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he feeling of a soft-lit fairytale finds its place in the nooks and crannies of every ceremonial union – suspended in the strands of glowing lights, wrapped in the aroma of fresh blooms, displayed in the wide smiles and happy tears. A bride dreams about those moments and, in every flash of that fantasy, she is adorned in the most resplendent gown imaginable, the perfect dress. That fantastical gown can, in fact, be found at Perfect Dress of Rome (2013 Shorter Ave.) Owner Alison Smith and her bridal consultants welcome their brides-to-be into a space that is solely focused on their satisfaction and their special day. “We encourage appointments,” Smith says. “That way, we are prepared and we have a consultant prepared to help our clients every step of the way.” Smith understands that picking out a wedding dress can be overwhelming for a bride; the picture that she fell in love with may not be the best fit for her. “It really helps to have
Alison Smith
GOWNS & Grooms
PERFECT DRESS OF ROME
a person there who really listens to the bride and also knows what looks good on what body type,” she explains. Consultants at Perfect Dress cater to what the bride likes most, but are also able to pick out dresses that expand the bride’s possibilities, styles she may not have considered. Smith and her consultants put great emphasis on knowing their clients, so they aren’t just there to make a sale. They want their brides to fall in love with their choice. Whether a bride needs to try on three dresses or 30, the staff at Perfect Dress stands by until their bride is satisfied. “My biggest thing is to listen,” Smith smiles. “A bride may not even realize they’re telling us, but we pay attention to how they react to each dress, and then we go and pull from our inventory. Probably 85 percent of the time, we pull the dress that they buy just from listening to them.” As a full-service bridal boutique, Perfect Dress can outfit everyone in the wedding party, including mothers and fathers. When the time comes to accessorize, look no further because Smith also carries a sparkling stock of hairpieces, veils and jewelry. “We’re with them from beginning to end, so the dress, bridesmaids, tuxedos and even preservation after the ceremony … we can take care of it,” she says. As a 5-year-old little girl, Smith knew that she would one day own this very boutique and, since 2010, when she finally purchased the shop
from her aunt, Reesa Milton, business has treated her well. In July, Perfect Dress will switch places with Milton’s Perfect Home. Being that the two shops are conjoined in the same complex, the move won’t take her far, nor will it change her address. The move will, however, lend Smith a lot more space. “I’ll be going from four dressing rooms to 13 dressing rooms,” she says. “To my knowledge, we’ll be the largest local [bridal boutique] in the triangle of Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama.” With at least eight different lines of fashion-forward wedding gowns to choose from, including Essense of Australia, Mori Lee and Sweetheart, every dress in the shop is different. “I usually keep 200 different styles of dresses,” Smith says. “And then, of course, all of those can be customized. So, you’re talking about thousands of different options.” Having dressed brides from California to Maine, Smith goes above and beyond to keep her stock of dreamland dresses as fresh as possible and always in line with fashion trends, and since she spends roughly a year with each client, the wedding day is sometimes a tear jerker even for her. V VV
Visit perfectdressofrome.com or call 706-234-5532 to request an appointment.