“There are no bridezillas—just momzillas and friendzillas.”
Erica has lived in Austin for 14 years now and has worked in the bridal industry for nine. Through her experience she noticed that shopping for dresses had become stuffy and intimidating for brides. After seeing just one dress by Enzoani, Erica was inspired to open her own shop. Most non-bridal-industry folks don’t know this, but larger gown designers give exclusive rights to sell their gowns to one store in an area. This fact cleared up so much confusion about my dress shopping experience. When Erica came across the Enzoani dress she knew that her dream of opening a bridal lounge could become a reality and her reality is beautiful.
The store is located in an old house that Erica decorated with a mixture of beautiful old and new accessories. The modern gray lovebird wallpaper complements a pink chandelier and an old armoire that Erica bought at a consignment shop and had refinished (Can you see why I love this girl?). Erica chose to open a bridal lounge rather than a salon or boutique, because she wanted girls to feel comfortable hanging out. When you walk into this old house you can sense that they’re having fun and that instantly puts you at ease. Amanda Heptner, one of the two other members of Erica’s team, told us that shopping for dresses is intimidating for brides, because it’s a major purchase and it’s something that they’ve never done before. Vendors are condescending, so girls are afraid to try to get the information they need. Erica told us that Blush Bridal is different because they’re excited about what they’re doing and they want to make brides comfortable and happy. Erica said that she will find a bride a dress no matter what her budget is. She just wants girls to be happy. She told us about one bride who came to Blush in tears because she was so frustrated with the experience that she’d had. Erica and her staff spent thirty minutes hanging out with the girl and searching the web to find something that she could afford. The perfect dress for this girl wasn’t at Blush but Erica sent her to a local vintage store and even called ahead to ensure that the store was expecting her. Doesn’t that sound like someone you would want to do business with?
I asked Erica and Amanda what advice they had for brides looking for their perfect wedding dress. Check back in a bit to see what they told me.
