July 14, 2009 : Yolanda Cellucci Moves On

WHEN WE CONTINUE, ANOTHER

LOCAL LAND MARK SHUTTERS.

TODAY FAMED WEDDING GOWN MAVEN

YOLANDA CELLUCCI ANNOUNCED

SHE'LL BE CLOSING HER SHOP AT

THE END OF AUGUST.

YOLANDA BEGAN HER CAREER IN

1968 WITH A WIG HOSPITAL IN

BELMONT AND SHE OPENED HER

WALTHAM DRESS STORE IN 1973.

SINCE THEN, HER STORE HAS

BECOME A DESTINATION HOSPITAL

FOR ALL THINGS BRIDAL.

SHE BUILT HER BUSINESS INTO A

MULTI MILLION DOLLAR

ENTERPRISE, AND SHE'S BECOME

SOMETHING OF A FASHION ICON

AND CELEBRITY HERSELF.

AND SAYS CELLUCCI, SHE'S NOT

RETIRING, SHE'S MOVING ONTO

BECOME A WEDDING CONSULTANT.

AND YOLANDA IS HERE.

WELCOME.

>> HI, EMILY, HOW ARE YOU?

>> SO EVERYBODY HAD THE SAME

REACTION TODAY.

OH, NO.

COME ON.

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

>> WELL, BASICALLY IT'S TIME,

IT'S LIKE SOMEONE JUST SENT ME

TWO DOZEN ROSES, A VERY GOOD

CUSTOMER THAT SAID, YOU KNOW,

IT'S TIME.

AND MORE TIME FOR FAMILY AND

FRIENDS, AND TO KIND OF ENJOY

THE REST OF MY LIFE.

I STILL WILL BE ON THE VISIBLE

SCENE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE

WHOLE YEAR, TO MAKE SURE

EVERYTHING IS DELIVERED ON

TIME TO ALL OF MY BRIDES AND

ALL OF MY PEOPLE THAT HAVE

ORDERED DRESSS FOR ANY

OCCASION.

BUT IT'S TIMES TO SPEND A

LITTLE MORE TIME AND TO DO NEW

THINGS.

I THINK I'M NOT RETIRING, I'M

LOOKING INTO NEW VENTURES.

>> SO SOMEBODY MADE YOU AN

OFFER?

>> YEAH, I THINK PART OF IT

WAS THE FACT THAT FOR THE PAST

FIVE YEARS PEOPLE WERE SAYING,

OH, I CAME WITH MY GRAND

DAUGHTER, YOU DID MY DRESS,

YOU DID MY DAUGHTER'S DRESS

AND HERE'S MY GRANDDAUGHTER,

HOPE YOU'RE GOING TO BE AROUND

BECAUSE WE WANT YOU TO BE

HERE.

AND I KIND OF THOUGHT TO

MYSELF, I GUESS I'VE BEEN

AROUND A LONG TIME.

I'VE HAD OFFERS MAY TO BUY THE

BUSINESS, THE BUILDING, AND I

KEPT SAYING NO, BECAUSE I HAVE

ORDERS THAT I HAVE TO FILL.

SO I STARTED LOOKING INTO THE

FACT IF I DID WANT TO DO THAT

AND STEP BACK AND DO SOMETHING

DIFFERENT, WHAT COULD I DO.

SO I LOOKED INTO THE BEST OF

THE BEST AND I FOUND THAT I

COULD DO IT.

IT WOULD BE OKAY TO STEP DOWN

AND TO TAKE ON NEW VENTURES,

AND I LOOKED INTO THE BEST

BRIDAL STORE THAT WAS VOTED

BEST OF BOSTON WHICH WAS ANNA

HERNANDEZ, AND I ASKED COULD

HE FINISH MY ORDERS.

AND HE SAID YES.

THEN I LOOKED INTO THE BEST

BEAUTY SALON AND I FOUND ONE

IN BELMONT WHO WOULD LOVE TO

HAVE MY CUSTOMERS, AND THE

HEALTH CLUB NEXT-DOOR, I

APPROACHED THEM.

AND EVERYBODY SAID YES.

SO BEFORE I MADE ANY KIND OF A

DEAL, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT.

AND ALL KINDS OF DEALS WERE

COMING.

AND FINALLY THE ABUTTERS

NEXT-DOOR TO US OWNED ALL THE

PROPERTY TO THE LEFT OF ME AND

RIGHT OF ME, AND THEY REALLY

WANTED THE PROPERTY, AND THEY

CAME UP WITH THE RIGHT DOLLAR

AMOUNT.

BUT I SAID, FIRST AGAIN, LET

ME CHECK IF I CAN DO THIS.

