As she walks down the aisle, the guests gasp in awe at her beauty. Everything is just perfect as she debuts a once-in-a-lifetime dress that took a lot of thought, time and encouragement. Behind every wedding gown selection is a unit made up of friends, family, designers and stylists. What goes into choosing a dress is an intensive process that can be filled with high emotions. It’s beneficial to have a team of professionals who can pinpoint what the bride needs. Meredith Bullock, Owner of SURE Bride in Newnan and Director of Development/Bridal Boutique Coach at Do You Speak Bride, has trained extensively for these special moments.
Bullock’s journey began when Wendy Rivera, founder and creator of Do You Speak Bride introduced her to the phenomenon of coaching independent bridal boutiques and their staff. Her love for the bridal industry encouraged her to become a part of that bridal coaching team. “I coach on everything from how to create custom experiences to build a brand, to team culture, to purchasing designs, to bridal show strategy, to customer service situations, and even store layout.” The bride, with her own desires, traditions, culture and wishes is who inspired Do You Speak Bride. Over time, bridal stores and boutiques fell out of touch with their intended goals, meeting the needs of each bride. Instead, they were controlling the bride and only focused on the sale. That’s when Rivera discovered Bride Country, a specific language that would cater to each bride. She set out to coach stores and boutiques on this powerful platform. “Rather than trying to force brides to understand the language and culture of business, it is our responsibility to learn and master the language of the bride,” Bullock describes. “We are set up in her country, so we must learn her culture, her traditions, what she is dreaming of, and be the best at making those things happen.”
Each bride is faced with woes and it’s up to those in the industry to turn those woes into joy. Bullock and her team inspire boutiques to make gown shopping a celebration and a memorable lifetime experience. “When a stylist understands how she can be truly FOR the bride; she is free to create all sorts of solutions. When the culture inside the store is a yes culture, so many problems go away, and so does the stress associated with trying to limit and control the bride and her party." Bullock took her bridal awareness and turned it into a storefront. She opened SURE (Southern. Unique. Refined. Exquisite.) Bride in downtown Newnan in July. “It is fun to implement ideas in my own space that are unique to SURE, just like I’ve helped other stores create their own experiences. Doing that for my own store has been a whole new level of fun and creativity, and I can’t wait for brides to experience what we’ve created!”
At SURE they are creating unique looks for each bride. Through the waves of trends, they are seeing that mikado (heavier weight silk), a stretch crepe, a butter satin, or detailed silk are now favored by brides. Custom gowns with high necklines and unexpected patterns, even 3D textured lace have made their debut in the wedding fashion world. And everyone says hello to a dramatic train because those are here to stay. SURE carries unique designers like Naama & Anat Couture, who are desired by brides across the country. They will also carry Freedom Veils, handmade veils made by girls rescued from human trafficking in India. “At SURE, we truly believe in finding amazing partnerships that make a difference in our world,” Bullock says. “Love and empowering others are not just things that we talk about, it is something we are actively trying to do with every part of our boutique.”
Join Bullock and her staff at the SURE Bride grand opening celebration on September 24th from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm.