My Biz: Bridal shop owner loves “heavenly atmosphere”

Heart to Heart Bridal, a full-service bridal shop, is hard to miss.

'Everybody knows where this place is, even guys,” said owner Scott Jeffers. 'It's kind of a landmark in North Liberty even for people who aren't interested in bridal shopping.”

The shop, which is housed in a former church on West Penn Street, has been open for some 15 years, but Jeffers and his partner Jeannette Thompson are new to the business.

'We took over on April 1,” Thompson said. 'And we are fresh into the bridal industry. Scott said ‘OK, let's do this' and so we did and here we are.”

Their first few months at the helm have been a whirlwind, Thompson said.

'It was very eye-opening in March when we attended the bridal market in Chicago,” she said. 'We did think for a moment, ‘what had we gotten ourselves into.'”

But she said they are figuring things out as they go and are enjoying the new adventure. Two employees stayed on and are helping to guide Jeffers and Thompson through the transition.

'Working in the bridal industry is pleasant and fun,” Thompson said. 'It's a fresh, positive experience working with these brides and we want to make it a positive experience for them. I mean, how can you not love coming to work when you are helping someone find the perfect dress.

'And just seeing the look on a bride's face when she finds the dress is the best part,” she added. 'It's fun to be a part of offering that experience. We just want to make people happy.”

As the buyer and bridal consultant Thompson said she gets to work directly with brides, helping them pick out dresses and accessorize. She also handles the website and social media when she's not busy steaming and unpacking dresses. 'We should be getting all our new inventory in by the end of the summer,” she said. 'It's like Christmas here all the time with all the new dresses coming in.”

Thompson said they've ordered about 100 new dresses since taking over the business and are looking forward to participating in upcoming bridal shows.

'We really do try to make dresses affordable,” said Thompson, noting that she did a lot of research on the local market. 'The typical Iowa bride spends about $900 on a dress so we have dresses here that range from about $700 up to $2000.” She noted they also carry a variety of sizes and silhouettes.

'Walking in here is an experience like no other,” Thompson said. 'You walk in and see the stained glass windows and it is a sort of heavenly atmosphere. It's that atmosphere more than anything that sets us apart. You can't beat the natural lighting.”

Jeffers agreed. 'So many people comment when they come in on how they feel about this inspirational space,” he said. 'Moms say this is so lovely and hearing that really makes it worth while for me.”

Heart to Heart offers alterations and accessories such as shoes, veils and jewelry. The shop also sells bridesmaid dresses and flower girl dresses.

'Soon we will be bringing in tuxedos,” Thompson said. 'We want to offer that service as well as part of our one-stop shop approach for bridal needs. Really it's about making it as easy as possible for brides planning a wedding.”

' Know a company in business for more than a year that would make an ideal My Biz? Contact Francie Williamson at francie.williamson@thegazette.com

AT A GLANCE

Name: Scott Jeffers and Jeannette Thompson

Title: Owner and Buyer/Bridal Consultant

Company: Heart to Heart Bridal

Address: 1180 W Penn St., North Liberty

Phone: (319) 665-2000

Website: http://www.hearttoheartbridalandformal.com/