D’Plazzo Wedding Styles
A bride-to-be is often full of dreams about her wedding and the life ahead of her. Helping to start her dreams toward reality is D’Plazzo Wedding Styles.
Plazzo is the Italian word for palace, and D’Plazzo means daughter of the palace. The words evoke such images as princess for a day or a bride approaching the groom in a royal gown. That’s the vision that owners Saundra Lee and Debra Sanders turned into a business.
The goal of D’Plazzo Wedding Styles is to interpret the dream of a bride and make it a reality. The company’s creations are never a copy, but custom-made for perfect form and fit. Each piece is handcrafted from the finest materials in the world ordered from New York or Europe.
The process is simple. A future bride brings ideas and wishes to an initial consultation. The designer takes that vision and prays for inspiration. After scores of preliminary sketches, she creates paintings of the top few dresses and selects fabrics to go with the designs. On the second consultation, the designs are displayed and a favorite dress chosen. Alterations are discussed until the perfect design is completed. A seamstress takes measurements. Later, the first fitting is in a mock muslin dress. More adjustments are made. The final dress is considered a work of art, composed and sculpted for the bride. That’s why it takes four to six months to create.
Lee and Sanders became partners after meeting several years ago at work. Both are married and live in Edmond. “It’s fun to be a part of making a girl so happy,” Lee said. “I like getting to know each one and be a part of something so important. We want each bride to feel like a princess, like royalty.”
The fabric, as much as the gown, reflects individuality. “Silk is the most sought-after wedding dress material,” Sanders said. “It exudes an innate quality of refinement and elegance.” Lace, tucks and beads on fabric that clings to the body also add an air of luxury and romance.
“Brides who wear our dresses feel completely confident in themselves,” Sanders said. She started working in public relations in 1991 for an airline and then went to Sabolich’s before starting her own company. She was also the national communications director for a non-profit organization for five years.
Lee is the wedding dress designer of the team. Two years ago, she designed her own flowing wedding dress, but that was not her first creation. As a small girl, she would go to fabric stores to help her mother choose patterns and material, making changes and suggestions to come up with something innovative.
Majoring in interior design at the top of her class at Oklahoma Christian College, Lee has been designing since 1998. She has experience specifically in fabrics and textiles. She studied in Europe and South America and has attended trade shows in Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt and Shanghai. Lee’s designs have been featured in Neiman Marcus, Horchow, In-Style Weddings and have been produced internationally. Her bridal collection is found exclusively at D’Plazzo.
Prices for designer wedding dresses begin at $1,800. Lee and Sanders try to keep the costs down by working out of their homes.
“I enjoy creating something original and exclusive. God is the ultimate creator. If I can create a little bit of inspiration, it’s an honorable thing to do,” said Lee, whose line of dresses is called the Diffusion Line.
D’Plazzo also offers accessories, Sanders said. They include bride T-shirts, chenille robes, jewelry and a towel wrap.
Another special touch at D’Plazzo is that the bride receives a Saundra Lee hand-painted artwork of her wedding gown. Individualized thank-you notes printed with the art also are available.
Lee and Sanders have a heart for giving. A portion of the proceeds from their company goes to Vine Life Ministries, a local Christian counseling organization, and Hearts and Hands International, an Edmond ministry that has begun orphanages in China, Africa and India.
An Edmond Bridal Association has recently been established and the first bridal event in Edmond is planned for November. D’Plazzo will be there.
E-mail the women at Saundra@dplazzo.com or Debra@dplazzo.com. Visit the D’Plazzo Wedding Styles website at www.dplazzo.com or call 401-8994 to schedule a consultation.
