New bridal boutique opens with affordable luxury wedding dresses in west Charlotte

The new luxury bridal boutique next to Archive CLT at 2023 Beatties Ford Road will open Friday, Feb. 24.

Why it matters: Brides shouldn’t lose out on their dream wedding dresses, owners Tracie and Jennifer Mackins say, because of out-of-reach price tags — especially as the average wedding costs become more expensive.

• The shop will feature luxury designer dresses all for under $2,000 in store. Custom-designed dresses will be the only dresses offered above that price point.
• “Most bridal shops have prices set at five, six and up to $10,000. Everybody may not want to spend that amount on what many people view as a one-wear dress,” Tracie said.

Background: The owners, who are sisters, come from a family of business owners in west Charlotte.

• The Charlotte natives say that they’ve hoped to open a bridal boutique for years, and that the location couldn’t have been a better fit. Their current shop previously belonged to their godparents. Their parents also own two businesses in the area.
• “The west side is important to us because our godparents had a beauty salon in this space, so we’ve grown up right here. It’s kind of like a full circle moment,” Tracie said.

Inventory: Expect a range of dress styles including anything whimsical to full beaded, sparkles, embellishment options plus accessories. 

• Dresses are available in sizes 00 to 30. They can be shipped in four to six weeks.
• Tracie tells us it was important for their store to offer options for all shapes and sizes, so every dress will come in three different sizes to try on in-store.
• “A lot of the shops we went into weren’t very size inclusive. They had maybe up to a size 16 in bridal. It’s always better to have to clamp you into a bigger dress rather than having you feel like I can’t even get this on,” Jennifer said.

Bonus: The “bee experience” is a service that allows you to rent out the boutique to share a dress try-on experience with family and friends.

• The reserved time will include snacks, charcuterie boards and champagne for the entire group.

Hours: The shop will be open daily from 11am to 6 pm and by appointment only on Wednesdays.

• Appointments are not required on days outside of Wednesday but are encouraged if you want a one-on-one experience. 

What’s next: The Mackins sisters plan to assist aspiring designers in the community.

• In the coming months, they hope to provide a paid internship opportunity to any high school student who wants to pursue a future in fashion and design.