oh, we'd love it. Please do. Like you said, yeah, we have the customer's sizes on the reviews, which makes it so much easier. I actually will get lost in the reviews sometimes because I love reading everyone's experiences, good or bad, and we take it so seriously. We actually have a report that comes in that tells us certain reviews and that way we can really monitor and get customer insight and feedback. on how things fit, how they felt in it, price point challenges, whatever it may be.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah. So I think that's really important. I think another thing not to do, and this is so key, is believe that expensive means it's right. And I think from there, I think people most of the time believe their wedding dress needs to be triple digit, four digit price tags. And that's just a thing of the past at this point. We really pride ourselves in attainable luxury. And we really try to aim for under $100 and making sure that our customer feels beautiful and confident in what they're wearing. And just like you said, it is a facade to always feel like anything that is three to four, even a thousand dollars can just feel like it's it's worth every penny because sometimes it's just not. And sometimes you just don't have to do that to achieve the look you're going for.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, I mean, even if you have the budget for it, you don't have to do it. Yeah, exactly.

Cher Irlandez:

And it actually provides having you know, I actually did this too, is having more looks. I had a second look, an after party look, and for my bachelorette alone, I had a lot of looks there and I wanted to kind of, it's a big budget you're playing with and you want to feel really special. So I feel like drowning yourself in just the budget of your bridal dress will really deter you from actually being able to buy the other things you want to feel special in for all those other moments.

Leah Haslage:

Right. And with that, how do you know it's the one? How did you know it was the one?

Cher Irlandez:

Oh, man. This is totally personal for everyone, but usually it's an instant positive reaction. It's that feeling, excitement, happiness. It's all of those things where you're like, Oh my gosh, like I feel so sexy, confident. I just love how I look. And sometimes you can just visualize yourself on the day of the wedding, which is really great. Cause I think sometimes walking away for a bit can give you a little more clarity because you're trying on so many things you get in your head and maybe you don't have your full aesthetic totally planned out yet. And so that's totally fine, but I think it's the instant reaction where you're like, I feel amazing in this.

Leah Haslage:

No, I agree. And one thing I will say is you don't always cry when you find one. I think that's a big misconception. Everyone thinks like, oh, but I'm happy in this, but I didn't cry. I didn't get that kind of emotional. I just got excited. But that's still a good positive emotion.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, that is such a great point. I was the same way. I didn't cry, but I was actually speechless when I found the one and it was actually just, it just felt like, I was like, I have no words. I just feel amazing in this. Sometimes it's just that, that reaction.

Leah Haslage:

So what are some of the benefits you think of shopping online versus being in person at a store?

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah, I think that shopping online means you have access to a wide range of dresses. Everything is available in front of you. I think you're just not limited to your local bridal shop, and you're not limited to just what they have in the store.

I mean, shopping online, I know for myself, I will have a million different tabs open in my browser of just things that I'm thinking of getting. And I think that's so great about shopping. And shopping at Lulu's, you just can, it's so easy to just like heart an item, like it and save it. And then you can also just, we have a bridal concierge that you can actually use that will help you save your items and help you reserve items for your bridal party as well.

Leah Haslage:

That’s great. Oh my gosh.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah, they really are there. You can email, text, chat them, and they will help you every step of the way in putting together a bridal collection and then even helping you find the perfect dress for yourself. I think that the misconception is that you won't get the same customer service online as you would in person. And that really just is not the case. So we really try to offer that.

Leah Haslage:

Well, you said you have a concierge service, which I think is incredible. So that kind of leads to my next question when it comes to sizing and alterations. What's your tip with that then?

Cher Irlandez:

I mean, utilizing customer service is really key. I think that our concierge, like I said, they provide one-on-one assistance and they're really there for you. These are coming from bridal stylists too. And they're, it's a free service that we have and they can answer all of your product and sizing questions and you can check our size charts. They're very, they're always up to date and we take fittings very seriously on our apparel side. So we actually fit everything that's in house. So we basically take a lot of time and effort to make sure that all the details are up to Lulu's standards.

Leah Haslage:

So you really should know your measurements.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes.

Leah Haslage:

I mean, it's probably just standard practice that you should know that anyways, but when shopping, but for your wedding dress, if you want to get the best idea of which size to order, because your size chart is really comprehensive.

Cher Irlandez:

It is very comprehensive. And we really suggest taking your own measurements to make sure that you are ordering the correct size and just making sure that… Like, you can actually order, if you're in between sizes, it doesn't hurt to just order the two different sizes to make sure that it fits to your body.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, like you said, you can always return one. And I've done that with a few dresses from there before, because it's just the easiest way. Because if you're in between sizes, especially, or if you're smaller on top, bigger on the bottom, or vice versa, it's a better bet just to do that and just return the other one. It's not that hard to return.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, it's not hard at all. And then as for alterations, we actually recommend reaching out to your local recommended seamstress. I personally did that. I looked up some seamstresses that actually specialized in bridal alterations and I think that's really key.

That's a great place to kind of spend that money is making sure that it fits properly and what's so great is that you can get a dress from us and not have to break the bank but you can spend the money on the alterations and actually have it perfectly fit your body.

Leah Haslage:

Which is a Bridechilla tip we like to throw out. Always make sure you budget for alterations, because no matter where you're getting your dress from, you might need to do a little nip and tuck here and there. It's going to end up happening, unless you're like that 1% that's super lucky that it fits like a glove to your body. But there's something that needs to get tweaked, whether it be a strap or taken in by the bust or something. So just factor in a few extra bucks for alteration.

Cher Irlandez:

It's so worth it. I mean, having it perfectly fit to your body is so key. I personally had to do that as well. And it's night and day.

Leah Haslage:

Well, I look at it too, like with menswear, there's nothing sharper than a man in a fitted suit, right? You go in sloppy and it's the same for us in our dresses. You want it to shape it beautifully. Yes. Get snatched.

Cher Irlandez:

Accentuate all the good.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, right?

Leah Haslage:

We'll be right back after a quick break.

Leah Haslage:

What is currently trending in bridal and bridesmaids? What can we look forward to?

Cher Irlandez:

For bridesmaids, it's definitely a mix of colors and prints. I think this is a huge trend that's happening right now is more of the mismatched bridesmaids collections. It's just going from the mismatch. Pastel grounded florals mixed with punched up solids really create like a beautiful cohesive collection. It provides a more playful aesthetic and it's absolutely gorgeous in photos.

Mixing fabrications also, so chiffons and floral velvet and jacquards. These are all, they may be a little more technical in terms of these fabric names, but if you look them up, and we also carry so much of this on our Lulu's Wedding site, that we offer just more fabrications outside of the traditional chiffon and satin. These are fabrics that you can wear throughout the year, and it's a great way to incorporate more dimension within your bridal party.

So, you know, there's also so many solids and prints that are offered in jacquard, velvet, chiffon, and satin that we carry that you can easily shop and filter by. And you can also shop and filter by fabrication, color, neckline, all of those things. Another trend I'm seeing is midi lengths instead of maxi. So this is something that's really cool.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, I noticed that on your site, and I was like, oh.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah. We have another subclass called Day Party. If you shop on our lulus.com site, scroll to Day Party category. We mainly focus on this length, especially in midi. These are also offered at a more budget-friendly price point and it's also great for wedding guests too if they don't want to wear the full maxi gown. These are such a great alternative into finding a different length and kind of making it look different from the traditional lengths that we always do in bridesmaids and wedding guests and stuff like that.

And then for brides and bridesmaids, it's really about fun silhouettes. I think we're having so much fun at Lulu's. We're always going on the next trend. We're trying to break the mold. We're thinking asymmetrical ruffles, tiering, drop waists, sleeves of all lengths, corseted bodices with boning.

Leah Haslage:

And corsets are huge right now.

Cher Irlandez:

So mine was a corset. So I think it's just a great way. I'm really loving to see that trend really come back and come back in such a big way. It's just adding whimsy through novelty fabrics, too. I think 3D florals and appliques, which are almost like 3D flowers that pop off the fabrication.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, that's awesome.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah, so this actually adds a lot of dimension as well. And these are mostly on like a mesh or tulle fabrication, but it just adds a beautiful way to incorporate something that if you're trying to go more outside the box.

