Member Testimonials

“As a member of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists we have gained so much knowledge in the wedding industry through the annual meetings packed full of great speakers. Our members are so generous with sharing ideas and knowledge, they make you feel like family. The support and confidence we have experienced comes with an association of excellent dry cleaners and wedding gown specialists who truly care about the work they do. Our ROI is immeasurable as a member of this Association.”

-Kathy Kimmel, Kimmel Wedding Gown Preservation & Restoration, Upper Sandusky, Ohio.
Member since 1989.

“Belonging to the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists has numerous advantages: The annual meeting always has a series of excellent speakers covering various aspects of the wedding experience. The meeting is also an excellent opportunity to compare notes with skilled operators from around the world about any dry cleaning issue. We have access to large group buying discounts for advertising in various wedding media. We get constant updates throughout the year on the wedding scene. All new members get to attend a site for technical training related to presentation and processing of wedding gowns, at no charge! All in all, a great investment.”

-Gary Fine, Parkers Dry Cleaning, Toronto, Canada.
Member since 2004.

“Ablitt’s membership in the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists has the highest ROI if any marketing investment we make.
Connecting with like-minded drycleaners to share best practices for cleaning and marketing our wedding gown service is priceless.
The membership is always responsive through the Google Group. Having a group of experts to refer to in an instant is a major stress-saver, and provides us with the confidence to accept more challenging projects. The annual meeting is a way for members to connect with each other more closely and to grow as a dry cleaner. The speakers at the meeting are always novel, interesting and helpful. The educational programs are available to owners and employees alike. 

I highly suggest that anyone interested in providing in-house wedding gown cleaning join this association!”

-Sasha Ablitt, Ablitt’s Fine Cleaning, Santa Barbara, California.
Member since 1998.

“As second generation business owners in the dry cleaning industry, we are always looking at ways to constantly build on our business plan & strategy; however, our biggest challenge is that there are never enough minutes in the day to explore new opportunities. The Association of Wedding Gown Specialists provides sound advice and consulting tips in all areas, from the technical aspect of gown care, to marketing and business advice on leadership skills for coaching your business team. Much of our success is because the AWGS connects all the members internationally for instant advice for best practices and problem-solving with day-to-day challenges and opportunities. What we like most about being members of the AWGS are the business opportunities shared among the members are always current and in-line with the latest and greatest in the digital marketing world and the wedding industry itself. As a second-generation owner, we had a fantastic opportunity to take a refresher course (which is normally geared towards new members) in Boston last fall and re-certify ourselves on the technical processes of gown care.
Our highlight each year is attending the annual member conference. It’s a weekend filled with phenomenal keynote speakers & wedding industry leaders, breakout sessions, hand-on skill builders, behind-the-scenes facility tours, dry cleaning vendor and supplier advantages… Not to mention the overall fun networking time with our global members, who have decades of gown care & dry cleaning experience under their belts. Our wedding gown sales have tripled in a span of 18 months and are continuing to grow as a direct result of the available resources and consulting advice from the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to take their dry cleaning business to the next level!” 

-Nadine Rana, Style and Grace Cleaners, Toronto, Canada.
Member since 1991.

“Joining the Association is the best business decision I ever made.”

-Eddie Los, Village East Cleaners, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Member since 2002.

“The Association differentiates us completely from other cleaners in our region. This has allowed us to position ourselves as the far and away top cleaning, preservation and restoration service and target a very attractive market of brides who expect the best and are willing to pay a premium for it.”

-Magda Barrera, Tintorerias Comet, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon.

                                                       Member since 2012.

“I value the information and ideas that are continuously being sent among this group and consider it a blessing to be a member associated with you all.  I know you are among the best cleaners in the world.“

-Gordon Lee, Foothills Cleaners, Okotoks, Canada.
Member since 2015.

“This group has been absolutely wonderful as far as both friendship and knowledge have gone. I promise you will love being a part of this team!”

-Wendy Shankowsky, Busy Bee Cleaners, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Member since 2015