Spartanburg mother and daughter open bridal shop to give brides a memorable shopping day
A Spartanburg mother and daughter have teamed up to create a memorable bridal shopping experience for the big day.
Veronica Belle-Carter and her daughter Taylor Patenaude opened Love Me Some Lace on Oct. 1 at 155 E. Broad St., Suite C in downtown Spartanburg.
They were inspired to open a bridal shop while preparing for Patenaude's 2017 wedding. The mother and daughter booked a shopping appointment at a Charlotte, North Carolina bridal boutique where they got five-star treatment. They drank champagne and had a private, personalized try-on session.
However, when they checked out, they found that the experience was included in the price of the dress.
"The veil that I had tried on was almost half the price of my dress," Patenaude said. The pair decided to pick up a veil at David's Bridal on their way out of town.
"We walked in, and unfortunately, it wasn't the same experience," Patenaude said. "And we kind of chalked that up to not as much of the funds going into solidifying the experience."
An experience at Love Me Some Lace
Belle-Carter and Patenaude felt sure there was a way to provide memorable experiences and reasonable prices to brides shopping for their big day.
Today, at their downtown Spartanburg bridal boutique, Love Me Some Lace, they aim to do that for every customer.
The mother and daughter are the second in their family to head into the wedding industry. Belle-Carter's husband, Patenaude's father, James Carter has run Empire Ltd, a tuxedo shop and haberdashery, in the Upstate for more than a decade.
"It was like everything just fell into place seamlessly. We talked about it at the end of July, the beginning of August. By September, we were signing the lease, and we opened October 1," Belle-Carter said of finding their spot downtown.
Beyond browsing at the new Spartanburg bridal shop
Love Me Some Lace offers off-the-rack wedding dresses in sizes 0-28, and custom dresses, veils and other bridal accessories. Some of their carried brands include WToo and Elena Morar.
"We have the different silhouettes, of course — your A-line, your fit and flare, your ballgown," Belle-Carter said.
Brides can book an appointment on the boutique's website to try on dresses with a group of up to six supporters Tuesday-Thursday or can book a Wife of the Party event and rent out the whole shop for dinner and dress shopping. When scheduled brides come in, they'll find a personalized sign greeting them at the door and a large dressing room set aside for them.
Love Me Some Lace also does its best to accommodate brides on a budget. Off-the-rack dresses range up to $2,500, and the boutique offers payment plans.
Regardless of which dress shopping experience a bride chooses or how much she chooses to spend, Belle-Carter and Patenaude prioritize the shopping experience and make it as fun and stress-free as possible.
"Whether the bride buys a dress or doesn't, I always ask them, 'Did you have fun?' Like, was this a fun experience because that's what it should be," Patenaude said.
How to shop at Love Me Some Lace
Love Me Some Lace is located at 155 E. Broad St., Suite C in downtown Spartanburg. The shop is open by appointment Tuesday-Thursday and for walk-ins from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 12-4 p.m. Sunday.
Samantha Swann covers city news, development and culture in Spartanburg. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her at sswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sam_on_spartanburg.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg bridal shop gives brides a fun shopping experience