Leah Haslage:

So with you saying about bridesmaids' dresses of the different mismatch and stuff like that, it brought to mind the kind of running joke with bridesmaids' dresses. And they say it in 27 Dresses, the movie, where she's like, oh, and guess the best part is you can wear it again. And you will never re-wear the bridesmaids' dresses because it looks so bridesmaid, you know? But the great thing is, with shopping on a site like Lulu's, they are more like an every occasion kind of dress that you really technically can wear it again. It doesn't look like a bridesmaid's dress.

Cher Irlandez:

You can definitely wear it again. And I actually have a dress that I wear multiple times. I've worn it to different weddings.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah.

Cher Irlandez:

We always want to make sure that what you buy isn't just for one event. We want to have you want to feel like this is a really special thing I'm getting. I love the print. I would totally wear I could wear this with a different layering piece for another event. So we just stand so much behind event wear that we're there for every moment of your life and we want to make sure that you feel good with what you're wearing and that you can obviously wear it to multiple things.

Leah Haslage:

You get more bang for your buck that way too.

Cher Irlandez:

More bang for your buck and we definitely stand behind that.

Leah Haslage:

And something else too I think kind of gets overlooked, is there are brides— or a wedding party member, if you don't want to identify as bride, I respect that— or your wedding party members that don't want to wear a dress, per se. You have really awesome pantsuits, jumpsuits. Oh, I have a jumpsuit from there that I love. Rompers. Like, there's other options, too, you can play with, which is pretty rad, also.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, there's so many. Like you said, our jumpsuits and rompers are such a great alternative to a dress.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah.

Cher Irlandez:

If a particular person doesn't want to wear that and they don't feel comfortable wearing that. Of course, you want your whole party to feel beautiful with what they're wearing. So we have jumpsuits, especially made for bridesmaids or for even the bride herself. And you can actually, a lot of them are made in a more stretchy fabric too. So they can fit a lot of body types. There's so much to choose from in just that category alone.

Leah Haslage:

You mentioned some misconceptions about online shopping earlier. What are some additional misconceptions and things that we should avoid when shopping online?

Cher Irlandez:

I think that some of the common mistakes to avoid is just waiting too long to make a decision sometimes online. I think that people, and I am so guilty of this, that because it's online, oh, I could come back to it. I don't have to make a decision now. I have the tab open. I'll check on it. a few times, but I can't tell you during my own journey, the heartbreak I felt when I saw sold out when I was in the crux of making final decisions and the spin I went into trying to find something like it.

I think with our great return policy, I think it's so easy to just, you know what, I'm going to buy it and just check it out. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but I'm not going to wait to make that decision. That is a piece of wisdom that I will pass on to all of the fellow brides out there.

Leah Haslage:

No, I'm so glad you said that, because that actually happened to me. I had a dress in my basket that I was going to possibly wear for my 40th birthday party. Gone, sold out.

Cher Irlandez:

Oh, it's so sad.

Leah Haslage:

And the thing is that that happens. It's not like there's unlimited supply of items.

Cher Irlandez:

Exactly. And I think the thing is, when we see online, we just kind of, you know, we just think it's there and it's available. You never know, it can be sold out within a few days and just not knowing, but it doesn't hurt to just buy it right away and just make the decision a little later.

I think also, you know, you want to make sure that like what you're buying online is something that you're going to feel comfortable wearing and not uncomfortable. So buying it ahead of time isn't a bad thing. And just having it on your own terms of just trying it on at home and just feeling like you're not pressured into buying something in person is really great.

Leah Haslage:

Great point about the pressure, because it can feel that way sometimes unintentionally, but when you're in a store, because you are kind of pressed for time, you can't stay there all day as much as you love to. Yeah, that's a really good point. You can do it on your own comfortability, whether it be first thing in the morning or after having a glass of wine at night. Yeah, exactly. You can just do it when you feel comfortable.

Cher Irlandez:

And sometimes shopping in person… And you’re in front of your friends and family, sometimes in an appointment, and it can feel even more pressure, not even just from the salesperson. But sometimes your friends and family can almost feel like… maybe you're iffy about the dress, but they keep saying something and you, you know, you bring them because of their opinion, but it can actually make you feel like, oh, maybe that wasn't the right dress. The one I originally was thinking of, and maybe this is the right dress because they love it so much. It's really just up to you and having the time to yourself to actually try on these items at home is so great.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, all the opinions can be really overwhelming.

So speaking of overwhelming, let's go back to bridesmaids. What is the best way to kind of figure out where to begin with that process, because again, when you're when you're scrolling online, you're seeing prints and you're seeing different shades. And maybe you want all solids. Maybe you want to mix it up and you are working with different body types.

And the great thing about online, I will say this, too, because when I had been married and I was planning mine, everyone except for my maid of honor and one other girl was out of town. So online shopping for it was like the best bet because people can just order there. But with that said, it's still really hard to go through and like, do I want strapless for them? Do I want them to pick an option between these two things? Where do you, in your opinion, start? Because online, you can stare all day. It's not like a store where you can get in and get out.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah, so when you start, because you want your bridesmaids and your bridal party to feel confident and beautiful with what they're wearing, I think it starts with the bride and what they envision in terms of what they want for their bridal party. Is it something more on a classic profile? Is it more bohemian? You want to make sure you're offering a variety of styles and maybe even a mix of colors that can kind of cater to the different people in your bridal party.

I think another way of mixing in some fun is actually offering a print for some of the bridesmaids. And that way it's not so monotone. And I think that can actually play an important part too, because it's like, you don't have to go the traditional route of just everyone wear one chiffon solid maxi, which is great. I think that's also very beautiful. But I think having a little, whimsy into it with just a mix of floral prints and then some solids will really elevate and pop through those photos.

And as far as silhouettes go, I think it's super important to take into consideration your bridal party and if there's any specific needs they may have. I love the idea of letting them choose their own silhouettes so they feel comfortable in what they choose, but I think it's important to have a similarity throughout the bridal party, whether it's necklines, sleeves, length which I will say I'm a big fan of matching lengths. So if you're going midi, have them all wear midi, or maxi, have them all wear maxi. I think this is really important key part of having a cohesive collection within your bridal party.

But overall, you just want them to feel comfortable and confident so planning ahead of time and making sure that there are key details that are matching throughout and they feel good about themselves and that they have the right coverage or they're wearing the color that matches their skin tone. You want to give them a good color palette to work with. So I think also if you are going the floral print route of mix and match within florals, picking that floral print first and then working into that color of the print and giving those options to your bridesmaids really helps and is a great place to start.

Leah Haslage:

I'm just really glad you brought the cohesiveness because a mentor of mine, Patrice Catan, I also produce her podcast, Tales from Behind the Veil with Patrice Catan. She always says, you're painting a picture. You get your look. and venue, and then when you add your bridal, your wedding party, it's like you're painting a picture and kind of going from there, and then you add your decor and everything else, but the cohesiveness is so important, because it's going to kind of look random in photos if not.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, exactly. That's why it's so important to kind of start with like a four to five color palette and making sure that you have some punchy colors or more brighter colors in that palette, but it's also grounded with some darker tones. So, you know, if you are going for a hot pink, um, a bright yellow and a chartreuse green, then you pair it down with a Navy or a black or something a little darker, dark red, maybe. Cause that will really make it cohesive and will be not so distracting when everyone's standing up there when choosing your colors.

Leah Haslage:

Do you think that season really plays a factor still in the colors and fabrics or does it kind of anything goes now?

Cher Irlandez:

I think that it definitely plays a part. I mean, of course, like flowy maxi dresses particularly work better in a beach setting, since you will get that lovely ocean breeze. Just giving you that drama through the photos. Lightweight chiffons, mesh, and organza, especially organza tensile, which is like a new fabrication that we're playing around with.

Not to get a little too technical, but it's something that we're going harder in our assortments, but it's basically kind of like a cross between like a satin and a chiffon, and it's so flowy. It's beautiful. There's so many beautiful colors and prints that are offered in this fabrication. So it's really easy to put together a collection. And then I think that for fall and winter fabrics with a little more structure outside of like satin chiffon, we have jacquards and a velvet, burnout floral velvets are so great.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, they're so pretty. Oh my gosh.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, and they're always in such beautiful colors. And we love having them for the fall and winter time because they come in moody, darker tones, like a wine, an emerald.

Leah Haslage:

Your navy blues. Oh, the navy blues are so pretty. It's so good.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes. So I highly suggest having those fabrications during the second half of the year. However, next spring, we will be introducing spring velvets into our collection, which is really exciting.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, interesting. Yeah. You never see velvet for spring.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah, and I think this is really great because it will add some more dimension and more, you won't have to be so closed in and just having your traditional fabrication.

Leah Haslage:

So will it be like a lighter form of velvet?

Cher Irlandez:

It will be, yes, a lighter form of velvet. And then these type of velvets will come in brighter pastels and floral burnouts. So it's absolutely stunning.

Leah Haslage:

So excited. Because you can use these also for other events in spring.

Cher Irlandez:

Oh, easily, easily. Wedding guests, all of those types of things.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah.

Cher Irlandez:

I stand by being able to wear something again.

Leah Haslage:

Me too. Well, so one of my Lulu dresses I wore for last year's Regional Emmy Awards and I wore it again for New Year's this past year. I just switched out the shoes, switched out the purses. Yeah, so easy. And it's a whole other vibe.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah, so easy to do.

Leah Haslage:

OK, so earlier you mentioned different outfit changes. You did it for your own. So talk about how Lulu's has these really great categories because they're really fun to look through.

Cher Irlandez:

It's it's so much fun. And I have to say, being on the team, like we really cater to all of the different events you'll be going through in this journey.

Leah Haslage:

You really do.

Cher Irlandez:

It's really not just your wedding and it's really not just the rehearsal dinner or whatever it may be. Don't forget your bridal shower, your bachelorette.

Leah Haslage:

Engagement photos.

Cher Irlandez:

Engagement photos, exactly. So it's part of the fun of just wedding planning is choosing all these different looks.

Leah Haslage:

Honeymoon.

Cher Irlandez:

Honeymoon, I know. There's just so many looks. It's so great that you can come to a place and have all of those looks available to you and you can actually shop by the look you're going for. So we have so many options that are curated for all of these events. And curating multiple looks allows you to express all the varied facets of your personality and alleviates the pressure of just you know choosing a single item and you're not in it's just all about, you know, your wedding dress it's not just about that there's all so many moments to be celebrated during this journey so why not feel really special in what you're wearing and just shop for all of those occasions.

Leah Haslage:

You know what, this is a really fun way to, circling back to the beginning of our conversation when we talked about trying to figure out your vibe for your day. Here's how you can incorporate other vibes: so, say you definitely decide to settle in on Victorian for your wedding. Here's where you can be trendy disco girl for your bachelorette, or you can be, you know, whatever else for your shower. You can do like chic, city, sophisticated, like whatever. You can be the different vibes that you feel with the different events.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, exactly. I couldn't have said it better. So I mean, I know for my own bachelorette, I did like a mob wife theme.

Leah Haslage:

Really?

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah. And so I did like a sexy, long white dress and big bows on the sides with large cutouts, which is, you know, that's not me all the time. I'm wearing a crew neck long sleeve sweater right now, so you would never expect that to be me. It was one of the fun themes at my bachelorette that I thought was so cute and so exciting. It's like, when are you going to be able to wear something a little fun and whimsy? This is such a great opportunity to play into it.

Leah Haslage:

Did you have the fur coat?

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, I did. I had the fur coat. Yes, I forgot. That's a big key item.

Leah Haslage:

That's a big key item of mob wife. How are your girls dressed then?

Cher Irlandez:

They did Leopard. There was so… what else were there? There were like two piece sets, a lot of sheerness, which was really great. I loved it. Everyone just did amazing.

Leah Haslage:

So were you out and about in LA where you're from?

Cher Irlandez:

We were actually in Palm Springs. We actually had, we had like kind of like a Real Housewives type of dinner, so we had a chef come to the house, we all dressed up for dinner, and then we were just enjoying each other's company, which was so fun.

Leah Haslage:

That's so fun, I love that.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah, and just being dressed up with your friends, and taking all the photos. These are photos I'm going to have for the rest of my life that I will, I actually just go back to sometimes, and I'm just like, I just love reliving that time.

Leah Haslage:

I love that. Tell us the condensed version, if you will, of your wedding day.

Cher Irlandez:

So I actually had a more micro wedding, and this is something I was going to talk about with you later, but something is that's a big trend is kind of having two weddings and where there is one wedding for friends and one wedding for family. Which I think is more of an untraditional route but it's actually very budget friendly and it allows you for more looks as well.

So I had a micro wedding of about 30 people for my friend wedding and that was actually in Vegas. I grew up there. Yeah, so we actually had it in the desert though. So I did a whole desert kind of vibe and yeah, I basically wore a two-piece set. I had a very long scarf instead of a veil. I did a long chiffon scarf that touched the floor. So that way in photos, instead of me wearing a veil, I had a long scarf that was like blowing in the wind.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, how beautiful.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah. My husband wore an all white suit that he got custom made and it was absolutely stunning. And then I actually had pieces from Lulu's that like my shoes, because they're so comfortable, we get them made here. So they're just, they're just so comfortable to wear. And then my accessories also.

Leah Haslage:

And then what was your family wedding?

Cher Irlandez:

My family wedding, I actually did the complete opposite. So my friend wedding, I went very sexy corseted bodice, form-fitting skirt. My family wedding, I actually wore a veil from Lulu's and then I wore a boat neck long sleeve sheath maxi dress with a very low open cowl back. And that was really nice. That was actually at my at my house. So we moved into our house about four years ago and I always pictured having a backyard wedding there, where I could celebrate with my close family and we could actually just celebrate in the home that we were starting our family in.

Leah Haslage:

I love it. Okay, so I know I kind of beat you to the point when it came to… so, choosing shoes, let's get to choosing shoes and accessories. Because you're saying Lulu shoes, which your shoes and accessories are awesome. So where should you go when choosing once you get your dress or your pantsuit or whatever vibe you go for?

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah, I mean, finding the right style and vibe to go with your dress is really hard because, like I said, start early with this because it can really put you in a tailspin if it doesn't work out. You want to make sure that you're not wearing chunky platforms or shoes that look too heavy with something that's flowy and less structured.

Those flowy chiffon dresses are easier maybe with a sandal or a kitten heel or something that's not so clunky to weigh down the dress. I think considering the length of your dress as well, if you're wearing a shorter dress, your shoes can be a little more like modern elegance and they can be a little more simpler and you can actually go for a higher heel, things like that. And also we've been seeing metallics as a neutral. That's something that we're seeing give a little extra shine. Shoes make such a great alternative to something classic white for the bride.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, you can do colorful shoes. A lot of people do like the something blue, like very Carrie Bradshaw. I had done purple when I had gotten married.

Cher Irlandez:

Oh, that was so cool. I love that.

Leah Haslage:

It was my favorite color, so I'm like, why not? Yeah.

Cher Irlandez:

Hell yeah. Just go for it, you know? That brings me to my other point. Just don't be afraid of color. If that's your vibe, go for it. Don't feel scared to just always, you know, have to wear the traditional white all the way through. It's something that you can you can play around with. It's your day. Make sure that you feel good with what you're wearing.

Leah Haslage:

And with that, and also kind of back to your friend wedding, how do you make things more unique for yourself?

Cher Irlandez:

That is a great question. I think just making sure… Okay so for myself, I wanted to make sure that I had something that felt more custom to me, I actually had a custom corset done. Because I wanted the two-piece set and I wanted to be able to wear the top again, and that was so important to me and I can't keep voicing that as being able to wear something again. If that's important to you, this is a great way to just kind of make sure that you have something a little more custom to your actual outfit. And that could also even just go through alterations itself. But having something, a custom bodice, was something that was a little different outside of the traditional route.

