Noelle Parent of Blue Sage Bridal (Photo by Sarah Der)
A former wedding planner with The Hive Wedding Collective, Noelle Parent has transitioned from styling events to styling brides, opening Blue Sage Bridal, a bridal consignment boutique, at 20 E. Main St. Parent says she is planning a Jan. 15 opening date.
She got the idea for the store after Bliss Bridal closed in the Huguenot Village Shopping Center. Christine Greenberg, of The Hive and Urban Set Bride, was looking for a new go-to place to consign her older sample dresses but was having to travel to Virginia Beach.
“I came in one day, and I was like, ‘what if I stop wedding planning and decided to open [a consignment dress] shop instead?’ And [Greenberg] jumped on it and she was like, ‘Yes,’ and then she basically mentored me through the whole [process of opening].”
Parent knew there was a need in Richmond for a consignment store. “There’s not somewhere that you can go year-round where people can consign their dresses, and there’s nowhere for people to go that need a dress in less than four months or … under $1,200.”
Beyond filling the need, Parent likes the eco-friendly aspect of giving slightly worn dresses new life. “Anyone who’s interested in the clothing industry knows that it does have a big impact on the environment,” she says. “It’s part of the reason behind the name, too. We wanted the shop to have a very natural, earthy feeling to it, so Blue Sage felt like a fitting name.” The shop’s interior already sported dusty blue walls, which also influenced the name.
The shop will offer sample dresses from boutiques and ensembles from individual consigners. Parent says she is looking for fashion that is current, including mermaid, fit and flare, and A-line dresses. She says gowns that are new with tags will be about 25% off the original price, sample dresses 30% to 40% off depending on condition, and once-worn items will be discounted 40% to 50%. “We want to be a resource for people who don’t have a huge budget for their wedding dress, but we still want them to have a good experience,” she says, noting the individualized attention they will provide patrons.
Parent, who is also the founder of the online gift business Gifted RVA, hopes to expand further into the building to create more workspace for Gifted, adding a new in-store pickup option. Blue Sage Bridal initially will be open by appointment only, Wednesday through Saturday, but Parent says she hopes to expand operating hours.
