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Red-velvet couches, Venetian-glass chandeliers, and fitting rooms complete with small stages set a dramatic scene at Atelier Aimée, a wedding-dress boutique for brides who truly want to make an entrance. Designer Lucia Zanotti and her team of five seamstresses custom make each dress by hand at their Italian headquarters. Expect decadent looks such as lace-embellished bodices, draped skirts of duchess satin, and silk taffeta with Swarovski-crystal beading and gold thread. Prices start around $3,000 and trail off at about $13,000. Zanotti recommends shopping six to eight months before the wedding to allow time for alterations. The line is divided into three collections: Prêt-à-Porter has simple, body-conscious dresses with clean lines; Aimée de Aimée has fuller skirts with ruching and beading; and the premier collection, Atelier Aimée, is a whiteout of sculpted corsets, chantilly lace, fur trims, and embroidered flourishes. Jewel-toned mother-of-the-bride gowns run upward of $3,500, and handmade veils, mink stoles, and lavish costume jewelry complete the picture of an opulent bridal party. — Eileen Conlan