Several Recent Reviews On One Wed.....
Andrea's Vintage Bridal is the best bridal shop I have been to in the Twin Cities. She has hand picked hundreds of gowns and all are in mint condition. She has a wide assortment of gowns from the 1930's to the present. She even has some gowns that are "current". She personally helped me pick out several gowns, even ones I initially didn't consider. The prices are right too! She has a connection with a woman who does alterations. Lots of the gowns have sleeves, which I wasn't particularly interested in. She reminded me that it is easy to "take away" from dresses, so overall, if you like a dress, it is easy to make it look like I dreamed. She has TONS of accessories, all are so beautiful and fun. Shoes, earrings, necklaces, hats, veils, slips, purses...you name it, she's got it. It was so much fun trying all of them on. This is a great shop. I chose to but a used gown because it is the environmentally responsible thing to do, is cost effective, and I get to support a local business. This is a wonderful bridal shop for the bride who has a good idea of what kind of dress she wants to wear, is creative, and wants to make her wedding her own.
Andrea offers a very personalized shopping experience. She is uncannily able to hone in on your style and body type to help find the best options and help you narrow them in a helpful way. Never pushy, she offers great advise about potential alterations that could change the look of the dress for you. There is an amazing selection of dresses considering they are vintage...
The variety of dresses was staggering. I was encouraged to try on a lot of different things, and to envision how they could be changed to fit my style. I didn't feel overwhelmed by the selection, as happened at other dress shops. Andrea was personally there to offer suggestions and tips on how dresses could be tailored....I found the vintage dresses more comfortable, more flattering, quite a bit simpler ( fewer flounces, petticoats, beadwork) and much much cheaper. I got to play dress up for 2 hours and then found the right dress for me!
Voted Best Vintage Bridal Shop 2008
Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine
What We Found: Something Old
By Melissa Colgan MSP Aisle File 2008
As a retail editor in this market, it is not often that I am blown away. But every time I think that I've seen it all, some great little store jumps onto my radar.
Although I'm about as far away from "I Do" and Happily Ever After" as one can get, I've been steeped in our local bridal industry lately as I work to pull together the cover shoot for Mpls.St. Paul Weddings (hitting news stands in September). I've been in and out of some of our best bridal boutiques, but it wasn't until I wandered into Blake Antiques in Hopkins that I developed a new appreciation for the fairy-tale gown.
Andrea's Vintage Bridal (based on the bottom floor of Blake) is comprised of owner Andrea Erickson's collection of antique and vintage bridal gowns-ruffled, ankle-length, war-era dresses; '70s Renaissance-style hippie gowns, and '60s Jackie O. shifts-all in mint or near-mint condition.
Armed with a talented seamstress and a bit of imagination, a vintage gown can be trimmed and tailored to look new. A high lace collar can give way to a beautiful sweetheart neckline; a sweeping train can be made into a cropped bolero; a colored grograin ribbon may give a new look to the nipped waist of a '50s dress-the possibilities are endless.
A Recent 5 Out Of 5 Rating On Wedding Wire...
Although I did not actually buy my dress from Andrea, her shop is filled with the most beautiful array of gowns and dresses. I fell in love with 4 of her dresses but didn't budget enough time for alterations...
They were all in amazing condition and she has so many styles from so many decades that I had to look at everything twice. Andrea was also quite visionary when it came to the possibilities of altering a gown to help it become your vision, yet keep it's vintage appeal. The best part about this experience was when Andrea emailed me later that evening with links to different sites and gowns that she had researched for me based on what she knew I was looking for...and that's how I found my perfect dress. I would recommend this shop to anyone looking for the perfect and unique dress, along with the experience.
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