ONCE I RECONNECTED WITH ALL

THESE PEOPLE, I SAID HEY, I

REALLY CAN, AND I CAN, YOU

KNOW, THE WHOLE BUSINESS IS

CHANGING.

>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT

THAT.

FIRST, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF

INCONVENIENTER TO.

INVENTORY.

AND YOU'LL ALSO BE DONATING

PRO SAID --

TO PROCEEDS TO THE RUNNING OF

THE BRIDES.

>> THEIR NEXT EVENT IS IN

AUGUST, I'VE ALWAYS GIVEN THEM

DRESSES, IT'S BEEN GREAT FOR

ME.

I DID HAVE A SALE A FEW MONTHS

AGO WHEN THEY WERE IN BETWEEN

BANKRUPTCIES AND TRYING TO

DECIDE WHO WAS BUYING IT.

I'D RATHER DO SERVICE KIND OF

SELLING.

BUT IT WORKED OUT WELL.

AND I CAN SEE THE WRITING ON

THE WALL, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT.

>> DESCRIBE THAT, BECAUSE IT'S,

IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE BRIDE

IS THE BRIDE AND SO MANY

PEOPLE WANT IT TO BE THE

SPECIAL DAY.

AND NOT THAT MONEY IS NO

OBJECT.

BUT THE PARENTS DIG DEEP,

SOMETIMES THE COUPLE

THEMSELVES DIG DEEP.

BUT IT HAS CHANGED.

>> IT TOTALLY HAS CHANGED.

I THINK THE BRIDES ARE

DIFFERENT TODAY.

SOME OF THEM FEEL THAT THEY

DON'T HAVE TO SHOW UP FOR AN

APPOINTMENT OR EVEN CALL.

>> THEY'RE RUDE IS WHAT YOU'RE

SAYING.

>> THEY'RE DIFFERENT.

BUT AS I SAID, ALL IN ALL THE

CLIENTS THAT COME TO US ARE

VERY SPECIAL AND WE'VE BEEN

DOING IN THE SAME FAMILY TWO

AND THREE DAUGHTERS AT A TIME.

>> BUTS THAT THE ECONOMY --

>> NO, NOT THE ECONOMY SO

MUCH.

IT'S JUST THE DIFFERENT KIND

OF WAYS AND ALSO THE DIFFERENT

SOMETIMES THAT ARE OUT THERE.

YOU COULD BE ANY BRIDE YOU

WANT TO BE, A BEAUTIFUL GRACE

KELLY WITH THE HIGH NECK AND

LONG SLEEVE AND THE ELEGANCE

OF YESTERYEAR, IT'S SO

DIFFERENT THAN TODAY.

TODAY THEY COME IN WITH NO

UNDERWEAR.

>> EVERYBODY DOES THE BARE

TOP.

>> EVEN WHEN THEY'RE TRYING

DRESSES ON THEY HAVE NO

UNDERWEAR.

>> NOW THE DRESSS HAVE TOPS,

THAT'S HALF THE STYLE.

>> IT'S DIFFERENT.

I STILL WOULD LOVE TO STAY

WITH THE NEW WAY OF DOING

THINGS, BUT I THINK THERE'S A

NEW WAY TO DO BUSINESS AND I

JUST FEEL IT A HUGE EMPIRE.

I'VE BUILT AN EMPIRE OF THE

HEALTH CLUB AND THE BEAUTY

SALON AND WE NOW HAVE AN EVENT

CENTER WHERE YOU CAN OTHER

YOUR INVITATIONS, YOUR

LIMOUSINE, DO EVERYTHING.

AND THE DAY-TO-DAY IS REALLY

WONDERFUL.

BUT I ALSO THINK THAT IT WILL

BE FUN TO BE WITH THE FAMILY A

LITTLE MORE.

>> I WAS READING THROUGH SOME

RESEARCH TODAY, YOU SAID

SOMETHING THAT REALLY STRUCK

ME.

YOU SID BRIDES FOCUS ON SO

MANY DETAILS, THE CENTER PIECE,

THE FLOWERS, AND THE, BUT

REALLY IT'S ALL ABOUT THE

DRESS.

THERE'S A COUPLE OF DRESSS

WEST WANT TO REMEMBER, ONE IS

PRINCESS DIANA, CAROLYN

BUSINESS SET, WE HAVE PICTURES

OF THEM THAT WE'LL PUT UP, NOT

THAT WE WERE INVITED TO EITHER

ONE OF THOSE WEDDINGS, BUT

CERTAINLY THE BISSETTE ONE WAS

STUNNING.

