Pocatello shop helps brides find wedding dresses for $500 or less

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BIZ BUZZ

POCATELLO

Here Comes the Bride On a Budget serves customers in Pocatello

POCATELLO – Finding a wedding dress is a challenge for many women planning their weddings. That was the case for Heather Gonzales, and it led her to start her own business.

The Pocatello woman is the owner of Here Comes the Bride On a Budget at 155 South 2nd Avenue inside the historic Brick and Rail building. The brick-and-mortar opened last May, but it launched as an online business in 2023.

Gonzales tells EastIdahoNews.com she’s had a good response from the community.

“People are hesitant to get a wedding dress they can’t try on. That’s definitely a barrier with online sales,” Gonzales says. “I’ve been pretty steady with customers coming in (to the store).”

It offers a variety of wedding gowns. Most are new, though some have been tried on before. She also offers consignment dresses — gowns that others are trying to sell.

A grant from Business Women of Pocatello, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering and educating women in business, allowed her to open the physical location. Gonzalez is the acting vice president for the organization.

The inspiration for the shop stemmed from Gonzales’s own experience. As she was getting married in 2024, she tells EastIdahoNews.com it was a challenge to find an affordable dress in her size.

“I saw a lot of other brides having the same issues,” Gonzales recalls. “You want to have that bridal experience of trying on the dress and having friends and family there in a pretty setting. It’s hard to do that on a budget. I wanted to create that for (customers).”

As a full-time employee at Allstate, customer service is a business Gonzales is familiar with. It’s that aspect of running the bridal shop that she enjoys the most.

She loves interacting with those who walk into the boutique and hearing their stories.

“It’s always fun to hear their story about how they met their fiancé. Sometimes friends and family get involved and start talking about their own weddings and reminiscing. I love the people aspect,” says Gonzales.

She’s hoping to continue serving customers at this location and “keep prices affordable.”

Here Comes the Bride On a Budget is open Friday from 3 to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Customers can schedule private appointments to try on dresses anytime.

Visit the company’s Instagram or Facebook page for more information.

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