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Luxe and Lace: A local entrepreneur’s leap of faith

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Luxe and Lace: A local  entrepreneur’s leap of faith

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS
Michele Briggs pauses to regard a wedding dress in her bridal boutique, Luxe and Lace, in downtown Lock Haven.

LOCK HAVEN — Saying “yes!” is a leap of faith, and, like many brides-to-be, Michele Briggs has taken a bold step of her own by opening Luxe and Lace, a new bridal boutique in downtown Lock Haven.

At a crossroads in her professional career, Briggs’ faith and the pursuit of a long-sidelined passion led her to open her store, where her love of helping women find their perfect wedding gown has become her new reality.

The seed of Briggs’ passion for helping women find the perfect look for their special day was planted nearly 20 years ago when she worked at the bridal shop where she purchased her own wedding gown.

Briggs’ journey to opening her bridal boutique began at the now-closed TS Adams Bridal and Formal Wear in Hughesville, where she worked part-time. The positive and uplifting environment at TS Adams, which she fondly described as “the most wonderful place to work,” sparked Briggs’ dream of creating a one-stop shop for wedding and prom attire — an idea she once viewed as a distant retirement goal.

“When I would go to work there on Saturdays, I didn’t mind going to work, and I thought, man, this is what I want to do someday,” she said.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS
The sign for Luxe and Lace hangs outside the business, which is located next to KFC in Lock Haven.

Though she loved her work at TS Adams, Briggs spent the next 20 years in various corporate roles. That was, however, until she found herself between jobs and struggling to find work, despite her decades of experience — a struggle she says was causing her to lose sleep and took a toll on her mental well-being.

Being a woman of faith, Briggs turned to God for guidance.

“I laid in bed and I said, ‘God, please help me. I don’t know what I am going to do.’ And I truly believe I heard God talk because I heard, ‘Open your shop,’” she said.

She said opening her own bridal shop was something she hadn’t considered in decades, believing it was completely out of reach financially. But, as if sensing her doubt, she heard the message again: “Open your shop.”

Briggs said that the very next day, she stopped applying for jobs and started researching bridal labels that weren’t yet represented in the area, with a focus on affordability and offering a wide range of sizes to accommodate everyone.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS
A variety of dresses for formal occasions, such as proms, are also available at the shop.

One of the biggest puzzle pieces was finding the right location for the store. Abbey Roberts, Lock Haven’s city planner and development coordinator, was the first to suggest the former Liberty Tax Service building at 123 Bellefonte Avenue, next door to KFC. As luck would have it, the building was owned by a former classmate of Briggs, who was more than happy to welcome her as a new tenant.

With the financial help of SEDA-COG and from the City of Lock Haven, at the start of September, Briggs and her husband began renovating the building, installing higher-quality lighting, applying a fresh coat of paint and redoing the floors, among other, smaller decorative changes.

“We’re very, very fortunate that our city offers that to small businesses to help make this possible,” she said. “It’s been a labor of love.”

Luxe and Lace specializes in fully custom-ordered wedding gowns while also offering an extensive collection of bridesmaid and prom dresses, along with a wide range of bridal accessories, including veils, headpieces and jewelry. And for those seeking a more masculine style, the boutique provides tuxedo rentals through Sarno Men’s Tuxedo Suits & Formalwear.

The boutique carries dresses from various lines including Amy & Eve by Morilee; Wtoo by Watters; Demetrios lines including the Demetrios Collection, the Alta Moda Collection and the Platinum Collection; Ariamo; and private label pieces only available at Luxe and Lace.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS
Michele Briggs holds out an example of a wedding dress offered in her bridal boutique, Luxe and Lace, in downtown Lock Haven.

Luxe and Lace offers a range of gowns to suit various styles and budgets. The Amy & Eve collection by Morilee provides clean and classic designs, while the Demetrios lines — known for their luxury price point — are exclusively available in Central Northwestern Pennsylvania at Luxe and Lace. Ariamo, a brand out of Ukraine, features ethically made, high-quality gowns with European-style craftsmanship, while Wtoo by Watters offers gowns in every size from 0 to 32.

In terms of her proprietary pieces, she said, “Those gowns, I work specifically with the designers and choose the gowns that I like. They sew my own label in them and hang my own tags on them, so none of the other stores around here will have those gowns at all.”

Bridal gowns at Luxe and Lace range in price from $1,300 to $3,800, which is comparable to other bridal stores in the area.

For prom needs, Brigg’s store offers looks by top designers Morilee, Alyce Paris and Colors in a range of styles, colors and sizes.

“We have everything from plain and simple to glitz and glamour. Feathers, sequins, you name it, we have it and our price point is spectacular,” said Briggs.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS
Luxe and Lace also features a selection of bridal and wedding accessories and decorations.

Averaging $450, prom dresses at Luxe and Lace range from as low as $300 to upwards of $700 for the most expensive piece — a replica of Taylor Swift’s “Speak Now” gown from the recently concluded Eras Tour. And with the store’s prom gown registry, you can ensure no one can upstage you by wearing the same dress.

Luxe and Lace is looking forward to hosting a grand opening, optimistically at the end of January. In the meantime, those in the market for their dress can visit during business hours: Monday and Tuesday by appointment only, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and/or attend the Bald Birds Brewing Bridal Expo Jan. 19 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Reflecting on why she does it all, Briggs said, “Helping women find the dress that they’re going to wear on the most special day of their lives… it fills a place in your heart you didn’t even know you had.”

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