Here Comes the Bridal Shop

For every bride-to-be, finding the perfect wedding dress should be as stress-free as possible.

Mother/daughter team Karen and Samantha Rauch, owners of Say I Do Bridal Boutique in Caldwell, work hard at making the process a breeze. The pair recently moved their shop to 382 Bloomfield Ave., relocating from West Caldwell.

"When we rented the store in West Caldwell," said Samantha, "we were in a shopping center. Nobody could find us unless they came into the mall to do other shopping."

After being in that location for two years, they eventually found a storefront in the downtown that suited their sensibilities. "We wanted to be in an area that was less commercial and more perfect for a boutique," Samantha added.

Their quaint shop features everything from gowns, bridal party and mother-of-the-bride dresses to head pieces, accessories and communion dresses. Say I Do carries an assortment of gowns by top designers that include Jasmine Bridal, Alfred Sung Bridal, Venus Bridal, Mikaella Bridal and more. Some of the bridesmaid lines include Belsoie, B2 and Bari Jay.

The selection was one of the things that drew bride-to-be Myra Alfonso to the shop.

"If you're looking for something that you're not going to see other girls wear," said Alfonso, who is getting married in October 2011, "I would say go to Say I Do. They carry a collection of dresses by designers that other bridal shops in New Jersey don't carry."

A former resident of Caldwell, Alfonso knew of the shop when it was located in West Caldwell. After she got engaged, she happened upon the new location after visiting several other bridal stores.

"I went in randomly," Alfonso said, "not even expecting to try on any dresses and I fell in-love with Samantha and her mom. They were very helpful and I liked the feeling that their shop is very personal."

That personal touch is something Karen Rauch, a resident of Verona, knows a lot about, having worked in the wholesale clothing manufacturing business for a number of years.

"I worked in customer service and managing a garment factory," said Karen. "My background before that was textile design. I've been in the industry for about thirty years." She said she later took a retail job in a bridal shop.

Samantha, who graduated from Montclair State University in 2007 and also lives in Verona, has always had a love of fashion. "I've always had a passion for it," Samantha said. "It's fun and I'm a people person."

Starting a shop together was something mom and daughter always wanted to do. After ruling out accessories and several other ideas, they settled on the bridal industry. "We decided to do this because it's specialty," explained Karen. "People are always getting married."

Toni Safonte, whose wedding is scheduled for this October, said she felt a sense of comfort working with Karen and Samantha. "I went to many other bridal stores that made me feel pressured and showed me the same dresses over and over," said Salfonte, who lives in Cedar Grove. "But once I stepped into Say I Do, I knew this small bridal boutique would offer me more."

In addition to housing couture gowns, the Rauches also pride themselves on having sample sizes to fit every bride who walks through the door. Most sample dresses, they explained, are cut two sizes smaller than what appears on the label. "For that reason," said Samantha, "we make sure we have samples for all sizes. We have 16, 18 and 20, and smaller sizes because we don't want any customer to get discouraged because they can't fit the sample sizes."

To ensure the fit is just right, Say I Do employs two seamstresses; one is a bridal specialist and the other works on the shop's all-occasion wear.

Their busy schedule is proof that they've cornered the market on pleasing their customers. This month, they've got five brides who are getting married and ten for the month of October.

So how far in advance should a bride come into the shop?

"We like to tell people to leave six-to-eight months ahead of time to purchase their wedding dress," said Samantha. "Most of our girls do 10 to 12 months ahead of time. We do have some who come in with less time and we really try to work with them to get them a dress they'll love."