An Interview With Dimitra Designs Bridal Emporium

Justin Alexander Wedding Gown

If you have started the search for a wedding gown or bridesmaid’s gowns in the Upstate area, then there is no doubt that you have been to or at least heard about Dimitra Designs. Dimitra Designs Bridal Emporium in Greenville SC, offers full service bridal attire, wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses, mother of the bride dresses, tuxedo rental, prom dresses and homecoming dresses.

I thought it would be interesting to find out a little more about the store, their philosophy and who they are. So we contacted them about doing an interview and here is what we learned.

Tell me what makes your company special:
We put an emphasis on matching up the right wedding dress with the bride’s personality – every bride should feel magical when walking the aisle, and we aim to make that happen. Our owner, Dimitra Mandala, has been immersed in the dressmaking world for over thirty years now, so we really do live and breathe all things wedding dresses.

How did you get started in the business?
Dimitra Mandala, our owner, worked in the fashion industry after graduating high school, working for notables including Nolan Miller and Bob Mackie. She was recruited by Stephen Yearick, a noted fashion designer in Greenville, SC. He eventually relocated his business to NYC, and Dimitra decided to open up her own bridal shop here in Greenville. We’ve been thriving ever since, and keeping up with emerging technology, such as ecommerce, blogging, social media, and mobile commerce.

What do you like best about your job?
I love the “wow” moment when a bride puts on that dress that is just “her” – it’s the moment when her breath is taken away and her mother and bridesmaids are just as speechless in awe.

Tell us about your favorite wedding or event:
We don’t always hear too much about the actual wedding, but our favorite brides to dress are the destination wedding brides. It’s fun to search through the dresses and find a dress that is beach-ready and pretty light, or a dress that has a more high-fashion or Victorian feel for a European-wedding, or something a little warmer for a winter destination wedding. We start to feel more like wedding dress matchmakers!

What are the questions a bride should ask when choosing a vendor in your field?
If you’re shopping online for a wedding dress, ask if they’re authorized sellers of the dress brand, and if they have a brick and mortar shop, as they’re truly immersed in the dresses then and you can call them up and know you’re dealing with professionals.

What’s the hardest thing about your job?
There are so many wedding dress brands and beautiful dresses in each brand, so it’s sometimes hard to get down to the final bunch of dresses and help the bride decide exactly which dress is “the one”, when in reality they’re all stunning.

Anything else we should know?
In addition to our website and brick and mortar bridal shop in Greenville, SC, we also have a wedding blog at www.dimitradesigns.net/dimitra. Our sister site, http://www.dressprom.net/, houses our prom and pageant dresses, and also has a blog at www.dimitradesigns.net/dressprom and our mobile site, http://www.m.dressprom.net/

Allure Wedding Dress