STOCKIST FEATURE // BELLA BLEU BRIDAL

We love our stockists!

MWL has stockists all over the globe and we want to give our MWL girls a chance to get to know them better.

This week we heard from Viviana, owner of Bella Bleu Bridal in Winnetka, Illinois, USA.

Share the story of Bella Bleu Bridal.

In 2015, Bella Bleu Bridal opened on the Northshore of Chicago in Winnetka, with an exclusive selection of unique wedding dresses after a few years operating as an online and in-store bridal accessory boutique. Brides immediately fell in love with the intimate environment, exclusive dress collections and personalized service. Bella Bleu Bridal was one of the first stockists to carry MWL in the area and up to this day, our goal is to carry unique wedding dresses for the modern bride that are timeless and elegant at the same time.

What inspired you to go into the bridal industry?

I love “love” and fashion. As a little girl, I was an introvert that would spend hours reading fashion and bridal magazines while absorbing all the images – but being able to identify the work of most couture designers at an early age is definitely not enough to succeed in the industry. As a second generation business owner, financial literacy and entrepreneurial growth are second nature to me. When the opportunity to take over Bella Bleu Bridal came up due its founder moving out-of-state, I said yes… and here I am!

Tell us a bride memory that always brings a smile to your face.

We had a bride that fell in love and said yes to a MWL dress at her appointment . I noticed that she got particularly happy and emotional with her dad and sister when I told her the name of the dress (Carla). At that moment, she shared with us that her mom had passed away and her name was also Carla. She felt that wearing Carla was meant to be and that her mom was part of that moment. It was a magical and meaningful appointment that reminded us how lucky we are to share such an important moment with our brides.

What gets you most excited to go to work each day?

Every single day is different at the boutique! As a stylist, working with people that have different personalities is something that fulfills me since my educational and professional background is in psychology. No two brides are alike. They all have a different story and not only do I respect that, I embrace it. As a buyer, I also love the hours of research and the visual and creative aspect of it (and sometimes the adrenaline of taking risks!).

What’s one piece of advice you give to every bride?

You are the only one that knows how the dress feels. Trust your gut and listen to your heart. Choose a dress that feels like a reflection of who you are and makes you feel confident.

“. . . how lucky we are to share such an important moment with our brides.”

What makes your team stand out from the crowd? Tell us about them!

We provide a personalized and individualized service to all our brides and I’m really proud of that. Colton, my rockstar assistant, has a degree in fashion and is also a professional dancer that has traveled the entire world performing. That is an asset as a bridal stylist and assistant buyer. Knowing how to be a team player and work with people of different backgrounds is essential in this business. I am also incredibly grateful for all the things that my husband and our website manager do behind the scenes. They take care of things that I’m not good at. Being able to identify your strengths and weaknesses is very important as a business owner. Learning to delegate has been challenging for me, but necessary as we keep growing every year. My two daughters are full-time college students, but they also help whenever we need them. People underestimate how much work it is to run a bridal business, but having a reliable team that you trust makes a huge difference!

What’s one moment in your career in bridal that you’ll never forget?

Covid was a reality check that made us realize how important marriage is still is. Health issues, religious beliefs, financials, legal aspects, wanting to start a family, etc.. are all very valid reasons for not wanting to postpone your marriage. This global pandemic has been a very emotional experience for all our brides and that is something that I’ll never forget.

If you were choosing a MWL dress for your big day, which one would you pick

I love bridal dresses so much that I change favorites depending on my mood that day! Because of that, I would need to choose Archie since you can change the vibe of the dress just by accessorizing it in a different way. I also love how timeless. sexy, and modern it is… but since I adore lace, I would probably do Carla or Harlow as a second dress!

Contact.

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