Oh, and also just if you don't want to wear the traditional veil, you can also do the long scarf like I did. We actually are bringing that in for our new bridal assortment as well. Yeah, so that was actually really exciting. We're going to have the long scarf you can actually purchase on our site to kind of make it different. And I think that's always so fun.

Leah Haslage:

And there's headpieces too. You guys have a lot of great headpieces. Headbands, clips. Purses.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, there's so many things. The clips are so cute. The little clutches. Pearl. We have a lot of pearl details within our bridal accessories. So there's so many elements and embellishments that you can play with to kind of not look so traditional and have so much more fun and play with the hair.

Leah Haslage:

And you can re-wear them again. Yes, that's the best part. You know? So let's go to guests because we talked about how a lot of these offerings on the website are if you're a guest at a wedding, right? Or any event, like I told you I've worn for mine. Should you tell your guests what to wear?

Cher Irlandez:

I personally, and I think this is different for every bride, but I just told my guests like, you know, it's in the desert. I want it still formal, but I want everyone to look sexy and confident with what they're wearing. So have those elements in mind.

But I have seen this as a big trend of giving your wedding guests a color palette and it could be really cool to kind of, um, have, but it's a personal preference. But assigning a color palette looks so beautiful through photos. I personally went to a wedding in Miami that was an all-white wedding, so it wasn't just the bride and groom. Everyone wore white. I purchased my white dress on Lulu's because we offer so much white.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, you do. It's great.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, it's basically her favorite color. I thought at first, I was like, oh, this is interesting. I would imagine the bride would want to just be the only one in white. But looking back through those photos, it was stunning. It just makes everything look so aesthetically pleasing. The Miami background with everyone wearing white just looks so elevated and beautiful. So that is something that you could consider if you are trying something new and want to kind of just go a little bit outside of the box.

Leah Haslage:

So I've seen occasionally like the color palette thing. The other day I was talking to a woman that works at Cleveland Magazine and she was invited to a wedding and they gave specific instructions like you have to only wear this kind of linen suit if you're a guy and women have to wear this exact X, Y, and Z like to the point where you have to buy a whole new outfit even if you didn't want to. And I've never heard of it that specific unless it's been a Halloween costume party thing. I'm like, is that trending? And I was not aware of it because I had never seen that. Have you seen that extreme?

Cher Irlandez:

I haven't seen that extreme as of yet, but I have heard of that type of trend happening. I think what's really cool is that on our site, you can actually filter to all of those things and find it by fabrication and color. And not to sound sales, like a salesperson or anything, but it is really easy. So we do keep that in mind.

I understand where they're coming from because having that uniform look is, it'll be so memorable. But yeah, I think it's a tough ask sometimes, but I think when you're doing more of a micro wedding, you can actually kind of pull it off and it could look really beautiful.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, micro wedding’s a little bit easier. Do you think the rise of Instagram and content creators being involved in weddings has given a rise to this? Okay, let's focus more on what the guests are wearing now too.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, I agree.

Leah Haslage:

Not just a wedding party.

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, I agree. I think that it's growing in such a larger way. I mean, we are definitely seeing it on our side and definitely you know, buying into that and making sure we have those offerings because wedding guests is very important. And I myself struggle so much trying to find the perfect look and making sure I’m not just looking like for the solid dress and, you know, something that everyone else is wearing. I'm looking for something different, a really playful print. And sometimes I'll go a little more abstract or watercolor floral. And I think, You know, it's it's keeping all of those things in mind and having buying and developing into that into our assortment. You'll see it. You'll see so many options of that on our site.

Leah Haslage:

And you want to match the vibe of the venue to even if they just say like cocktail or semi-formal. You know, you're going to a museum. It's going to be a different look or vibe that you might wear compared to just a hotel ballroom or a restaurant, you know? It's all a different vibe. They all might say cocktail or semi-formal, but they all could be a different look.

