Why I Opened a Plus Size Bridal Salon
Sooo….How is your bridal gown shopping going? I ask because I wonder if you ever get nervous when you go shopping for clothes? Or are you supposed to be looking for your bridal gown right now, but keep putting it off? I know how you feel! As a curvy woman and full-figured teen growing up, I was not a fan of shopping. So when I had the chance to change the shopping experience for curvy brides, I said YESSSS!!
I want to share my story with you because people always ask me, “Why did you start SPARKLE bridal couture for curvy brides?” I think people are curious why I would have opened SPARKLE bridal couture just for curvy, plus size and full-figured brides and NOT a bridal salon for all sizes.
I get it. Being size inclusive is good, but to me it’s not good enough.
You see growing up, I loved fashion, but I was a plus size kid, so there were NO stylish options. There were never any cute clothes in my size. Boooo! While all my friends were hitting the local malls for back-to-school shopping, easily walking in stress-free and walking out with trendy outfits…I. was. dreading. it. It was frustrating, embarrassing, and I would just end up feeling upset and ashamed of my body. A childhood ritual that was supposed to be a fun rite-of-passage, for me was a defeating nightmare!
I had to do something. I took matters into my own hands.
Since I didn’t have many options for stylish school clothes in my size, I decided to make my own. Learning how to sew, dye fabrics and design prints, I created my own blouses, skirts, dresses and pants. It was the only thing I could do to have on-trend style. It worked and I loved it!
Fast forward to my adulthood, I was too busy to make my own outfits like before, so back to shopping I went. But Big Box stores were a hot mess and boutiques never had anything in my size, and IF they did it was a VERY limited and frumpy selection. Soooo frustrating!
Why can’t we have the same access to stylish dresses AND as many choices as others do? Why should we suffer and sacrifice??
Then my mom told me that after nearly 20-years of owning her bridal salon (and me working for her for 12 years), she was retiring. Immediately, I knew what my mission would be.
To open a beautiful bridal showroom filled ONLY with unique wedding dresses sizes 14-30 to choose from. I wanted a modern, fresh and friendly place of our own, where we were listened to, celebrated and respected. Where a curvy bride feels safe, open, free and secure knowing that she could walk in and find beautiful, exclusive wedding dresses in her size without worrying that nothing would fit, feel anxious, or compared to other brides.
Since opening in July 2011, thousands of brides have had a stress-free, joyful, positive experience in our showroom finding their unique SPARKLE gown for their special day. It’s what we call “The SPARKLE Experience.” You see….
At SPARKLE it’s about more than finding your unique bridal gown in our showroom….our mission, our passion is to empower YOU as a curvy bride to recognize and embrace your inner SPARKLE so you feel your absolute most beautiful, confident and fabulous on your wedding day and beyond.
We believe that every woman has an inner sparkle, spirit, shining light just waiting to burst out. But throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood, many women are made to feel by society, the media, friends, partners and sometimes even our own mothers and fathers, that we’re not good enough, pretty enough, are the right shape or size nor deserve to have all the beauty, love, joy, and success the world has to offer. As a result, our inner sparkle can be dimmed, buried and sometimes barely flicker at the risk of being totally extinguished.
At SPARKLE we polish your spirit, so you can shine bright (or even brighter) from the inside out! We believe that every curvy bride deserves to be celebrated and treated with dignity and respect so you can relish in your natural beauty and live life to its absolute fullest potential on your wedding day and on a daily basis.
That’s why I opened SPARKLE bridal couture – for curvy brides. It’s for you. And I want to share it with you.
I’d love to learn more about you and your wedding plans, so you too can have a SPARKLE Experience story filled only with joy, positivity and celebration. That’s what you deserve.
If you’d like to visit us, click here to book your reservation and learn more. Or you can join us on Facebook, Insta or Pinterest, to keep up with SPARKLE happenings, new dress arrivals and style tips.
We can’t wait to meet you! In the meantime, below is a little slideshow I put together so you can get an insider’s view of our showroom. 🙂
Hope to see you soon,
Sandra Gonzalez
Founder & Creative Director
SPARKLE bridal couture
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