Today we are interviewing Holly & Lucinda with Bateau Bridal Boutique, and we’re gonna talk all things wedding gowns! I’m obsessed with their gowns, and this is the beautiful gown they let us use for the styled elopement day.
R: Hi!! Can you two introduce yourself? Tell us the story!
Holly: I am from Alaska! I’m the manager of Bateau. And I have a totally different background in work, but I absolutely love working with brides now.
Lucina: I’m Holly’s mother! I’m partially retired but I am the merchandising manager here at Bateau Bridal.
R: What is the very first thing you recommend brides do when dress shopping?
Holly: We recommend they get on Pinterest and get some ideas about what they’re looking for, so they aren’t overwhelmed with styles when they start shopping.
R: Awesome! How far out do you recommend brides start dress shopping?
Holly: We recommend about a year in advance, if you have time. We have options for quicker turnaround, but a year is ideal because gowns take about 5 months to arrive.
R: Is the arrival time longer because we are in Alaska? Or is that average in the industry?
Lucinda: It’s actually pretty average in the industry across states.
R: What do you tell brides to take into consideration when choosing a style?
Lucinda: We tell them to pick one element that they have always dreamed of, and they really want in a dress. Of course your body shape is a factor, but any bride can wear any dress. So we encourage them to think about the elements they’ve always dreamed of.
R: Yes totally! Okay so how much do you think Seasons affect style of the gown? Summer vs Winter etc?
Holly: Nahhh, you can accessorize any dress so we don’t encourage one way or another for seasons.
Lucinda: And at the end of the day, the bride sets the tone for the wedding with her dress. So I think it’s whatever she likes!
R: Do you have dresses at different price points?
Holly: Yeah! Bateau was created to help ALL our brides. So we make sure to consider different price points, sizes, timelines etc. Our most average dress is around $1-2k, but we have higher and lower prices as well.
R: What should a bride bring to her session?
Lucinda: Underwear! haha. You don’t need a bra or shoes or anything. But underwear is something people forget a lot, believe it or not. And you can bring champagne etc.
Holly: And they are welcome to bring friends! Of course we think you should bring supportive friends who know it’s YOUR day. And we can always FaceTime people who aren’t living close too.
R: What should brides anticipate as far as tailoring?
Lucinda: $300-600 is the national average for tailoring wedding gowns. In Alaska, we are typically at the top of the range. And it takes about 6 weeks. We give our brides a list of recommendations that are local to Alaska too.
R: What’s your favorite thing about working in the Alaska wedding industry?
Holly: I love weddings. I love planning. It’s a happy job!
Lucinda: I know that in 20-30 years, the brides will remember their day. And I love being involved in that. I love bringing them joy. They’ve dreamed about this dress their whole lives.
R: What is one thing you wish you could tell brides starting the process of buying their dress?
Holly: Keep in mind who you are as an individual. You can get overwhelmed with the options, and you want to come back to the dress that feels most like YOU.
Lucinda: And! Once you have picked out your dress, stop looking at more dresses. It’s not helpful. Focus on accessorizing the dress you got! There will always be more dresses, but you chose yours for a reason.
Thank you so much for your time Holly & Lucinda, and for letting us use one of your beautiful gowns + jewelry for this session! If you’re in the market for a bridal gown, here’s how to find their boutique:
