Our Hello Vendor profiles afford you the chance to get to know the human being behind the brand. Today Erin Juchima, owner of The Bridal Atelier shares a little bit about what goes on behind closed doors.
What path led you to The Bridal Atelier? After returning from Europe where I was a Business Consultant and Coach a few years ago, I was ready for a career change. The Bridal Atelier was born out of my love for fashion and style that’s polished and classic but always with a twist – whether that be modern and soft or a little free spirited and bohemian. I remember when looking for my own wedding, it was difficult to find dresses that were timelessly beautiful but modern and luxurious without being caught up in tradition and excessive prices. I wanted to create a store that was a style haven but that still had a personable approach. We make the process of finding the dress that’s right for each of our brides relaxed and fun!
What’s your typical day involve? My days are varied but they always starts with coffee, emails and a flick through Instagram and Facebook. After that I might be in our Armadale boutique attending to our brides, running errands for the store, ordering new lines and searching out new designers, on a photo-shoot or sitting down at the desk to get stuck into the dreaded paperwork. I’m also lucky enough to travel overseas to source our beautiful dresses and accessories; it’s definitely one of the perks of my job!
What’s your favourite part of the job? It’s got to be spending time with our brides. We tend to attract brides who are fairly chilled-out and want to have a good time whilst finding their dress, which means we get to have lots of fun. I’m sharing in the happiest moments of someone’s life; I hear about the proposal, the highs and sometimes lows of wedding planning and I get to be there when everyone in the room knows that the dress the bride-to-be has on, is the one she will wear on her wedding day it’s pretty special to be a part of that.
What can a bride expect when she books an appointment with you to try on dresses at The Bridal Atelier? We want the experience at The Bridal Atelier to leave our brides smiling, feeling beautiful, inspired and super excited. We stock a range of international designers with a complementary modern, romantic and luxe feel, with beautiful quality fabrics and each with something unexpected?we very much have statement dresses. The store aesthetic is very light and bright and our bridal stylists have the biggest smiles and just live and breathe weddings?we are a passionate bunch! Normally you have time to browse and take everything in before we try a few things on; it’s narrowing down the choices I think our brides find the hardest?and Saturdays we have sparkling, just for a little something extra!
What are the current trends you’re seeing for brides at the moment? Now more than ever brides can do and wear what they like on their wedding day. I’m excited to hear more and more of our brides are personalising their day and look to reflect their distinctive style rather than getting caught up in tradition. One of my favourite details on a wedding dress at the moment is a low back that’s been balanced with a longer sleeve or a higher neckline. I’m also obsessed with subtle splits or high low hemlines that show off a killer statement heel and am loving playing with over skirts and tops to create a ceremony look and a reception look, all with the same dress.
A few words of advice for brides looking for their dress? Choosing your wedding dress should be one of the most memorable experiences leading up to your big day. You want to be able to share this time with a few close family members or friends but believe me less is more! Too many people means you’re opinions won’t be heard. Also, trust the stylist you’re working with by not limiting yourself to one particular style. They will be able to select options for you that work for your body-shape and the vision you have for your day, which you may not have considered, but once you’re in them, you’ll fall in love all over again!
Any funny or interesting client stories up your sleeve? We’ve done it all from the surprise wedding, to the celebrity wedding, to the bride who organised her wedding in 20 days, but all the juicy details stay with us? it’s a bit like going to Vegas.
Be sure to bay The Bridal Atelier website a visit for a list of their stockist, which just so happens to include a list of some of our all time favourite designers!
CREDITS Bridal gowns The Bridal Atelier // Photos Jenna Fahey-White.