BRIDAL ROW: FIRST CAME LOVE, THEN CAME PROFITS.Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer In a tiny outdoor mall, nestled in the heart of town, is a place where brides-to-be from San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , Southgate and Sylmar mingle in all the satin, lace and taffeta taffeta, cloth, originally silk but now also made of synthetic fibers, supposed to have originated in Persia. The name, derived from Persian, means "twisted woven." Taffeta is in the same class and demand as satin made of silk. they could ever desire. There are no wedding-bell blues in the city of San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. , where women can float through a dozen bridal shops alone in a two-block area. Many of these brides choose to tie the knot a few miles away at the San Fernando Mission in Mission Hills, which is booked solid with spring weddings. The mission, with its graceful adobe arches and immaculate gardens, hosted 106 weddings last year, including couples who flew in from New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Phoenix to say their vows, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. mission Curator Kevin Feeney Kevin Feeney is a High Court Judge in Ireland. He was elected to the High Court (Ireland) in March 2006. Mr Justice Feeney is a former student of Gonzaga College S.J., and a graduate of University College Dublin and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. . ``It's a tradition,'' said Chris Ruano, manager of the Suburbia bridal shop in the outdoor San Fernando Mall. ``People live here for generations and they get married at the mission to keep that tradition alive.'' From as far as La Puente La Puente (lä pwĕn`tē), city (1990 pop. 36,955), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles; laid out 1841, inc. 1956. Primarily residential, the city manufactures hardware, electronics, and paper products. and as close as Canoga Park, the brides-to-be come to San Fernando in a steady stream, creating a bustling business that generates $844,000 a year in gross revenue for the city's 19 bridal shops. As a result, the city, with a population of about 24,000, earns $6,500 in sales tax sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. revenue from the bridal shops. ``It's always been that way - San Fernando is known by the bridal shops,'' Ruano said. ``They come because it's the capital. We have so many bridal shops.'' By comparison, Burbank, with a population of 103,000, is home to one bridal shop, according to the city's license and code services department. Nearby Glendale has four or five bridal shops for its 200,000 residents, according to the city's permit department. When Adrian Lucero asked North Hills resident Lisa Vargas, 25, to marry him, there was no question she would buy her dress at the San Fernando Mall, where she had shopped for years for everything from proms to baptisms and quinceaneras - the elaborate coming-out parties thrown to mark young Latinas' 15th birthdays. ``I can't think of any other area in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. that has a similar selection,'' said Vargas, who was raised in the northeast San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . ``I went to Ventura Boulevard Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east-west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real (the trail between Spanish missions), Ventura Boulevard is the oldest route in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S. , but the stores were pricey. There are bridal clusters in downtown L.A., but they're mainly stands or factories.'' Enamored en·am·or tr.v. en·am·ored, en·am·or·ing, en·am·ors To inspire with love; captivate: was enamored of the beautiful dancer; were enamored with the charming island. by the old-fashioned look of the mission, Vargas also knew there was no question she'd get married there. ``It's really appealing to me,'' said Vargas, who married Lucero May 2. ``I find it really traditional and that's what I wanted my wedding to be - traditional.'' It was an added convenience, said Vargas, to make her wedding arrangements at the mission and then hop over for dress fittings for herself and her 15 bridesmaids just a few miles away at Casa de Brides. Step into the bridal shops, some shoulder-to-shoulder in the mall, and you step into a heavenlike ambience. Mannequins enveloped en·vel·op tr.v. en·vel·oped, en·vel·op·ing, en·vel·ops 1. To enclose or encase completely with or as if with a covering: "Accompanying the darkness, a stillness envelops the city" in fluffy white gowns and lace-covered wedding albums invite the touch. Even the smallest details are taken care of. In glass display cases, ivory white rosary beads nestle on velvet next to gold-trimmed champagne glass and cake decorations. ``There's a lot of competition, but we sell wedding dresses, quinceanera dresses, clothes for baptisms. So if you don't sell one thing, you sell the other,'' said Veronica Garcia, an employee of Sandy's Bridal Shop in the San Fernando Mall. What propels the bridal shops is the equally successful sale of dresses for quinceaneras, said Mayor Raul Godinez. ``When you look at the Latino culture it breathes that kind of business,'' said Godinez, whose city is about 90 percent Latino. ``Latinos also tend to have big wedding parties. I think it's a cultural thing that creates the demand for this.'' Meddy Barragan, who became Mrs. Lalo Alonso on Valentine's Day, said the abundance of bridal shops in San Fernando made her wedding shopping a cinch cinch a saddle girth on an American stock saddle. Tightens with a knot on a ring instead of with straps and buckles. . ``You can park and walk to all the stores,'' said Barragan, as she tried on a pair of white satin pumps at the Suburbia bridal shop. Barragan had her dress made by a seamstress who owns a home business, but other wedding essentials like Barragan's guest book were bought at the San Fernando Mall. Although she dreamed of getting married at the mission, Barragan said the cost was prohibitive for her. The mission charges couples $325 for ceremonies before 3 p.m. and $425 after 3 p.m., with a wedding consultant included in the package. Sylmar resident Angelica Curiel, 24, who married at the mission on a Saturday in April, said it was fitting because her family has marked special occasions there for generations. ``I've always loved that church, the old-fashioned look, the history,'' said Curiel, who had to book her wedding a year in advance. ``I think it's worth it. It's a beautiful church and you're only going to do this once.'' CAPTION(S): 5 Photos, Map PHOTO (1--Color) Bride-to-be Lisa Vargas, 25, of North Hills says she has been shopping at the San Fernando Mall for years for ceremonies including baptisms and quinceaneras. (2--Color) Lisa Vargas tries on a dress by Laura Munoz, owner of Casa de Brides, one of 19 bridal shops in of San Fernando. (3--Color) Angelica Curiel and Alphonso Ochoa are wed by the Rev. Luciano Anton at the San Fernando Mission, a popular wedding site. (4--Color) Alphonso Ochoa and Angelica Curiel-Ochoa have wedding photos taken at the mission. (5) The San Fernando Mall is home to nearly a dozen bridal shops Myung J. Chun/Daily News MAP: Bridal paradise: As the San Fernando Mission hosts an increasing number of weddings, business is booming at the nearby San Fernando Mall, home to a dozen bridal shops |
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