The North Platte Telegraph Bridal Guide 2023 | 7
They want their dresses and they want them now. That has led to a surge in buying off-the-rack or opting for vintage or rental dresses. Marie Suchy, the owner of Posh Bridal, has witnessed the change firsthand. Before COVID-19, the Hopkins, Minne- sota-based boutique sold both special-or- der as well as off-the-rack dresses. But the lockdowns that shuttered shops, churches and most venues caused some couples to cancel and reschedule their weddings once, twice or even three times. When the world — and the wedding shops — opened up again, Suchy realized that some brides were shopping for cer- tainty as well as style. “I noticed women were coming in and wanting to buy dresses off the rack,” she said. “Brides weren’t necessarily set on dates and places now. They wanted to have the dresses with them so they could get married in a year — or in a month.” Malia Henschel was one of them. The Minnetonka, Minnesota woman got en- gaged in May. Her wedding is set for Oc- tober. She knew it would be hard to get the dress of her dreams with a six-month turnaround. She was right. She visited four bridal stores, which had wait times ranging from nine to 11 months. The fifth store she tried was Posh Bridal. “I walked in and I walked out with a dress that same day,” she said. “I loved the pro- cess. It was so easy. After 12 years in business, Posh Bridal shifted to selling primarily new sample dresses from designers or other stores,
Business, said Suchy, is good. To have and to share
W edding g oWn Preservation 20 % OFF wedding gOwn preservatiOn After your wedding, it is important to have your gown professionally cleaned and preserved.This simple step will create an heirloom for future family members or a keepsake to treasure all your own. “It’s shifted away from those huge wed- dings to what it’s really about,” said Suchy. “The dress is still important, but it’s about marrying your partner.” Instead of a large, lavish affair, some couples are sharing their vows in back- yard or courthouse ceremonies, then holding one or more receptions later. “I’ve never had so many requests for dresses that can be flexible” to be worn to more than one event, daytime or night- time, even in different seasons, said Erick- son-Gunther. While the upheaval in the wedding industry has undoubtedly created stress for some engaged couples, not all of the changes are for the worse. the 1990s (“Yes,” she said, “ ‘90s dresses are considered vintage”). In addition to being cleaned and restored, many of the dresses are updated — with long sleeves, high col- lars and “fluffy bows” removed. Like most wedding dresses, vintage dresses often need to be adjusted to fit modern brides. Those alterations, which are fairly standard, are done by a seam- stress who specializes in vintage clothing and construction. “We’re a fully sustainable bridal studio,” said Erickson-Gunther of the family-owned Minneapolis shop. Simpler and smaller Dress shopping isn’t the only aspect of weddings that has changed, of course. With churches and reception venues booked, many celebrations have become smaller and simpler. Some couples have taken a two-stage approach.
Business isn’t just good at Freya Wilde, a Minneapolis wedding dress rental shop. “It’s been crazy,” said co-owner Andrea Collins. The 300-plus gowns at Freya Wilde (which Collins describes as “the Airbnb of wedding dresses”) are privately owned. In the matrimonial version of the sharing economy, owners get a percentage of the “booking fee” for a dress, which can run from $350 to $750 depending on its design and retail value. Collins said her clients — both the own- ers who offer their dresses and the brides who rent them — are not a part of the “old mentality around wedding dresses, the ‘Oh, I’m going to keep it and I’m going to give it to my daughter.’” Whether driven by a desire to be sustain- able, cost-conscious or to outsmart supply chain issues, rentals are finding their place in the wedding market. “Somebody can come in with a month’s notice and walk out with a designer dress,” she said. “There’s no hesitation about rental whatsoever.” Timeless appeal Finding a dress at Andrea’s Vintage Bridal is a “very curated experience,” said propri- etor Nikolina Erickson-Gunther. “I prefer booking through e-mail because I barrage our brides with a laundry list of questions,” she said. Then, she pulls 10 to 20 dresses for each bride to try on. The dresses, which range in price from $700 to $1,800, date from the 1930s through
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