The J&B Team...Meet Taryn!

Taryn's story is such a fun one! About a year ago we received a phone call from a guidance counselor at Greencastle Area High School telling us that there was a senior in the school named Taryn who was interested in pursuing a career in fashion.  She asked if Taryn could spend a few hours with us doing some shadowing, and exploring what this side of the fashion industry was all about.  We were happy to have her spend a day with us in December, and in January we were thrilled to have her join our team!  Taryn started helping us part-time, with her main job being to help us keep the dresses in order and put them back on the rack after they had been tried on.  She has really blossomed and now is working many hours on our tuxedo side!  She does a great job in the back room on the production side, and also on the sales side, working with tuxedo parties.  Taryn is great at making people feel at home at J&B, with her warm smile and friendly attitude.  She is awesome at hemming tuxedo pants too!  :)  We are so excited that during this upcoming prom season she will add "prom consultant" to her job description!  Taryn can't wait to begin her journey on the prom side in a few months, helping prom girls find their dream dress!

Taryn has many things that she loves about being at J&B.  She says, "I love being able to see all of the new dresses we get in, whether they are bridesmaids, wedding gowns, or prom dresses.  I also love peeking on the brides when they have their dresses on and seeing their faces light up when they find their perfect gown!  I love working with the tuxedo parties and helping them find their perfect styles to match their needs.  And I most definitely love my co-workers and bosses.  Everyone works so hard and they are like a second family to me."

One piece of advice that Taryn would give to her prom girls and tuxedo parties is this..."Please do not stress yourself out!  All of the consultants here work their hardest to satisfy your needs.  We're here to help, so let us!"

When Taryn is not at J&B, she loves sketching up dress designs, inspired by some of the designers J&B carries.  She also loves shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.

We love having Taryn on the J&B Team!

The J&B Team...Meet Carissa!

Carissa's experience with brides started years before she joined the J&B Team!  The first exposure she had in working with weddings was in the 90's when she worked as an assistant and a makeup artist at Wilma's Photography in Greencastle.  She had the opportunity to travel to weddings with Wilma and also worked closely at times with the brides and grooms and loved it!  She also has recently worked in the catering industry, co-owning her own restaurant and catering business.

Carissa has been at J&B since March 2011.  Her love for people truly shines when she is working with her brides and prom girls.  You only need to spend a few minutes with Carissa to realize that she is a very genuine, caring person, and she treats her brides and prom girls as if they were one of her own friends or family members.  She has such a wonderful way of making her brides feel calm and relaxed, and she knows just the way to make wedding dress shopping an effortless experience!  One bride recently commented on how great Carissa was to work with.  She said, "She was so patient with me while I was so indecisive!"  She is also extremely honest, and she does a great job at steering her brides in the right direction, and giving them options of gowns that will look great on them!  Her brides love the one-on-one attention she gives them, paying attention to every little detail!

When asked what her favorite thing is about being at J&B she says that she truly enjoys hearing each bride's personal story and helping them discover the gown they are looking for.  She loves having the opportunity to take the ideas of what a bride wants and bring that to reality.  She says "I feel very honored to be a part of that special moment."

Carissa has some very important advice she would like to give her brides when it comes to planning their wedding.  She says, "Enjoy the journey!  It's so easy to get caught up in all the details and miss the opportunity to cherish the moments.  Although I love all the planning aspects of the wedding, the most important part is the people...especially the one you've chosen to spend a lifetime with.  So after the perfect gown, and the beautiful wedding, my challenge is for you to invest some of your previous planning time preparing for your 'happily ever after'."

Carissa has a wonderful husband and three terriffic kids.  When she is not at J&B, you can often find her boating or relaxing by the pool with her family.  She enjoys hosting events and get-togethers at her home!  Carissa homeschools her kids and also counsels part-time.  She is a busy woman!

We are so thankful to have Carissa on the wonderful J&B Team!

The J&B Team...Meet Jackie!

Jackie grew up in the Bridal Business with her younger sister and always seemed to have a passion for all of those "white" garments she would become so familiar with.   As a little girl Jackie and her sister Jami would travel to market with Jim and Barb in New York City, and they would fill out their own order of gowns and get to know many of the individuals that they now deal with on a daily basis.  Growing up in the Bridal Business was one filled with modeling flower girl dresses, helping on the floor, and in fact doing anything that needed done to help Mom and Dad run the business. It is often mentioned that she started in a playpen in the back corner of the store (she probably gets tired of that story)  :)  Jackie graduated from Liberty University in 2000 and brought her marketing talents not to mention her incredible rapport with her brides to the business.  Jackie is the "voice" behind the J & B radio commercials.  Her voice has become the signature of our Radio Marketing campaigns.