Cher Irlandez:

Yeah. And you know what? I think in those terms too, I think when you give the location and the place ahead of time and giving them more time to kind of feed into it. And if you are concerned about, you know, coming across demanding or controlling and, you know, wanting this certain aesthetic for your wedding guests, I think it's easier to say, like, if it is in a museum, you can do something more of a dusty color palette and giving, and like you give your bridal party, you can actually request shades of certain colors. So that way there's a little more leeway with your guests. And that way it's like… let’s say it is a dusty color palette, you can do a dusty blue, a mauve, and then kind of really pare it down with a darker color, with like a purple, a wine, a burgundy. That way, it really accentuates the venue, and then all of the guests can look more cohesive with each other, and it really will just look absolutely stunning through those photos.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, that's such a great tip. What kind of gifts do you recommend giving to your bridal party? What did you give yours?

Cher Irlandez:

I gave my bridal party a little boat tote bag. Because I wanted, and this really comes back to, because I'm such an advocate of being able to wear items again, I wanted to give them something that they would wear or use all the time. So I gave them a little boat tote bag with their initial embroidered on them.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, that's so great.

Cher Irlandez:

And it's so fun because I actually, when I see my friends all the time, they're carrying the little tote bag and it's so cute. It makes me so happy. So that was just something I didn't want them to feel forced with, like, you know, a certain jewelry item or something like that. I wanted something more wearable and every day that they could use.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah. So since you just have been through the trenches, what's your number one do and your number one don't for people planning right now?

Cher Irlandez:

Going back to the do's and don'ts, my top two is just keep an open mind. It's really, you will surprise yourself in so many ways of just, I honestly didn't picture myself ending up in the wedding outfit that I ended up wearing because I don't, well, first of all, I think I didn't, I think I was picturing something a little more minimal and I actually went very sexy and I did more of a showy piece and had more skin showing. And I did a high slit skirt, which was, I was really surprised with myself, but I look back on it and I'm so happy I went that route and saved all the images and made sure that I was keeping those items open so that I could come back to it and make sure that that was the right item that I was looking for.

And then as far as don'ts, like I said, it's just don't wait too long. Don't wait for that out of stock. notification because it will break your heart into pieces. And my own personal experience was with shoes. And I actually like, this is Lulu's comes to the rescue again. I bought my shoes from Lulu's because we have such a great assortment. The original shoes I was looking for out of stock. I was completely heartbroken. I went into a full tailspin looking for the same exact shoes and it was really hard. So I highly suggest don't wait to make that decision.

Leah Haslage:

Those are great tips. So final fun question I like to ask at the end. What is your all time favorite celebrity and or royal wedding?

Cher Irlandez:

OK, so this is a person that actually inspired me for my wedding. So I'm going to go that route. OK. So Alex Cooper from Call Her Daddy. Yeah. Her wedding was a pinnacle of my inspiration for my own wedding. So I thought that would be really fun to talk about because she actually did different looks. And they were all so different from each other. And that kind of inspired me to kind of be very playful in what to wear. Because I was like, I don't have to be this minimal person throughout all of my looks. And she also convinced me to do a first, second, and third look. And the corset piece that she had with the long skirt inspired my look as well. So I thought having the mix of elegance and sexy was important to me during my wedding day. And I really encourage other brides to explore that because you don't have to just be one trend or one profile. You can definitely have so many different looks and still be you.

Leah Haslage:

I love that. Thank you so much, Cher. How can we learn more about you and Lulus?

Cher Irlandez:

Yes, head to lulus.com or lulus.com/bridal for our weddings and just shop everything Lulus from like your cardigan, you can actually get, you can get everyday wear and special event wear all in one place. Also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at Lulus, and you can find so much great content there as well.

Leah Haslage:

Thanks so much, Cher. It was such a joy to have you.

Cher Irlandez:

Thank you so much.

Leah Haslage:

Thanks for joining us today! Be sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts so you never miss an episode. Give us a follow on social media and visit thebridechilla.com. To leave a question you'd like to hear answered on the show, head to speakpipe.com/bridechillapodcast, also linked in the description.

Bridechilla is a production of Evergreen Podcasts. Thanks to our producer and engineer, Gray Sienna Longfellow, and our executive producers, Brigid Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. And of course, a special thanks to Aleisha, our OG bridechilla, and Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting. I'm your host, Leah Haslage. Until next time, Chillas!

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