Most millennial brides want to break with tradition when it comes to committing to the perfect gown.
Sarah Frood, who co-owns Union Bridal in Gastown where the focus is on catering to West Coast brides, says 30-something brides are hunting for free-spirit styles for the big day.
“Girls want to be comfortable, and they want to feel like themselves,” Frood says. “Vancouver girls want a wedding that is reflective of them, but they don’t want to break the bank.”
The looks in their quaint shop are inspired by a bohemian vibe, which Frood loosely defines as, “the essence of it having an effortless feeling to your day.”
It isn’t about a specific location, or décor, but rather an overall ethos of relaxed – but still gorgeous – authenticity.
“It’s reflective of you and you can be on a beach in Mexico or at the top of the gondola in Squamish, or in a bar in Gastown. It’s got an effortless vibe to it, I think. It doesn’t have to mean that you have got a flower crown and you are a hippy.”
Frood opened Union Bridal in the fall along with Emily Milardo. Both women had weddings last year. At the time they didn’t know one another, but after their respective nuptials each considered opening their own bridal shop.
“We both found it really hard to find a wedding dress in Vancouver, that just kind of fit our personalities, our styles,” says Frood, who ultimately bought her dress online from a French designer.
Eventually, they ended up meeting through a mutual friend and became business partners. What they have opened is a bridal shop that offers about 40 dresses, from five to seven designers at any time (including trunk shows – where a specific designer brings in their entire collection for brides to try on).
Looking to the year ahead, Frood says 2016 bridal trends include plunging necklines, which she loves for the drama. Lace is holding strong this year again, she says, with many styles including nude slips underneath, helping the lace stand-out. Sophisticated low/open backs and off-the-shoulder dresses are also key looks this year.
Union Bridal carries hippy-esque lines Daughters of Simone and Rue de Seine (a dress from this line, called Elea, looks like something Kate Moss would wear to her nuptials); classic romantic dresses by Alexandra Grecco; dramatic, yet contemporary gems from Houghton Bride (I’m crazy about the Galina – with its plunging neckline and loose fit).
Toronto designer Anais Anette’s modern romantic collection will be in the shop for a trunk show from Feb. 19 to 21. French bridal line Elise Hameau will also be at the studio next month, from Feb. 26 to 29. The dresses range in price from $2,500 to $8,000.
Frood sums up her love of the French line: “You know how everyone talks about how French women dress? It’s effortless; it’s easy to wear but it’s really elegant. I think that is why I gravitate toward that style. We are hoping that Vancouver brides will love it.”
Meanwhile, she is enjoying her new role of helping modern brides delicately break bridal style traditions.
“It’s a time when it’s an opportunity to be different because it was so traditional in the past,” she says. “Now people are starting to kind of break out of those traditions, so it’s kind of an exciting time in bridal right now.”
