Minnesota woman Lorraine Love recently made history as the first to open a Black-owned Bridal store in the state.
According to Kare11, Lorraine officially opened Saint Paul-based boutique LaNoire Bridal (The Black Bridal) in May. She reportedly launched the shop to bring diversity to the bridal industry and give brides an experience where they feel appreciated.
“The bridal industry, I know it lacks diversity and representation of different cultures and backgrounds,” she told Kare11. “I get tons of customers that walk into this bridal shop and share their experience that wasn’t so comfortable, wasn’t so welcoming.”
She added that searching for designers, including Black ones, who cater to a diverse group of individuals has been an essential aspect of her business.
“A lot of my designers, their customizations are unlimited,” Love said.
One of her loyal clients, Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez of Richfield, shared her positive experience with Lorraine’s business.
“My mother-in-law was with me. She came from Miami,” Maria said. “She doesn’t speak English and felt very comfortable right away. My girlfriends came. They allowed us to put our music on. They had amazing food and drinks for us.”
She continued, saying “the wedding industry” makes “women feel like they need to fit a certain mold.”
“I think the wedding industry caters to making women feel like they need to fit a certain mold, and it can be really uncomfortable,” Maria said. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case LaNoire Bridal.
“I’m really excited about my dress because I think it’s actually really reflective of my Mexican culture and background,” she gushed. “I’m definitely going to save my dress. I would love to pass it down to my kids.”
The bridal company currently works with over ten designers to customize gowns.
“It was really important for me not only to seek out Black designers but also designers that would cater to a diverse group of individuals,” Lorraine said.
Since her trailblazing shop opened, she’s sold about 30 bridal gowns. She even revealed to Kare11 that she wants to open more LaNoire stores nationwide.
