Today we’d like to introduce you to Joelle Scholl.
Hi Joelle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Oh Wow – It’s a crazy, wild ride filled with lots of curvy turns! I was working at FedEx in Puerto Rico as their international quality manager for the country, just moved there as I turned 40 and was like let’s go!
I came back to Memphis for a Christmas party that I attended for the past 13 years of my single life and met my future husband. Of course it wasn’t as easy as that, but that’s the short version.
I ended up moving back to Memphis taking on the position of Intl Quality/Service Manager for the US Imports. We were planning a wedding and I started shopping for wedding gowns all over the country as I traveled for my job. The experiences were always the same and NOT FUN!
As a quality/service person, I’m always looking for a better way to do things. So in my search for gowns, I started buying and selling gowns I found deals on. I was like hey wait a minute, I could do this better especially after selling 27 gowns in 6 months! So after we got married, I started a side gig of consigned wedding gowns.
About a year and a half into it, I realized that consigned gowns were a tougher sale since they had been worn or altered and started looking into business models that sold overstock and discontinued items. Like TJ Maxx or Marshalls. I knew that there had to be overstock of wedding gowns and spent the next year hustling designers, manufacturers and bridal boutiques for their overstock and discontinued gowns which gave us the opp to sell brand new gowns at priced up to 80% off to brides!
The biggest thing for me was providing an outstanding experience that was not stuffy, pretentitious etc that allowed brides to have fun and relax during their apppointment while being able to get a bargain on a wedding gown.
After outgrowing three spaces, we have moved into our new home in Saddle Creek Shopping Center in Germantown, TN. We have over 2500 wedding gowns at up to 80% off with 90% being sold off the rack (meaning you get to take your wedding gown home with you that day!!)
We are one of the largest off the rack boutiques IN THE COUNTRY (Eeek) so mid south brides have the absolute best opportunity to save big on their wedding gowns!!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Yes, it’s been a smooth road. The brides have been amazing, it’s a happy place to work, we have a ton of fun and love being a part of special moments!
We’ve been impressed with The Barefoot Bride, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Barefoot Bride prides itself in being a FUN place to shop for your bridal gown with zero pressure, body posi space and lots of laughter and rock and roll! We aren’t your “typical” bridal boutique, we love to have fun, be silly, laugh, sing and you may even catch us in a flash mob dance if you come on a good day!
We carry over 2500 wedding gowns (most shops have 100-300 gowns) in sizes 00 – 30, priced at up to 80 % off retail. All gowns are BRAND NEW discontinued/overstock gowns from designers, manufacturers and bridal boutiques that you can take home with you the SAME DAY as your appointment.
Most boutiques carry certain designers and have to order gowns taking up to 6-8 months to come in. Since we are not tied to any designer (we carry them all!), we are able to offer the same gowns at significant savings.
Here’s the fun part, our brides still receive outstanding customer service. The Barefoot Bride offers private suites by appointment only with a “gown whisperer” who will work with the bride to find the perfect dress without breaking their budget or the bank!
Our gowns are priced from $1200 – 3200, with the average gown running between 1500-2000. We offer payment options like layaway or afterpay and accept credit cards or cash for purchases.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
The Barefoot Bride has been a local favorite since opening in 2011. We’ve received Memphis Best and Best of Memphis awards every year since opening along with several other amazing accolades along the way. We couldn’t have done that without our beautiful brides, amazing team and loving support from the community.
We know that shopping for a wedding gown is a special event which can also be extremely intimidating and stressful. The Barefoot Bride wants this time to be a moment you’ll never forget and we do everything possible to ensure that your appointment is all about YOU!! No stress, light hearted while making you shine!
Pricing:
- 1200-3200
- all gowns up to 80% off retail
- 90% of gowns are off the rack
- 10% can be ordered or custom gowns!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.barefoot-bride.com
- Instagram: @beabarefootbride
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebarefootbriderocks
