We strive to make the bridal gown shopping experience transparent, fun and stress-free. We find ourselves constantly saying "it's just a dress. it's not a big deal. this is about more than your outfit." Weddings are celebrations and we want you to feel confident and be able to stay true to yourself. But we don't believe it's going to be the best day of your life. It will be a kick ass day, but it will be the start of even more adventures to come. Let's not take this whole thing so seriously, we want you to have some fun!

What is Urban Set Bride's origin story?

Christine starting planning weddings in 2011 as a part-time hustle. Fast forward to 2013, she was ready to leave her full-time job and become a self-employed boss babe. She asked her mom to join her side to help her open up a brick and mortar bridal shop and continue to grow her wedding planning company.

As of 2017, they've been voted Richmond's Best Bridal shop for three years in a row!

What is one of your favorite projects you've ever worked on?

We had two brides visit the shop at the same time, hoping to find gowns that represented their style perfectly. With two brides and a mom, we distracted one bride with a computer screen and headphones while the other shopped. The mom, along with us, helped both brides find gowns that made sense for their personalities and body types AND that paired well with the other one.

Both brides got married the next year and were brought to tears during their first look as they saw each other for the first time before their vows. It was an honor to help both of them feel stunning.

How are you a "wedding space disrupter”?

Bridal shop options are usually limited to 1) chain store that is far from personal but are affordable options 2) a locally owned boutique that has a limited selection, higher prices and may not be very welcoming based on your lifestyle 3) or an upscale, intimate boutique that can be pricey and a little snobby.

We think every bride deserves a personalized, chill, private appointment WITHOUT a $4000 price tag. We go out of our way to make sure everyone knows we welcome ALL lifestyles and ALL body types. We even have a giant sticker that says that on our window.

We don't shy away from letting our potential customers and other business owners know where we stand on equal rights, feminism and the representation of different body types and skin colors in our marketing efforts.

If we lose potential clients over our political beliefs, that's a risk we are willing to take.

What three ingredients are necessary for a great day at Urban Set Bride?

1. Happy brides with an open mind

2. An encouraging (and small) group of family and/or friends to root them on

3. and CHAMPAGNE (with enough to share!)

What are some traits of your ideal client?

Women who believe in themselves. Women who don't buy in to the hype of the wedding industry and strive to invest their wedding dollars back in to their communities by supporting local, boss-babe owned businesses. And women who trust us to help make them look and feel spectacular.

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