Here's what one bride had to say about her experience with Jackie  "Best experience EVER! Jackie was amazing and helped me to find the perfect gown on my first visit!"

When asked what her favorite thing is about being at J&B, Jackie says..."The best part is definitely the relationships that I form with my brides.  There is something very special and rewarding for me to be a part of that moment when a bride finds "the" dress.  Many times I find myself tearing up along with the bride and her family when she finds the one!  It is such an honor to be a part of such an important moment in someone's life!"  Jackie's memory enables her to remember her brides years after the event!  This obviously comes from such a passion for what she does. 

One piece of advice that Jackie would give to her brides is to relax, and enjoy the excitement of planning your wedding!  Try not to get hung up on the little things that may not go as planned, but keep in mind that once the wedding is all over, the best part is that you get to experience life with your best friend!

When Jackie is not at J&B, she loves spending time with her husband, and her 2 daughters, ages 2 and 4.  You can often find her playing with her kids at Monkey Joe's, or at the play area at Chick-fil-a! She also loves traveling, especially to beautiful beaches!

Its such a blessing to have Jackie with us at J & B. She is truly part of the team that creates what we call "The J & B Difference"

The J&B Team...Meet Jami!

The next member of our team that we are introducing you to is Jami!  Jim and Barb (the owners) have two daughters who both work in the business, and Jami is the youngest of the two.  Jami grew up surrounded by the bridal business, and even though she appreciated it, she had thought all of her life that bridal was just not for her!  After high school Jami attended Liberty University where she majored in Youth Ministry. After she graduated from Liberty, she spent 2 years living in the Orlando, FL area working with Campus Crusade for Christ where she worked closely with high school students.  She loved it, but after 2 years she had a change of heart and wanted to join the family business!  Jami has been happily at J&B since May 2007, and we are so glad to have her!

Jami got married 2 years ago on the Caribbean island of St Kitts, so she is a great resource for brides who are planning destination weddings!  She can give you lots of tips and advice when traveling with your wedding gown, getting married out of the country, etc.

Jami loves working with both brides and prom girls!  Brides love working with Jami because of her fun, yet patient, demeanor.  One bride recently reviewed J&B on Wedding Wire and wrote "Jami was amazing!  I came into the shop looking for a specific dress - put it on and hated it...Jami spent the next 4 hours putting me in and out of what seemed like every dress in the store!  Finally, about 1/2 hour past closing time, we finally made a decision!  They never made me feel rushed or like I was 'just another customer' - without a doubt worth the trip from Baltimore!"

Jami says that her favorite part of working with brides is building friendships with them and helping them to make their wedding day everything they envisioned it to be.

One piece of advice she would like to give her brides is to enjoy every minute of the planning, and of the big day, because it goes by so quickly!

When Jami is not at J&B, she loves running!  In fact, she is training right now for a 1/2 marathon in October!  Go Jami!  :)  Jami also loves pugs!  She has one of her own, named Coco.  Together with her husband they have 2 dogs, and she loves spending time at home with all of them!

We love having Jami on the J&B Team!

Jami's sweet dog, Coco Chanel :)

The J&B Team...Meet Amy!

We love Amy's "J&B history" because it all started back in 1991 when she was a "J&B Bride" herself!  Amy purchased her wedding gown from J&B 21 years ago, had a great experience, and worked as a bridal consultant at J&B in 1995 and 1996.  She left for a short period after having her second child, and we were happy to welcome her back to J&B in December of 1999.  Amy has been at J&B ever since!

Amy can relate to her customers in all areas of their lives.  She has one daughter who is in college, one who is in high school, and a son who is in kingergarten!  Whether she is working with brides, mothers of the bride, or prom girls, she knows what they are going through.  She can relate!

When Amy is working with a bride, she is 100% focused!  :)  You can guarantee that she will not stop until she finds the perfect dress for her bride.  Amy also knows how to have a good time!  Many times you can hear her contagious laugh throughout the building as she is working with her brides and prom girls!  She also loves accessorizing and is fantastic at finding just the right veil, jewelry, and shoes to go with a dress.

In a recent review on Wedding Wire, one bride wrote: "I was a walk-in customer just wanting to browse.  Amy scooped me up right away and took complete care of me. The consultation she gave me was one of a kind (not like with other places I had been to with an appointment). They have fantastic gowns and really listen to the bride when she sets a budget. Amy even gave me a full head-to-toe dressing including jewelry and a veil."

