As Jan Patterson, owner of Boca Raton Bridal, knows all too well, weddings can be a time of both overwhelming beauty and great stress. “It’s like childbirth,” she says. “Until you do it, you have no idea. It’s not for the faint of heart.”
To that end, in her 18 years in the bridal business, Patterson has encountered all manner of brides and their mothers, some with stories that aren’t fit for print. But it’s Patterson’s response to even the most unusual requests that helps set Boca Raton Bridal apart. “We’ve had clients that will text me at 6 in the morning, or call at 12 at night,” she says. “We come in off hours to help them out, make them feel better, accommodate them.”
For such a seasoned expert in wedding attire, Patterson admits she entered the business “completely by accident.” At the recommendation of a friend, she leased a space in a small industrial park in Boca in 2005. She soon moved it to a better location on Federal Highway and transformed it into its lavish current incarnation. As the largest bridal designer showroom in the state, the 15,000-square-foot shop is stocked with designers that soon-to-be brides are unlikely to find anywhere else in the area, including Amsale, Leah da Gloria and Arava Polak.
“We have some lines that are really hard to find in the U.S.—international designers that have smaller collections,” Patterson says. “I like to work with ateliers that still make gowns in-house if at all possible; that way I know the designer’s eye is always on the gown. I focus heavily on the patterning and design. In this business, fit is everything.”
But Boca Raton Bridal is more than a bridal shop. As the store has expanded, Patterson has begun to specialize in eveningwear from such important designers as Audrey + Brooks, Peter Langner, Amsale and Tarik Ediz. “We really try to focus on unique pieces,” she says. “That’s what I love about eveningwear. It’s got to be beautiful and hit all the right places, but I like to buy gowns that don’t look like everybody else. I do the same in bridal. That’s why having that much space and longevity allows me to put extra money into fashion-forward designs.”
These days, customers are as likely to shop at Boca Raton Bridal for high-fashion gowns for charity galas, holiday parties, bar mitzvahs and luncheons as they are for wedding couture—with boldness making a big comeback. “Eveningwear has seen a fantastic shift as of late. Our clients are no longer trying to blend in. Today’s woman likes to make a statement,” Patterson says. “For years, it was a very muted, pastel palette. Today our clients are more focused on looking and feeling fabulous. Bright, bold colors, stunning prints and unique fabrics are what our clients are in search of.”
And potential buyers can rest assured that, whether they’re looking for the perfect wedding dress or a gown that will dazzle anyone’s social pages, they can count on Patterson’s honest approach to her business. “I don’t mess around and mark things up to mark them down. It’s never ‘the sale is today,’” she says. “I’m aboveboard and transparent. My clients have to be happy, and I will die on the cross making that happen. Anyone who runs into a problem, I won’t rest until it’s perfect. That is how I function at all times. I’m not in this business for the money; I run it with my heart.”
Visit Boca Raton Bridal at 3698 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, or call 561/447-6541. For more information, visit bocaratonbridal.com
This post is sponsored by Boca Raton Bridal
