Chicago Trip

We recently took a trip to Chicago for The National Bridal Market and had an absolute blast! It was a 2 day trip that wasn't hardly long enough. We left Richmond on Sunday morning and got back to Richmond on Monday night. The 4 hour drive there included lots of coffee and story telling. We made a few stops here and there for refills and sugar treats but really the determination to get there minimized the stops! Now, even though it was a short lived trip it was a very educational and inspiring trip. It is always great meeting other store owners and finding out the little things that they do to stay successful.

Co-Owner Kim English, store helper Annette Trotter, and myself, intern Brooke Alderman were the lucky ones who got to go on the trip. We went there looking for Bridal merchandise and we found exactly that along with diamonds, prom dresses, and The Style Maxx floor! The trip was definitely a successful one! We got to see our vendors such as Allure, Clairisse, Benjamin Walker, and MacDuggal! We also got to see gowns from possible vendors in the future. Things that we saw in a lot of vendors collections were lace, flower embellishments, and vibrant bridesmaids dresses. Allure and Mon Cheri rocked the runways with their exquisit gowns covered in lace and crystals. Those two vendors favorited the key hole in their lace embroidered mermaid silhouette styled gowns. It looks spectacular on the models and we loved the look so much that I can almost guarantee you will see it in our store next season. 

Overall this trip to Chicago was another fun day away from the store that we were so lucky to do. Attending fashion shows, seeing beautiful gowns all day, and sneaking off to The Style Maxx floor are all things that made this Chicago Trip a very special one. Luckily we get to go twice a year :)

xoxo,
Formal Affairs