Village Apparel Store Adds Stylish Bridal Salon

has dressed women of all ages for some of life’s most important events: high-school dances, Auto Show previews and, with the opening of its new bridal salon, dream weddings.

The women’s apparel and accessory boutique in the Village shopping district opened its bridal salon to dress and style women who want one-of-a-kind gowns as well as shoes, purses and jewelry, said owner Jennifer Mizzi.

Boutique Bellissima had what retailers call a soft launch for its bridal business last fall, giving the boutique’s staff a chance to find out what local shoppers were looking for in a dress and other wedding garb. Since then, they have attended numerous bridal shows, shopped some of the most exclusive designers and come up with a trendy yet timeless selection of dresses.

The bridal salon is in addition to the store’s already established evening-wear collections, which range from youthful prom dresses to mature formal wear to mother-of-the-bride gowns. The boutique also carries a wide range of women’s apparel from casual to elegant, Mizzi said.

“We have something for every occasion,” Mizzi said. “We also do special ordering, so you can request a different color or sleeve length if it suits you better.”

Mizzi said she decided to incorporate a bridal salon into the store after she noticed the demand for sophisticated dresses – and the need for a local store to offer such items.

The boutique’s timing seems spot on. Experts at The Knot, one of the most popular wedding web sites, say that wedding dresses will be among the most talked-about topics for brides this spring, especially in light of the upcoming Royal Wedding between Prince Williams and Kate Middleton.

“We were getting a lot of requests for custom work; we had to make a few (to give the customer just what they wanted),” Mizzi said. “The need is here, so I figured why not try to fulfill that niche.”

Brides can find Boutique Bellissima through bridal designer’s web sites, so that has sparked early traffic to the store, Mizzi said. So far, they have sold more than 10 dresses and she is hopeful that business will take off this spring as word of the salon gets out. Right now, the boutique is an authorized dealer for Justin Alexander and Casablanca.

“We truly try to get to know our customers. We are careful about which dress we sell to which customer. We don’t want our customers to feel like they’re seeing themselves coming and going,” Mizzi said.

The boutique’s talented staff can suggest figure-flattering styles to try or its tailoring staff can make an entire outfit from scratch. Boutique Bellissima is known as well for its full tailoring service, which includes men, women’s and children’s garments. Any item, whether it was purchased at the Boutique, can be altered at the store, which has a full-time tailor on staff.

Mizzi opened the boutique in 2002, and it has become a community staple since then. The staff regularly holds fashion shows, many of which raise funds for local organizations.

Additionally, the boutique has a selection of foundation wear, including the popular Spanx line, makeup, handbags, socks and more. There are gift items for special holidays, including selections for upcoming events such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.