Tarryn Laing - Takapuna/Symonds Street

How long have you worked at Astra Bridal?

I started doing  in May 2009 full time and have continued part time as I am now at university.  Before Astra I worked at a venue for five years and we hosted many weddings.  I also am often modelling in the fashion parades for the charity events.

What is your passion?

Customer service.  Having a bride open up to me and talk to me like I am a friend, which makes for a relaxing consultation.  I also love offering advice to brides from my years of helping on the day with weddings.

What is your most memorable moment with a bride?

There was a bride who came in for her final fitting, once the gown was on she kept picking at things and she was not happy to say the least and burst into tears. When asked what was wrong she exclaimed she hated the gown and only chose it because her sister told her to get it and that she didn’t have to love her gown. It was so amazing to see how Astra handled the situation and let her choose any dress she wanted from our rack. She was then married the following week and couldn’t thank us enough. She looked amazing!

What advice would you give to brides that are starting the bridal process?

The biggest and most important thing I can't stress enough is to please don't leave it too late!  People think we are being pushy when we say they have to order quickly.  But so many brides miss out on the dream gown because of timing issues.  Nothing is more upsetting than having to tell a bride we can't get the gown.