Shopping for a gown can be one of the best experiences during wedding planning, or one of the worst. There are, of course, many factors that play into how your experience pans out, but the bridal salon you choose obviously plays a huge role. That is just one reason why we’re so thrilled to introduce y’all — and especially our Alabama brides — to one very special boutique.
I adore the story of White Dresses Boutique, so here it is from the horse’s mouth:
In the 1930s, a petite woman named Madie Ella Leonard opened a fine dress store in a tiny Alabama town. Convinced that mixing the fashions of the Big Apple with service drenched in Southern charm would create a shopping destination people would have to revisit, Madie purchased her first few lines of inventory and stocked the shelves with finery that would make any Southern lady swoon. Though met with a lot of people who told her tiny Alabama couldn’t handle couture, Madie went on to operate one of the most influential dress shops in Alabama – dressing Southern women for over 40 years.
Madie, who is now 108, passed her love of fashion down to her nieces – who she treated like the daughters she never had. With the same love of couture and desire to bring something new and innovative to the bridal market in Huntsville, Madie’s nieces, along with their mom, opened White Dresses. White Dresses blends couture bridal gowns with service drowned in Southern charm to create a bridal shopping experience unlike any other. The boutique offers Southern brides a carefully curated selection of exclusive couture gowns along with a personal experience that ensures each bride has the attention needed to select the perfect white dress for her special day.
White Dresses carries bridal gown designers that aren’t found in any other Southern bridal boutique. A few of their gorgeous lines include Marchesa, Hayley Paige, Sareh Nouri, Elihav Sasson, Stephanie Allin, Anne Maier-Ulla Maija, Jesus Peiro, and Rosa Clará. They also carry Elihav Sasson, and are the only salon in the United States to do so! We adore their clean, romantic, fashion-forward style!
White Dresses is located in Huntsville, Alabama, and you can learn much more about them on their website. I’d also encourage you to check out their Blue Ribbon Vendor listing — their interview is so fun! Last but certainly not least, keep an eye on their trunk show schedule. In March, they are welcoming Blush by JLM Couture and Intuzuri to town!
How was your wedding dress shopping experience? How many salons did you visit? Let us know in the comments!
That dress in the window is delightful! Love it.
This wonderful post sent me in search of more information on Madie Ella Leonard and I noticed that she passed away on Monday: http://www.cullmantimes.com/obituaries/x1633481512/Madie-Ella-Martin-Leonard.
I am so glad that she had a good, long life and inspired her nieces to continue the family business. What a lovely shop!
I adore this post. The boutique sounds just lovely and the story behind it makes my heart swell up! I would love to be able to take one of my brides shopping here!
What a charming little background story!!!! I love it! I visited only two dress salons in search for my gown — and revisited the first when the time came to make a decision! :) The One was the first one I tried on that third shopping trip (third time’s a charm!)!!!