In addition to helping her brides find the perfect gown, her favorite thing about being a bridal consultant at J&B is the strong relationships she builds with her brides and their families.

One piece of advice that Amy would give to her brides is "Once you find the perfect wedding gown, don't confuse yourself by continuing to look!"

When Amy is not at J&B, she enjoys spending time with her family.  In addition, she is a big fan of natural disaster movies and old TV show reruns, especially the show "Friends"! 

We love having Amy as part of the J&B Team!

The "First Look" - Is it for You?

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There are hundreds of special moments on a bride and groom's wedding day.  However, the one moment that the bride has most likely been dreaming about more than any other is the moment when her groom sees her on their wedding day for the very first time.  As tradition has it, the bride and groom are to stay separated  on the day of the wedding until the bride takes those first steps down the aisle.  Although that is the tradition, many brides are choosing to abandon that tradition and see their groom during a "first look" before the ceremony!  If this is something that you are considering, here are some reasons why you may be persuaded to see each other before the ceremony.

Awesome photographs!
The number one reason why most brides choose to see each other before the wedding is because of the amazing photographs they are able to get!  Many photographers love doing a "first look" because it allows them to capture moments of the bride, groom, and wedding party all together in a setting other than the church sanctuary or wherever the ceremony will be.  It is pretty common for the wedding party to travel a short distance to a nearby park or field to take photographs together.

It gives the bride and groom a few moments of privacy during the hectic day.
On their wedding day, the bride and groom are sharing all of their special moments with their guests.  As wonderful as that is, the "first look" gives the bride and groom a few moments of privacy with each other on their special day.  Usually the photographer will have the bride waiting alone in a private location, and then will bring the groom to meet her.  They are able to have their time together, while the photographer discreetly can capture photos of their special time alone together.  Many times this private meeting of the bride and groom can calm nerves and allow the bride and groom to be able to relax and enjoy their day even more!

Less wait time for the guests between the ceremony and reception
We all have been to weddings where we have had to wait for what seemed like an eternity for the wedding party to arrive at the reception to get the party started!  No one enjoys waiting for long periods of time, and so the "first look" is a great way to cut down on that wait time.  Since a large majority of the photographs will be taken before the wedding even takes place, the photographer will just take a few quick shots with family and friends after the ceremony and then everyone will be off to the reception in no time!

It's fun!
The "first look" tends to get the party started early!  The bride, groom, bridesmaids, and groomsmen can spend all day together enjoying each other's company instead of having to wait until the reception!  These times can be just as fun as the time at the reception.

Is it for you?
Of course only you can decide if seeing each other before the wedding is right for you.  Talk to your photographer and  your fiance and decide what is right for you.  There is no right or wrong.  If you decide that you want to save that special  moment for the traditional walk down the aisle, then that's the right choice for you!  Go with it and embrace it.  However, after talking to your photographer if you want to give the "first look" a try, then go for it and have a blast!

Accessorize with a Belt!

At J&B, one of our favorite things to do is accessorize wedding gowns with belts! We find that sometimes all it takes is the right belt to make your wedding dress yours!

We love belts for lots of reasons. A belt is a great way to allow you to be creative and make your gown unique! Once you add a belt to your wedding gown, you have a gown that has your own personal touch on it.  In a lot of cases, a belt also equals an instant hourglass figure!  Many times, a belt will draw attention to the waist as the main feature, and is very flattering to the figure.

Keep in mind that many belts are a separate accessory and may need to be ordered separately from your wedding gown. If you choose a wedding gown that does not come with a belt and you want to add one, our consultants at J&B can help you find the perfect belt within your budget. J&B has a large selection of belts, in a variety of colors, styles, and prices.  Also, if you are wearing a belt with a gown that has a corset (lace up) back, you may want to consider having your seamstress sew it into the dress. It is perfectly fine to wear the belt tied in a bow in the back, but if you really want to show off the corset, having the belt sewn in is a great option. Another fun idea to consider with your belt is to wear one belt for your ceremony and a different one for your reception! We have had brides wear the traditional white or ivory belt during the formality of their ceremony, and then switch to a black or different colored belt for the reception! What a fun idea, and it may feel like you're wearing two different dresses!

Check out this gown below, with and without the belt.  What do you think?

Without a belt

With a belt

A closer look at the belt we added to the dress above, available at J&B

A belt works with a lot of wedding gowns, but not all.  Speak with  your bridal consultant at J&B if you are considering adding a belt to your wedding gown!  She will let you know if it is right for your dress!