Bearer of the Bling Bridal — Local services in Pinellas Park

When David and I got engaged, I had gained 38lbs within the last year...I had assumed this was what people called "happy weight". After returning home from Savannah, I immediately started dieting and exercising with NO progress to show. I had stopped gaining weight but never lost anything. I bought my wedding dress 2 weeks after our engagement and expected the crying, happy, over-the-top excitement that you see on TV. I tried on 7 dresses and ended up buying the 5th dress. Though the dress was gorgeous and It was the only one I felt comfortable in, it did not make me feel beautiful. I would look at the photos of myself trying on the dress and hate how I looked because I was self conscious and uncomfortable.

Months later after not losing any weight with consistent meal prepping, I finally went to an endocrinologist and found that I had Hypothyroid and Hashimoto's Disease. I started my medication in late March and by June, my dosages were correct and I had started losing the weight I had gained. I have lost over 20lbs so far but still had not wanted to try on my wedding dress at all. I had expressed these feelings to Shantel, owner of Bearer of the Bling where I had purchased my dress. We agreed she would stay late that day, I would try it on with her before my 5pm alterations appointment, and we would go from there.

I went to my alterations appointment this past Friday and tried on my dress. The dress was still as beautiful as the day I had bought it and it was noticeably bigger with the weight I had lost but I still did not look at myself in the dress and think, "this is the dress I am going to walk down the aisle in". I then tried on one more of a completely different style that I had expressed interest in, which Shantel had picked out for me and helped me get into...AND I LITERALLY FELL IN LOVE!!! It made me feel stunning, happy, and excited for the future (which was crazy considering the last few weeks I have had and the stress I have been under). Shantel worked with me so that I could have the dress of my dreams. I walked into my alterations appointment wearing my new, perfect dress and actually could feel my eyes well up looking in the mirror. I wouldn't have gotten this moment or this dress without Shantel going above and beyond to help me find my wedding dress TWICE! She is patient, knowledgeable, and helped make this experience memorable and perfect! Thank you for...

Please please please do yourself a favor, cancel your other dress shopping appointments, and go straight to this place!!!

I flew in from North Carolina to dress shop with family. The wedding is in less than 4 months, I was working with a budget ($1,000 and under), and I am a small size (0 in jeans, 4/6 in wedding dresses). My sister-in-law set up 5 appointments to make sure that I could go home with a dress. She shared my needs in detail with each store she called before setting an appointment to make sure we didn’t waste time and that we could buy something off the rack.

One place was decent, but just no real quality of dresses. The next place straight up lied to us about the selection they had in my price range and size to get us in the door. I ended up trying on 1 dress just to say I did and waiting around forever to get my deposit back. It was a horrible experience. The next place the lady was nice, but again, no real selection in the back, crammed space, and over budget. Exhausted and slightly disheartened, this is where Bearer of the Bling entered the picture.

Shantel and this store was a dream beyond what I could have imagined. She set the appointment last minute (we had to cancel an earlier one), came back to the store after it was already closed just for us, and took over two hours with us. I have NEVER seen a woman figure out a bride and what she wants like this woman can!! It’s a gift!!!

She paid attention to everything I said and pulled every dress I was in love with. She was willing to work with my budget even with dresses out of my price range. Almost every dress she brought we wanted to cry about. The worst part of the whole thing was actually having to pick one because they were all so amazing! My family said they did NOT envy me. But she even helped me in that. She paid attention to the one dress that I actually said I loved, and when I narrowed it down to do dresses and couldn’t choose, she brought that to my attention (I hadn’t noticed). I could go on and on, but most people have probably stopped reading.

Do yourself a favor and cancel your other appointments. Go straight here. The BEST dresses. The BEST prices. The BEST service you can imagine with someone who has a true gift. You WON’T...

Bearer of the bling bridal is a cute boutique with great vibes, nice decor, and provides an intimate experience for trying on dresses. Shantel was a consummate professional and listened to my vision and pulled many stunning wedding dresses for me to try on. She picked up on the vibe that I hate being the center of attention right away and wasn’t pushy at all. They truly listen to you here and take note of all your preferences. Every dress she picked looked amazing on my body type. She was also able to discreetly help me try them all on and quickly fit them properly to my body. I had been dreading wedding dress shopping because I didn’t think I’d find something that would look good and also fit my style. But to my surprise, every dress Shantel pulled would’ve been a strong contender for my special day. She patiently let me make a decision about each dress without trying to sway me on any of them. I can tell the owners take pride in what they do and are very passionate about their jobs. Setting up an appointment was very easy and Aimee and Shantel were very responsive and knowledgeable about their craft. I would highly recommend this shop to all my family and friends. I’m very grateful to have found my dress here and to have such a positive experience. They have such a wide range of sizes and styles to choose from and very affordable prices. It was great to also have such a wide selection of off-the-rack options to choose from and I can’t wait to wear my beautiful dress on my wedding day. So far this experience has been the best part of my wedding planning journey and I sincerely appreciate your shop and Shantel for making it...