Meet En Blanc | Halfpenny London Stockist
I’m so lucky to work with some of the most wonderful small business owners in the bridal world and when I met Bridget and her team at En Blanc I knew we were a match made in heaven! For any readers lucky enough to live near Santa Monica, I’ll be joining the En Blanc team for a designer day on the 8th February so come along and see me if you can! In the meantime, let me introduce you to this gorgeous boutique…
Bridget, tell us a little about yourself.
“I am a lover of live music and dancing. Firm believer that the ocean heals ANYTHING. My favourite feeling in the world is ugly laughing with friends and family. Fulfilling my 15 year long dream of owning my own bridal shop and never been happier in my life. Southern Born (new Orleans), east coast raised, and now living in and loving Southern California. The first wedding gown I ever fell in love with was Grace Kelly's high neck lace stunner and ever since I have been obsessed with the fashion side of bridal. I am an avid traveler who just got finished with a life-changing trip around the world with my saint of a husband, Ryan, who patiently puts up with my shenanigans. I appreciate good wit, good wine, and wanderlust.....but enough about me.”
How did you get into the bridal business?
“I started my career in fashion and then left to go into finance knowing one day I'd come back to fashion on my own terms. Strangely, when I left fashion is when my love for bridal really started. I started submerging myself in the industry and quickly found how special it is. There's no other industry where you can so easily combine your love for fashion and your love for LOVE. After talking about it for only 15 years, I finally took the leap 2 years ago and haven't looked back since. The fact that I'm able to spend my day sharing these special moments with my brides just makes me feel so incredibly lucky and I wouldn't trade it for the world! I have the most incredible team at En Blanc and probably the coolest brides in the world if I do say so myself.”
Describe your boutique in one word:
“Fresh.”
Where is your boutique and why did you choose that area?
“Santa Monica CA. My happy place, a block away from the Pacific ocean. We saw a need for coastal California brides to have another option out there. Boho was saturating the market in California and we wanted to bring fashion and romanticism back into the equation for brides. I felt that this was simply missing in LA. We're paying close attention to trends but most importantly, staying true to classic bridal at the same time.”
What can brides to be expect when visiting your boutique?
“So many brides walk into our boutique and immediately say out loud ‘I just want to move in here’! Comfort and inclusion are VERY important to me. Every girl that walks through that door, no matter the age, size, sex, etc. deserves to know how gorgeous they are and it is our job make them feel that. You can expect a stylist that listens to you, knows the product, and is truly engaged with helping you find the perfect dress for YOU. You can expect so much more after leaving our boutique as well. We know the journey is just starting when finding the dress and the follow up elements are as important as the moment when they find the one. We're not just selling dresses but also developing relationships with these gorgeous girls!”
What do you love about Santa Monica?
“Santa Monica is located in west LA. We love the ocean and being a block away from the beach just makes us and our brides so happy. Santa Monica is hip, it's fresh, it's stylish, it's relaxed but super ambitious at the same time. The weather is basically always 75-80 degrees so there's a lot of reason to spend a lot of time outside and enjoy the sunshine. It allows for a melting pot of races and personalities which I love. You can go 5 years living here and still have an extensive list of things you haven't done here yet. It's an amazing place to live.”
Any insider tips for the area?
“Jump in the water, go to the pier, drive the PCH, visit the hills, have a glass of rose at the Rose Cafe, people watch at muscle beach, enjoy brunch at the Ivy, and shop on Abbot Kinney!”
What drew you to Halfpenny London?
“Kate Halfpenny is a master of silhouettes and just crushes it in the game of designing for a woman. You put her gowns on and in an instant, you feel feminine, proper and sexy all at the same time. The separates that she's bringing to bridal is so refreshing and fun and our brides are LOVING the new options that she's bringing to bridal.”
Which is your favourite piece from the Halfpenny London collection and why?
“This is a hard one, but right now, I am absolutely LOVING the Christian Skirt paired with basically ANYTHING. Then there's always the classic Cheryl who will always have my heart.”
If you could use one word to describe Halfpenny London, what would it be?
“Timeless.”
Far from traditional bridal boutiques, En Blanc was created for the modern LA bride offering private bridal gown consultations in the privacy and comfort of her own space. From start to finish, their stylists and gown consultations offer a fresh and unique way to pick “the one” with your girls. I can’t wait to visit this wonderful store in February and soak up some of that California sunshine!
Love,
Kate & the Halfpennys xxx
En Blanc is located at 2917 1/2 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA
Email: hello@enblancla.com
Tel: (310) 403-0331