A little more about us Spotlight on New York's Finest as featured in Well Wed Magazine Spring/Summer 2007
With
good reason, first-time visitors to Something Bleu Bridal in Saratoga
Springs may think they've stumbled into another country, or even another
era. Stepping into the stunningly renovated 19th century Victorian home
on the town's historic Grant Plaza, brides-to-be find themselves in a
grand ballroom whose fine woodwork and three fireplaces provide a warm and
luxurious backdrop for a dazzling display of European wedding gowns in luminous
shades of champagne and ivory. All of this is the vision of the woman with
the colorful Amazon parrot perched on her shoulder, owner Denise Eliopulos.
The unique, romantic atmosphere of the bridal boutique, which moved
from its Broadway storefront five years ago and a reputation for personal
customer focused service, has made Something Bleu (whose name was recently
changed from Immortal Beloved) a destination for brides who come from
as far away as Mexico and Japan to this upstate resort town. And, of
course, there are the dresses themselves. Personally selected by Eliopulos
from the ateliers of dressmakers in London, Paris and Barcelona, many
of these gowns are sold in the U.S. through Something Bleu exclusively.
While they don't all share a uniform "look," Eliopulos describes
her European gowns as "demure, romantic, and ladylike. Brides come
to us for a modern look with a touch of Marie Antoinette." Fine
corsetry from France is one of the store's specialties, and Eliopulos
adds, "We also dress mothers of the bride who don't want to look
like mothers of the bride." Something Bleu regularly hosts trunk
shows with designers from France and for those customers who can't find
exactly what they want, Denise works with a French-Canadian designer,
Lea-Ann Belter,
who
makes one-of-a-kind dresses by hand.
Eliopulos' fascination with Continental style goes back to her own
search for a wedding dress, in the early '90s. "I wanted something
very romantic and European," she says. That was surprisingly hard
to find, and when Eliopulos did get her gownmade by a British designer
visiting New York-she was inspired to share her discovery with others,
creating a stand alone bridal shop next to her Hawaiian inspired clothing
store, Bird of Paradise. Now celebrating her 25th year in business,
Eliopulos is no less excited about her more recent finds, and about making
them accessible for brides on this side of the Atlantic. And as rare
and beautiful as her gowns are, Eliopulos stresses that they are not
out of reach even for brides on a budget: "We
have dresses at moderate, medium and couture-level prices. This is a
place where anyone can afford to be treated like a queen and enjoy the
atmosphere."
