Photos by Jordan Jankun Photography
At Wild Blooms Bridal, brides-to-be can shop gorgeous indie gowns and plan unforgettable ceremonies in Dutchess County.
Wild Blooms Bridal wants brides to be their truest selves.
For the Wappingers Falls bridal shop, uniqueness is the name of the game when it comes to wedding day planning. Inside its home base on West Main Street, the store excels at creating customizable experiences to ensure that everyone who steps foot inside the shop walks away with a gown that is 100-percent a representation of who they are.
“Brides get the entire boutique to themselves when coming to try on dresses, so it make it very personal, private, and comfortable,” explains owner Lauren Pasternak. A Poughkeepsie native, Pasternak got her start in hospitality and events in New York City before relocating back to the Hudson Valley. She fell into the world of weddings by accident after helping a friend plan her ceremony.
 |
 |
“I quickly started taking on weddings in the Hudson Valley area and knew this was what I was meant to be doing,” she says. Over the past four years, she expanded her expertise to include floral design, décor, and even yoga. All the while, she held onto the notion of one day extending her business to a brick-and-mortar location. She knew that many of the brides she worked with were not able to find the indie gowns they craved in the Hudson Valley, so she made it her mission to fill that void.
At the beginning of November, Pasternak turned her dream into a reality when she opened Wild Blooms Bridal. Not just a bridal gown shop, the store is a full-service wedding planning enterprise.
In addition to scouting the dress of their dreams, brides-to-be can work with Pasternak to plan every detail of their big day. Depending on how much they want to customize their ceremony, this could mean anything from floral design and rentals to pre-wedding yoga classes and post-reception honeymoons.
“When I work with couples to plan their wedding, I become very close with them and really understand their vision to properly execute it,” she says, adding that her ability to incorporate customized décor and florals adds to the uniqueness of each collaboration. “It makes it a seamless process for both the couple and myself to have one vendor who really gets what they are looking for.”
Of course, it all starts with the gown. Inside Wild Blooms, Pasternak makes a point to stock affordable, fashion-forward dresses from independent designers like Lis Simon and Madi Lane Bridal. To pair with them, she keeps the one-of-a-kind theme going with options for custom denim and leather jackets, along with garters, crystal crowns, and more.
As for the in-store experience, that too is all about the bride and just the bride. During each appointment, Pasternak gives the full run of the store to her brides to they can have a completely private session without outside distractions from other shoppers. Pasternak is always onsite to chat dresses, flowers, pre-wedding yoga sessions, and the ceremony overall.
“It’s like a private VIP session for every bride to have a place that they can dream, create, learn, and have fun,” she explains. “[A bride] can try on every dress we have in the shop if she would like and not worry about other brides and families being there while she walks around in a robe and slippers.”
Due to the personalized nature of the boutique, Wild Blooms operates on an appointment-only basis from Tuesday to Saturday. Up to four guests are allowed, and Pasternak welcomes bridal inspiration photos to help stylists get a better sense of preferred designs. With its selection of indie brands alongside private designers and previously worn gowns, the store keeps prices around the $1,000 to $3,000 price range.
 |
 |
In addition to owning Wild Blooms Bridal, Pasternak is a certified yoga instructor.
And that’s only the dresses. On the services end of things, Wild Blooms Bridal offers wedding packages, floral design, yoga classes, and honeymoon planning. Pasternak is happy to work with individual budgets to ensure each ceremony (or elopement, because she does that too) is just as the couple envisions.
Admittedly, it helps that she’s surrounded by an unofficial wedding planning community in Wappingers Falls.
“It is such a wedding planning hotspot!” she enthuses. “There is Sweetbakes Café right next to me, MSV Entertainment down the road, di’Vine Wine Bar which I have held rehearsal dinners at, Revival on Main hair studio, and just so many other wonderful businesses.”
Although Wild Blooms Bridal is new to Dutchess County, Pasternak looks forward to developing her shop as a go-to destination for soon-to-be brides in the region. Add to that her plans to collaborate with fellow Wappingers Falls business owners, and she’s excited to continue planning stylish, nontraditional weddings for brides and grooms throughout the Hudson Valley.
“I love how every wedding and every bride is so different, and I just love being a small part of their day.”
Wild Blooms Bridal
2691 West Main St, Wappingers Falls
