Inspiring Conversations with Bea/Laura Wright/Semko of Becoming Bridal Alterations

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bea/Laura Wright/Semko.

Hi Bea/Laura, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Laura and I met four and a half years ago at a Christmas party. I worked as a contracted bridal seamstress, and Laura was homeschooling her four teens. We connected immediately, having a lot in common (musicals, books, British television), and quickly discovered that we both loved to sew. Laura began working with me soon after we met, and before we knew it, we were best friends. We worked as contractors until last fall when we finally leaped to start our own bridal alterations business. We wanted to work with brides to make them feel seen, heard, and cared for while helping them realize the dress of their dreams. Planning a wedding can be stressful, and the dress is one of the most important parts! We wanted an environment that felt fun and relaxing. Since opening, we’ve welcomed a little over one hundred brides, bridesmaids, moms, and flower girls into our lives and we’ve enjoyed getting to know each of them. Oh, and now we’re also neighbors. We’re living the dream.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our biggest obstacle at first was where to do the actual fittings! We didn’t have a lot of startup capital and strongly agreed that we wanted to minimize debt, so we were hesitant to rent a storefront or office space. We ultimately decided to continue working out of our homes, which presents its challenges! Most of our other struggles are likely very familiar to anyone who owns a small business. Learning where to order supplies, how to price fairly, and, most importantly, how to balance your workload with life. It’s easy to panic about whether or not there will be enough to keep your business going. We’ve been very fortunate that we opened a wedding-related business in a year with such a high number of weddings! It can be hard to get your name out there and show that you are trustworthy for brides to leave their precious gowns for us to take apart and put back together.

We’ve been impressed with Becoming Bridal Alterations, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We specialize in wedding dress alterations and customization. Brides bring their dresses to us to resize, shorten, and create a bustle, but we can also add straps or sleeves, change necklines, add fullness to the skirt, remove it, and so much more! Often, our clients aren’t very familiar with formal gowns and aren’t sure what can be done or how hard it might be to do. We talk with our brides before they come about what they’d like to have done, and then when we meet for the first time, we go over everything on their list and anything else we see that will make the dress fit perfectly. What sets us apart is that we try to understand how they want to look and what kind of silhouette makes them feel beautiful. So many of our brides have told us how much they appreciate our listening to them. We try to allow plenty of time for each fitting so brides can feel free to ask questions, play with different looks, and make sure they can walk, sit, dance, kneel, or do whatever they will need to do on their special day. We want our brides to know that each one of them is beautiful! Everybody, every age, and every bride is amazing, and we’ll do everything we can to help them feel as confident and comfortable as possible.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Relax! It’s easy to get caught up in a new business and let it overtake your life. Worrying doesn’t get you anywhere, and working every minute of every day is no way to live.

Pricing:

• Average alterations: $300-800
• Redesigns: $700+
• We are happy to give quotes based on photos.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.becomingbridalnc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingbridalnc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/becomingbridalnc

Image Credits
1: Wendy Jade Photography 2: Jennifer B. Photography 3: Mystical Rose Photography 4: Emily Prada Photography 5: Kami Arant Photography 6-8: Kelly Zelna