I hope everyone had an absolutely lovely Christmas! It’s by far my favorite holiday, and I used to get a little depressed in the days and weeks that followed, knowing that it would be a whole year until the season returned with its fresh, clean snow, scarves, family and friends, Christmas music and holiday greetings, not to mention amazing food by candlelight and tree light. But last year, and this one as well, I find myself more excited for the new year, because not only are the days getting longer again (photographers are squealing in gratitude at this), there are changes to be made and growth to happen, both in myself personally as well as in my business! I didn’t take advantage of New Year resolutions when I was younger, but now I see it for the opportunity that it really is, and now I’m eager to write down and genuinely strive to fulfill my resolutions!
Enough about that, I’ll do a “2015 Changes” post later on, but one of the things I’m doing in 2015 is Preferred Vendor spotlights! I’ve worked with some incredible people in this industry, and I’ve partnered with several of them to create a few get-to-know-you posts about them and their businesses and what they can offer and provide. You can expect at least 1 post a month from about these vendors, whom I’ve hand selected to show you where you can get the best products met with the best experience as you prepare for your wedding day!
This month, I was happy to interview the wonderful Lola of Gateway Bridal! I’ve had such grand experiences with this shop and its team of wonderful ladies – if you want a fun dress shopping experience with a large variety of prices, styles, and accessories paired with great customer service, this is the place to go! Ask for Barbie or Lola, they are absolute gems! Their contact information can be found here.
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When did you open? We opened a few streets away back in 2001 as Latterday Bride, but we expanded to this location as Gateway Bridal and Prom in 2008. We tend to be known as both nowadays, and still run the LDS Bride Blog, featuring brides with modest dresses.
What is the approximate price range brides can expect for dresses in your shop? Our dresses range anywhere from $395 to $1900, and the gowns are organized by price range.
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Personally, which dress line is your favorite? I adore Casablanca, their gowns are gorgeous and they are extremely easy to work with when it comes to alterations and customization. Some designers are very strict on what they will allow you to alter on their gowns.
Can brides buy off the rack or do they need to order the dress in if you don’t have their size? Either, depending on the dress, although we keep ourselves fairly well-stocked in the back, so if there’s a dress you want to try we’re happy to check the back if you can’t find your size up front. We also use clips when brides try on gowns, so they can see how it will look when properly altered.
Do you do in-house alterations? We refer our brides out to a few select and very talented seamstresses across the state. We can do alterations as simple as fitting the dress correctly to building up the neckline and sleeves to make a dress more modest if the bride would like.
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Do your brides need an appointment? Appointments aren’t needed, we happily welcome walk-ins! There are a few benefits to calling ahead though: if you are scheduled, then you will have a bridal viewing area all to yourself, with three way mirrors and space to accommodate your friends and family that may be shopping with you. If those corners are booked, we have multiple dressing rooms available for walk-ins.
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P I N this to pinterestDo you offer more than just wedding gowns? Yes, we offer gowns, bridal accessories and jewelry, shoes, veils, and we’ve just started offering tux and suit rentals as well! We also have a section for prom and Sunday dresses.
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P I N this to pinterestWhen is your busiest season? From January until May – many people get engaged over the holidays, so we get lots of brides coming in while they’re still on school break or in town with their families. The busiest wedding season is in the spring/summer, particularly April to late June, so it’s great when brides come looking for their gown several months before so they have time to find, order, and alter their gowns in time for the wedding, as well as plan the rest of the wedding details.