For our first edition of Brides We Love, we chose feisty and fashion-forward bride Jen Sherwin. Jen’s description of her autumn wedding at her family’s St. Helena vineyard made us swoon with envy! The Sherwin Family Vineyards sits at 2200 ft elevation atop a lush green vine-covered mountain and overlooks the heart of Napa Valley. Her vision is to transform the mountain into a magical fairy tale while harnessing the natural and organic beauty of the setting. For her bridal gown, Jen wanted something young, fun and very chic. She knew that she wanted to look and feel amazing, but she wanted something more than that- a spectacular and unforgettable gown! Jen was so fun to work with, and has such a fantastic sense of personal style, that we sat down with her to get a real bride’s perspective on shopping for a bridal gown.
Haute Bride: How did you know when you found “the dress”?
Jen Sherwin: I had no idea how I would know what “the dress” would feel like until I wasn’t wearing it anymore! Kay, the name of the dress I ended up choosing, was the dress that I continuously wanted to try on again. When I was wearing another dress, I was still thinki
ng about Kay. While I had it on, I didn’t feel like a traditional, dime a dozen bride- I felt trendy but organic, and it was still traditional enough that I felt like a bride. I could picture the train of the dress slipping over the pebbles in the vineyards. That’s when I knew! I turned to my mom and said, “This is it! I don’t want to try on anything else!” And Lindsie (the owner of Haute Bride) popped a bottle of champagne and I drank my first alcoholic beverage in my dress. Yep, right there in Haute Bride!
HB: How did you choose the bridal salons that you visited?
JS: I have to hand it to her, my mother is a fashion queen. She printed out a list of the top 5 bridal salons listed online in San Francisco. Haute Bride was the first salon I visited, so it was almost impossible to rate the rest of the salons, because Haute Bride was so personal and had the most unique dresses. They were willing to work with me on any style or custom change.
HB: What advice would you give to brides just starting their bridal shopping?
JS: First of all, book your appointments months ahead of time if your wedding is between the months of June and October. It’s busy out there starting in January! I would never have been able to give this advice 5 months ago, but my advice is that you don’t have to visit 50 stores to find your dress or your designer. You just have to visit the RIGHT salons, keep in mind to compare it to others, and if it’s the right dress for you, you’ll be back there buying your dress faster than you think! You can’t tell what’s really good until you walk away from it for a few minutes, THEN you realize how good it was! Just like men!
Thanks so much to Jen for sharing her story and advice with us!
ng about Kay. While I had it on, I didn’t feel like a traditional, dime a dozen bride- I felt trendy but organic, and it was still traditional enough that I felt like a bride. I could picture the train of the dress slipping over the pebbles in the vineyards. That’s when I knew! I turned to my mom and said, “This is it! I don’t want to try on anything else!” And Lindsie (the owner of Haute Bride) popped a bottle of champagne and I drank my first alcoholic beverage in my dress. Yep, right there in Haute Bride! 
