Bridal salon hosts contest
COSTA MESA — For 12 lucky brides, this holiday season will not be about what their true love gave to them, but what they received from Mon Amie Bridal Salon.
The 35-year-old, family-run Costa Mesa store has partnered with Robbins Brothers to give 12 brides a $1,500 Mon Amie gift certificate for finding their dream wedding dress and accessories.
“A lot of girls dream about their perfect wedding — not all girls, but some definitely do,” said co-owner Diane Flatten. “It’s the one day that they can be everything, the one day that they can really shine.”
Brides can enter the contest though Dec. 15 by visiting any of the 12 Robbins Brothers stores — the closest ones being in Fullerton and Mission Viejo — and submitting a short description of their ideal dress.
Winners will be notified by Dec. 20, according to the sweepstakes rules on the Robbins Brothers’ website.
This is not the first time Mon Amie has given wedding dresses to brides. Last month, 42 servicewomen walked away with their dream dresses as part of the salon’s annual Military Bridal Gown Giveaway.
“It all started with my mother’s philosophy,” Flatten said. “She would not let a gown out of here if it was not absolutely perfect for a bride. It’s about caring for and respecting people.”
Flatten’s mother, Verna Huson, opened Mon Amie more than three decades ago following the engagements of her two daughters, including Flatten’s engagement to her husband, Michael Flatten.
The store — now 20,000 square feet with more than 3,000 dresses organized in mini “boutiques” — was much smaller then, Flatten said.
“The dresses were simpler back then, and there was not as much to choose from,” Flatten said of planning her 1976 wedding. “Now, there are so many options for girls and in every style you can think of.”
The salon carries dresses that range from below $1,000 to about $15,000, and from acclaimed designers such as Lazaro, Alvina Valenta, Jim Hjelm and Augusta Jones.
While there are no swans-a-swimming or pipers piping, the store has about everything else the bride and her female entourage need, Flatten said.
“It’s a really, really fun experience,” she said. “All of our customers are really happy. We are a drama-free salon.”
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