Lovely Bride Salon Coming to Georgetown in June

Lovely Bride is opening a bridal gown retail store and showroom at 1632 Wisconsin Avenue, in the space above Urban Chic.

The company is opening two new franchise locations, one in DC and one in Philadelphia, according to the company website. The Georgetown location could open as soon at June 15.

The DC location will be owned and operated by Julia Simon, a native of upstate New York who lives in the Mount Vernon Triangle area of the District.

She became familiar with Lovely Bride through her search for her own wedding gown and started getting the company newsletter.

"During my own wedding search, I realized there’s this gap in the market for a kind of younger, fresher, less expensive bridal store," she said during a phone interview with Patch.

When she saw that they were opening a location in Los Angeles, Simon reached out to say she thought they should open a location in DC. The owners got back to her and said they were actually interested in starting franchises.

While it has taken some patience as the company worked through the ins and outs of franchising, for Simon the pay off is the fulfillment of a long-held dream.

"I always dreamed of having my own business," said Simon.

She started looking for a space in Georgetown in October 2012, at first eyeing a space on 34th Street, but ultimately deciding on the Wisconsin Avenue spot because of the location on Book Hill and the amount of space—2,200 square feet.

"Much like the NYC and LA stores, Lovely DC was looking for a space with a romantic and welcoming feel, some historical character to play up, in neighborhood surrounded by other great small businesses, Georgetown offers all of that," Simon wrote in an email to Patch.

The store will offer dresses from the same designers as the New York and Los Angeles stores. Simon said she will select dresses that fit the DC market — something between New York's avant garde and the bohemian tendencies of Los Angeles.

Designers will include:

• Anne Barge
• Carol Hannah
• Elizabeth Dye
• Hayley Paige
• Ivy & Aster
• Lea-Ann Belter
• Nichole Miller
• Sarah Janks
• Sarah Seven
• Theia
• Watters

For more information on Lovely DC, email: dc@lovelybride.com.