Helen’s Bridal and Evening Fashion Wear has seen 25 Valentine’s Days come and go, and will likely be here for another generation of love.
Since 1993, the women’s dress shop has been serving the city of Barrie for all your wedding, prom and semi-formal needs. Located at 22 Dunlop St. E. downtown, Helen’s is the one of the most trusted spots in the city and has seen a tradition of ladies visit the store. Paulina Laskarzewska is an employee at the shop who loves being a part of the special moments that happen while families are shopping.
“It’s so nice to work here and see daughters coming in with their moms and grandmothers to try on dresses,” said Laskarzewska. “Everyone knows that it turns into an emotional moment for the brides to be, but we also can’t help but get emotional too when we watch them find that perfect dress.”
While Helen’s has been around for 25 years, before that it was another bridal shop which makes it’s wedding local history close to 45 years. Laskarzewska says that with the times come changes and currently the popular style is that which includes lace.
“Right now it seems like women are liking the dresses that have vintage lace somewhere on it,” said Laskarzewska. “Also, a lot of weddings are taking place in an outdoor setting, so many brides are going with romantic rustic style to match any barn background.”
While today is always an uncertainty on how busy the shop may be, what isn’t uncertain is that usually a few days after Valentine’s Day or Christmas it is very busy as couples have exchanged the question and ever important yes in the relationship.
“We were just talking about whether today would be busy or not,” said Laskarzewska. “It may not be overly busy but will likely be in the next few weeks with couples using today to get engaged. It’s very romantic and also the weather is beautiful outside so many people will probably choose today to pop the question.”
More than white wedding dresses, Helen’s also has all the wedding party and mother-of-the-bride will need as the store’s selection is extensive in that department. Ice blue has been very popular with bridal parties and Helen’s has many in stock. Laskarzewska also says that the shop will be busy from now until summer as high schools get ready for proms and teenage girls are frantically trying on the perfect dress.
“Proms and semi-formals are a very busy time for us and we are always prepared for whatever is needed,” said Laskarzewska. “We have so many styles and colours to choose from and can even match up accordingly to their date. Of course the girls most important thing is that they aren’t wearing anything the same as another girl, so what we do is keep a list of eache school and each dress that we sold to that school so that no one walks into what they might see as an embarrassing situation. We also try to follow other Facebook pages and see what other stores might have sold so we can better help our customers. We try to make sure that our customers know they aren’t just customers to us and we will do what’s needed to make their day special.”
Helen’s has designer brands as well as discontinued sample dresses at affordable prices. Dresses range from $100 to $2,000 and Helen’s offers payment plans, layaway and discounts for bridal parties.
Appointments are usually necessary to help Helen’s assist in providing their customers with the best and undivided attention they can.
Check out the website and visit them on Facebook at @helensbridalbarrie and Instagram at @helensbridalhelensbridalbarrie and Instagram at @helensbridal
