En vogue: Model weddings

Bridal shop owner sticks to runways when selecting attire

photos by Marlene karas/viewClockwise from top, shoes are displayed inside of Dolce Bride, 9420 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 102. Wedding gowns hang inside the showroom of the store. Store owner Sherry Lynn Prokopetz fixes one of the shop?s gowns, which are acquired directly from fashion runways. photos by Marlene karas/viewClockwise from top, shoes are displayed inside of Dolce Bride, 9420 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 102. Wedding gowns hang inside the showroom of the store. Store owner Sherry Lynn Prokopetz fixes one of the shop?s gowns, which are acquired directly from fashion runways. Advertisement

April Johnson, a teacher, plans to get married in August and searched for her wedding gown months before the big day.

"All the stores I went to, I kept seeing the same gown everywhere I went," she said.

She found what she was looking for at Dolce Bride.

"When I put it on, I went, "That's it, I'm done looking,' " she said.

When store owner Sherry Lynn Prokopetz wants the latest styles in wedding gowns for her shop, she pulls them straight from runway shows.

Her inventory at the business, located at 9420 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 102, includes everything from cutting-edge drama wedding gowns to the latest updates on traditionally elegant styles.

"If you can't find it here, good luck," Prokopetz said.

The 1,600-square-foot shop sets the scene with three 51/2-foot-tall chandeliers drippings with crystals and a set of antique chests and walls painted in "bridal pink."

Little Bo Peep elements add to the ambience. Body forms are dressed in styles and arranged along a winding trail ending at the VIP dressing room.

Dolce Bride also offers distinctive dresses and gowns for special events, such as private parties and proms.

"What I like best about my job is the eclectic mix of people," Prokopetz said. "It's a happy business. It's very fulfilling."

The Village Square Shopping Center location allows Prokopetz to reach the Summerlin market -- the majority of her clients are Las Vegans -- without sacrificing business from the Strip, she said.

She has agreements with Wynn Las Vegas and Bellagio to be on their referrals list, she said. Party dresses and gowns start at about $700 and go up to roughly $3,800.

"We're in Summerlin, but the prices are not what you'd expect in Summerlin," said Sherry Gagliano, a gown consultant at the store.

In preparation for her wedding this September, Angelina Polichio, owner of Haute Salon, 5900 W. Charleston Blvd., traveled to Beverly Hills to search for a wedding dress.

"I must have tried on 35 dresses that day," she said. "When I walked into Dolce, I could tell it was where I was going to find what would work for me. Everything was current, not one of those dusty places with (dry cleaner) bags over everything."

Polichio bought a Winnie Lee design that was a fashionable update on a traditional design.

Prokopetz came to Las Vegas from Southern California, where she spent 18 years as a wedding coordinator for Pacific Avalon, out of Newport Beach. The high-end weddings were held aboard the company's five yachts.

These days, Prokopetz travels to Chicago and New York twice a year to attend designer shows, she said.

Every few months, she hosts a trunk show at the shop, complete with a fashion show and flowing champagne. The trunk shows bring in plenty of attendees to mingle among the fashions. For more information on Dolce Bride, visit www.dolcebride.com.