New Bridal Boutique With Luxury Wedding Wear To Open In Princeton

PRINCETON, NJ —Shopping for your big day can be extremely stressful, especially if you live in the Princeton area and have to make that long trip to New York City or Philadelphia for your wedding gown.

Looks like the Wedding Gods have finally answered your prayers.

Princeton Bridal, an exclusive bridal boutique is opening soon in the Municipality. The boutique will offer brides an exclusive, private wedding gown shopping experience.

Princeton resident Matija Tomasello has crafted a store that houses the most exquisite designer bridal wear. What sets Princeton Bridal apart from others is that the entire store shuts down for one appointment, so brides don’t have to share the space.

Patch caught up with Tomasello for a quick chat about her new store:

Tell us a little bit about your new store.

• Princeton Bridal is an exclusive, private appointment experience for brides near and far. I want every bride to feel catered to, feel special, and find the gown of their dreams while feeling like they are shopping with their best friend. The entire boutique closes for each appointment making each experience relaxing as brides sip champagne with their nearest and dearest. Each bridal designer line curated resonates with Princeton Bridal, and has a story or style that I really connect with - one that I hope our brides to connect with too. This should be the best part of their entire wedding planning journey. My goal is to have each bride walk out excited and feeling beautiful, ready to get married in the best gown they will ever wear.

What made you zero in on Princeton as a location for your business?

• My husband, two daughters (1 and 3) and I have been residents for a little over two years. I am a NJ native but moved to San Diego after college and ultimately met my husband there. After being away from family for a decade, we moved back to NJ, experienced a pandemic, and landed in our forever home here in Princeton. We love the community and everyone we have met so far. I realized there were no bridal boutiques nearby. Princeton brides were going to NYC or Philadelphia for high-end bridal gowns and premier bridal gown shopping experiences, and so Princeton Bridal was born.

Since the pandemic, many businesses have shut down for various reasons, including popular bridal stores like David’s Bridals. How challenging is it to run a small/independent business in this environment?

• I think it's hard to compare David's Bridal to small/independent businesses. Our business model is more catered to personalizing each bridal gown appointment versus selling just to hit numbers. I truly want each one of my brides to feel like they are the only bride because getting married is such a huge moment in a bride's life. Being a small boutique allows me to adjust and cater to what our brides need most. If we need to adjust to virtual appointments, at home appointments or whatever may be needed in the future, we can do that. For now, we are fortunate that our brides can have the full experience by walking through our doors.

What is the main USP of your store?

• The entire boutique is yours! There are no other brides sharing the space during this special moment. Champagne and treats are offered without any charge, unlike most boutiques. The designers curated are exclusive to our store. For example, Moira Hughes is an amazingly detailed designer only available in Australia, Ireland and the UK. We will be the first store in the entire US to carry their designs and couldn't feel more honored.
  If we aren't in an appointment, stop by! We love chatting with the community and meeting new people. We are friendly and love when little girls, our future brides, look at our mannequins in awe. I hope to make a positive impact within Princeton and truly bring something fun and beautiful to the community we live in.

Princeton Bridal will have its soft launch on Aug. 16 when the store officially opens its doors.

An official ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Sept. 15 at 4 p.m. The store is located at Princeton Shopping Center.

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com