Page 28 - Flathead Beacon // 3.4.15

28 | MARCH 4, 2015 FLATHEADBEACON.COM
BUSINESS
Renting Style for
Walking Down the Aisle
Online startup rents designer bridesmaid dresses for weddings
BSy MOLLY PRIDDY of the Beacon
pring is just around the corner in Northwest Montana, and along with the birds, flowers, and warmer days, another sure sign of winter’s end is the future brides and grooms getting ready
for the wild summer wedding season.
While weddings include fun and thrilling aspects for
those planning them and those involved, a hefty price tag can dampen the excitement.
Kristina Moreno understands the desire to get every- thing for a wedding without breaking the bank. Having spent the last 12 years in the fashion industry in Los Angeles, Moreno said she knows that what is trendy and designer-brand might also be too expensive
for most people.
Moreno, who moved home to the Flathead last summer thinking she was done with LA, ended up moving back to California for a job offer she couldn’t refuse: working with a startup ven- ture called Vow To Be Chic, which rents out designer bridesmaids’ dresses, as well as “lit-
tle white dresses,” meaning designer outfits
for brides for wedding-related events.
Groomsmen aren’t expected to buy a tuxedo for a wedding, she said, and brides- maids shouldn’t be saddled with buying a dress they will likely not wear again.
“It’s expensive to be a bridesmaid,” Moreno said. “We’ve averaged it out to be about $1,600. As we all know, based on our economy, that’s insanity.”
At Vow To Be Chic, brides and bridesmaids
can peruse designer duds and pick what they
want. Then, months before the wedding, two dresses are sent to the client for sizing options, and when a size is chosen, the dress arrives in the mail a week before the big day. Once the wedding is over, the bridesmaid or bride pops the dress into a prepaid enve- lope and sends it back to the company.
A dress available at Vow To Be Chic. COURTESY PHOTO
Breakaway & Stay Package Getaway! Breakaway from your
normal routine.
Treat yourself to a night out!
Package includes: 1 night lodging in our
historic hotel & brunch for two – $125
(does not include alcohol or lodging tax) Reservations required by 5pm previous Friday night. Available 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14, 3/28
The Historic Belton Chalet 406-888-5000 beltonchalet.com • 12575 Hwy 2 E., West Glacier