Wed Altered Issue 1

I
‘ve admired Erin’s spirit and the
reputation she’s built with
brides in the midwest since she
opened 5 years ago, so I was
excited we got to hear all about the
big moves she’s been making to
grow recently! She also gave us a
peek at the beautiful new space her
store(s) call home...
You're based in Pittsburgh. Tell me
a little about what sets your city
apart?
Pittsburgh is a vibrant city with a
strong history of industry and
innovation. We're also quite friendly
and hard-working. All of those
things combined create
communities that appreciate and
actively support creatives, small
businesses, and the arts.
What led to you opening your
store?
As my friends started getting
married, I would go shopping with
them and look around at the
traditional wedding gowns
thinking, "If this was me, I wouldn't
want to wear any of these!" I was
also pretty turned off by the
salespeople that would assume and
assert that a bride would have to
do/say/wear certain things, just
because she was a woman getting
married. I felt so strongly that I
decided there was no way I was the
only person who felt that way. I then
found that there were small,
independent designers that were
creating unique and more relaxed
wedding dresses, and I knew that I
had to crack the industry traditions
wide open and share those dresses
with like-minded people, through a
more laid-back and accepting
shopping experience.
What's your biggest piece of
advice for other store owners?
Now that there are so many more
non-traditional designers and
stores, you have to work harder to
stand out. Don't just look to what
everyone similar to you is doing.;
keep an eye out for what resonates
with you personally, and listen to
what your clients are asking for.
Why do you love
what you do?
The most
rewarding thing to
me is when a client
walks in, sees our
selection, and just
knows that her
dress is here.
Finding that
perfect fit - both in
style options and
environment - can
mean so much;
taking the anxiety
and nervousness out of the
shopping process, and letting them
know that there's a place where
they can embrace and celebrate
their individuality.
Quick Details:
Price range - $2,000-$8,000
Number of fitting rooms - 1 for
private bridal appointments, 4 total
Staff/team? - It’s myself and two
amazing stylists.
3 words to describe your store vibe -
Sophisticated, relaxed, inspiring
3 words to describe your bride -
Free-spirited, confident, original
Bridal only or other departments? -
Bridal as well as special occasion;
fashion-forward cocktail and
evening dresses
How do you spread the work
around when things get really
busy? Do you have a team, an
intern, outsource social media? Do
it all yourself?
Ha, I feel like things are always
really busy! We have a great team of
three: myself and two incredible
stylists that perfectly embody the
vibe of the Luna brand. We rotate
leading bridal appointments, but
most of the behind the scenes
business work is all on me. I am
constantly trying new things to
streamline all of that. I'm working
on becoming the entrepreneur who
checks email only at specific times
of day, and - again - I use
spreadsheets and checklists to keep
tasks organized. My accounting
background also really helps when
it comes to bookkeeping; I'm the
rare business owner who can do
and enjoys doing my own
bookkeeping! I use Later to plan out
Instagram posts (when I can), and
our stylists also contribute to our IG
stories.
What's a struggle you've faced and
how did it help you and your
business grow?
When I opened Glitter & Grit five
years ago, the space I fell in love
with was very small - less than 750
square feet! It created limitations on
how many brides we could see in a
day, and in what we could carry in
the store. I really wanted to expand
our offerings with more
fashion-forward bridal options, as
well as other special occasion
dresses. Last fall, we opened our
sister store, Luna, to do just that. It
quickly became clear that
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