When it came to dressing for her May 6 wedding, Ashley Oliver Thomas had trouble narrowing down the many options available, while at the same time navigating a new job. “Initially, the whole wedding-planning process, including the pressure of finding the perfect dress, intimidated me,” said Ms. Oliver Thomas, 35, a diversity director for a Cincinnati staffing company. Her wedding planner, Brittany Sharp, the owner of the Sharp Standard, a wedding and event planning design firm based in Atlanta, Ga., suggested that Ms. Oliver Thomas, who is from Lexington, Ky., hire a bridal stylist to help customize the gowns she had already chosen for herself and her bridesmaids. “My wedding planner explained that a stylist would be my bridal concierge, personal shopper, advocate and counselor all rolled into one,” she said. “I instantly felt relieved by the thought of having that support.”Ms. Oliver Thomas hired Selina Howard, the creative director of Vainglorious Brides, a bridal fashion stylist based in Atlanta.

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Persons: Ashley Oliver Thomas, ”, Oliver Thomas, Brittany Sharp, Ms, “, Selina Howard, Vainglorious Locations: Cincinnati, Atlanta ,, Lexington, Ky, Atlanta