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| Many brides-to-be want to be unique. Tossing traditions and trends like a bridal bouquet, many are opting for creative originality – especially when it comes to their gown.
If you peruse the plethora of bridal magazines, after a while all of the dresses and designers start to look the same. You go to all of the big name stores – Mark Ingram, Saks, Reem Acra, Vera Wang and try on every gown under the sun. You cut tops off one dress from a magazine and pair it with another dress’s bottom. You sit, you worry, you wonder if another bride somewhere nearby is being fitted for the very gown you may likely pick. |  | Your wedding dress should represent your personality – it should be made for you.
And it can be!
At the Bridesmaid Boutique, a quaint store nestled between 2nd and 3rd Avenue on 80th Street on the Upper East Side of New York City, proprietors George and Sunny Wright will create your dream dress for your dream day. “We listen to the bride, look at the pictures she brings in and work with her to design the perfect dress,” George explained.
Bridesmaid Boutique started as a bridesmaid dress store, creating custom order gowns for bridesmaids and Mother of the Bride/Groom. But quickly their success in this area propelled them into designing gowns for the brides. “People asked us if we did bridal gowns as well or they asked us to tailor a gown which they bought. That got us to thinking and soon we started custom creating gowns for the bride,” Sunny said.
The exquisite craftsmanship at Bridesmaid Boutique is sought after by some of New York and the world’s finest TV journalists. Sunny’s talents as a seamstress are in constant demand by TV personalities. “We alter, tailor and fit perfectly many of the outfits which the TV news reporters bring to us,” Sunny said as she tells a story of a dress which needed some TLC before a red carpet appearance. “One host was headed out to LA for an awards show, but her dress didn’t fit right. It was hanging and gapping, but she came into the store and we fitted the dress for her. The next morning she dropped by and grabbed it as she dashed off to the airport,” Sunny added. Most of the work is done onsite by Sunny herself. “Later that night, we were watching TV and there she was! Looking perfect in her dress and interviewing celebrities.”
It takes serendipity to find this store whose success, until now, has been mostly word of mouth. “We get a lot of referrals from elated brides and we also do a lot of repeat business,” George explained. Its unassuming storefront doesn’t do justice to its creations. A rack of sample bridesmaid gowns are displayed in the store for brides-to-be and their bridal party to peruse for ideas. Swatches of available fabrics in a multitude of colors are also on hand so that the bride can pick her color palette. Bridesmaid Boutique custom measures each bridesmaid/bride so that the dress is designed specifically for her body. This is an amazing service for those whose body types do not fall perfectly into one size, and also eliminates the need for expensive alterations when buying an off-the-rack dress. “We measure each person in the bridal party and cut the dress to their size,” Sunny said. Prices for bridesmaid dresses go down as the numbers of dresses ordered goes up. At 4 dresses or more, a custom designed and fitted dress runs $250 per dress. For a single dress, the price is $295. While many of the big name designer bridesmaid dresses can cost upwards of $300, at Bridesmaid Boutique you are guaranteed to get a unique design, representative of your personality, and perfectly melded to each bridesmaid’s figure for less. Bridesmaid Boutique also offers handbags and shoes custom made to match each dress!
The store is by appointment only and dresses take 8-10 weeks to make. While we love the inventive and gorgeous handiwork of Sunny Wright’s gowns, we also love the warmth and neighborhood spirit that Bridesmaid Boutique gushes. The hospitality and personal attention of the store’s owners can be seen in their attention to detail in design and its presence also noted in the custom branded bottle of wine gifted to each customer. It is these small details which make Bridesmaid Boutique a best friend and confidant to a bride-to-be and her bridesmaids.
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