>> WE MUST HAVE SOLD TONS OF

THAT SILG BEAUTIFUL DRESS.

THERE WERE SO MANY DESIGNERS

TO MAKE A DRESS THAT LOOKED

LIKE THAT AND WE HAD TONS OF

ORDERS.

ONE DRESS ALONE I SOLD 120 OF

THE SAME DRESS, BUT THAT WAS

THE LOOK THEN.

IT'S BEEN FUN.

I LOVE IT, US JUST THINK THAT

RIGHT NOW IT'S DIFFERENT AND I

THINK IT'S TIME FOR ME TO TRY

TO FIND SOMETHING NEW THAT I

CAN EXCITE BRIDES AND STILL

STAY IN CONTACT BY HELPING

THEM, SELECTING, AND I'LL BE

THERE FOR THEM.

SO NO ONE HAS TO WORRY, WE

ALREADY GOT E-MAILS TODAY,

WHAT ABOUT MY DRESS.

I'LL BE THERE, I'LL MAKE SURE

IT'S THERE.

>> YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN SO MUCH

A PART OF IT.

YOU ARE YOURSELF A CELEBRITY,

SO MANY PEOPLE WERE ATTRACTED

TO YOU.

LOOK AT YOU, YOU'RE TOTALLY

GLAMOROUS.

YOU WERE THE SYMBOL OF WHAT

YOU WERE, AND I THINK, YOU'RE

NOT SOME DRESS MAKER CUTTING

THE STUFF WITH THE PINS IN

YOUR MOUTH.

>> IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DRESS, I

TELL BRIDES EVERY DAY.

THEY'LL FORGET WHAT THEY ATE

AT THE WEDDING, THEY'LL FORGET

ANYTHING, BUT THEY WILL NEVER

FORGET WHAT SHE WORE.

BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET BACK

THAT'S ALL YOU THINK ABOUT.

EVEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT PICTURES

OF YOURSELF ON YOUR WELDING

DAY, TIMES YOU LOOK BACK AND

SAY WHAT WAS I THINKING.

BUT IT IS SPECIAL AND IT'S THE

ONE DAY IN YOUR LIFE YOU CAN

BE A FANTASY PERSONNIFIED, YOU

CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT.

>> SO THE NEXT VENTURE, DO YOU

HAVE IT ALL LINED UP?

>> NO, I'M KIND OF EXPLORING

THINGS.

FOR THE NEXT YEAR I'LL BE VERY

BUSY MAKING SURE THAT

EVERYBODY GETS THEIR THINGS ON

TIME.

>> SO YOU'RE STILL WORKING ON

THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH NEXT

SUMMER?

>> WE HAVE WEDDINGS UNTIL NEXT

NEW YEAR'S EVE, UNTIL 2010.

OF NEW YEAR'S EVE.

SO WE HAVE TAKEN ORDERS.

SOME PEOPLE BUY A YEAR AND A

HALF IN ADVANCE.

SO FOR ALL THE BRIDES I WANT

TO MAKE SURE THEY REALIZE THAT

I'M GOING TO BE AROUND FOR

THEM, I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

MY STAFF HAS ALREADY SAID THEY

WILL STAY UNTIL WE CLOSE AND

AFTER WE CLOSE IF THAT BRIDE

WANTS THEM TO BE THERE,

THEY'LL BE ON SITE FOR THEM.

WE HAVE TWO LOCATIONS THEY'LL

BE AT, DAVID JOSEPH, HE'S

WONDERFUL.

>> HE'S A CHARACTER.

>> AND HE IS GOING TO BE AT A

NEW LOCATION, HE CAME WITH ME

--

HE MOVED OUT AND MOVED WITH

US.

SO HE'S BEEN AN IN-HOUSE

DESIGNER FOR ALMOST A YEAR.

AND HE RAN OUT OF SPACE, HE'S

SO BUSY, THEY TOOK A NEW SPACE

IN WALTHAM.

SO HE SAID YOU CAN PROBABLY BE

THERE EVERY DAY WITH ME, SO

WE'LL BE OPERATING OUT OF HIS

PLACE AFTER SEPTEMBER.

AND MY DAUGHTER WILL BE THERE

DOING CHILDREN'S WEAR CLOTHES,

WHICH SHE USED TO BE HERE ON

CHANNEL 5 WITH HER THINGS. SO

THEY MADE A RELATIONSHIP, IT'S

BEEN GREAT.

SO IT'S FUN FOR ME, BECAUSE

I'LL BE RACIAL TO --

ABLE TO VISIT.

>> GOOD LUCK, YOLANDA.

THANK YOU FOR COMING.

>> IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU.