Meet Your Bridal Consultants
Your Consultants are here to make your visit to Charlotte's a fun-filled and stress-free event.
Jeri 
Manager
What is your favorite part about helping brides and working for Charlotte’s Weddings? How long have you worked here?
I love helping brides solve their wedding dilemmas. Whether it be helping them find a dress they feel beautiful in or figuring out how to get "the dress" of their dreams in time for a fast approaching wedding, my job allows me to be creative and help other people. I've worked at Charlotte's Weddings for ten years. I work with wonderful supportive women. The shop offers me a flexible schedule that allows me to work and raise my son.
My favorite moments have been created by my customers. I have tons of brides who I've loved working with, three of which epitomize my favorites. The first is a bride I helped years ago. She was tall and plus size. At the start of the appointment she told me what she was looking for in a gown and then sadly told me what her dream dress would look like if she had the body to wear it. We found her dream dress. It was a dress that was flattering to her body and most importantly a dress she felt beautiful in. As she stood looking in the mirror crying, she told me she had never felt so beautiful. It is amazing to help women feel good about themselves and I think that's why this bride has stuck with me for so long.
The second bride I helped this year. Despite all our efforts, her gown came in wrong from the designer and it was my job to figure out how to fix the problem. I scheduled and appointment with her to view her in her gown and go over her concerns about her gown. When she arrived, she was hopping mad and brought her parents who were there to defend their daughter. Although I was shaking (it's never fun to help an unhappy customer), I could see and understand all of her concerns. To make a long story short, this bride and I worked together (and with the designer) to correct the issues with her gown and get her to the altar. When she came to pick up the gown from steam and press, she came bearing a gift and thank you card. We make mistakes, as do the designers we carry, and when we do it feels wonderful to make it right. I appreciated the trust this customer put in me to make it right.
The last bride that really has created favorite moments for me also got married this last year. She had an amazingly positive attitude and friendly demeanor. She was a super busy career woman, but still made time to smell the roses. She was excited about her wedding and so in love with her guy. She was great to her friends and bridesmaids and they were great to her. One of my favorite parts about my job is working with wonderful women.
What kind of advice would you give brides about dress shopping?
Buy your gown from the store you most enjoyed visiting. You'll be working with the people at that store a lot and you should feel comfortable with them.
There may just be one soul mate for all of us to marry, but there's more than one gown that can be "the dress." Don't worry if you don't burst into tears and just know it's right. Some of us don't have that moment.
Limit the number of guests you bring to initial appointments. Once you've defined what you're looking for and have a few favorite gowns, then bring the whole family.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working at Charlotte’s?
When I'm not working I spend time with my family. During the week I love to go on outings with my son (4) and my niece (5). I love to decorate, craft, garden, scrapbook and play soccer when I have time. I also have a wonderful network of friends and neighbors that I love to spend time with.
Suzanne
Assistant Manager
What is your favorite part about helping brides and working for Charlotte's Weddings? How long have you worked here? I love meeting and working with so many different types of people. Getting to work with a bride to choose her gown, meeting her friends and family, and being part of such a special time in someone's life makes this job so rewarding.
Do you have a favorite moment/story from working at Charlotte's? There is not one particular moment/story that stands out from all the rest. There are too many to mention! I would say that most, if not all, of my stories involve earning the trust of my brides and building a relationship that helps to settle nerves and leads to that special moment when the bride realizes she is wearing "the" dress!
What kind of advice would you give your brides about dress shopping? Go with your instincts. It's a great idea to look at web sites, and magazines to get a feel for what you like, but when it gets down to trying things on, go with what you love and what you feel beautiful in.
What do you like to do when you aren't working at Charlotte's?
Spend time with you family and friends, going to the beach, cooking and enjoying Portland culture.
Vicky
Bridal Consultant
What is your favorite part about helping brides and working for Charlotte’s Weddings? How long have you worked here?
I have worked at Charlotte’s for almost 2 years. What I love about helping brides is seeing their wedding dreams come true. It is such a great feeling to help a bride find just the right gown. There is an unmistakable glow in a bride’s eyes when she finds the perfect gown and can imagine walking down the aisle feeling beautiful.
Do you have a favorite moment/story from working at Charlotte’s?
On several occasions I have had brides come in who are very shy and not looking forward to dress shopping. I love it when, by the end of the appointment, they feel like the most beautiful girl and are so excited to have everybody see them on their big day.
What kind of advice would you give brides about dress shopping?
I would do some research online first. Looking online helps narrow what appeals to you the most. Another piece of advice would be to keep an open mind and try on new things. There have been so many times when a bride has fallen in love with a gown she would have never thought of trying on.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working at Charlotte’s?
I love to spend time with my family. I am an outdoorsy person and enjoy going fishing with my son and boyfriend. I’m a big Blazer fan and love going to games. On rainy days I enjoy staying home with my son and reading books to him.
Laurie
Shipping and Receiving
What is your favorite part about helping brides and working for Charlotte’s Weddings? How long have you worked here?
I’ve worked at Charlottes for 5 years and love getting to know the brides and their vision for their wedding day. It’s really fun to see them find the dress of their dreams. I love being creative and helping brides realize their creative vision.
Do you have a favorite moment/story from working at Charlotte’s?
I had a bride who was very apprehensive about coming in to try on dresses because she was concerned that nothing would fit. We ended up creating a custom dress that flattered her figure in every way and she looked beautiful. When she tried her dress on for the first time it brought her to happy tears, turning a negative experience into a great one!
What kind of advice would you give brides about dress shopping?
Give yourself plenty of time. You’ll have more choices and options and will be happier and more relaxed about the entire experience if you give yourself plenty of time.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working at Charlotte’s?
I like to create a great atmosphere for myself and my family at home. Anything creative! I spend a lot of time with my children and doing service for my church.
Shelbi
Bridal Consultant
What is your favorite part about helping brides and working for Charlotte’s Weddings? How long have you worked here?
I have worked for Charlottes for almost a year now and I can’t get over the joy and the happiness that fills me up every time a bride finds the gown of her dreams! The sparkle and tears in their eyes and their overall glow is so warming. It’s wonderful to be able to help them find that feeling that they have been looking for their whole lives. The impact they get from trying on the dress of their dreams is the realization that they really are getting married; it’s an amazing feeling for them and you, even if you’re on the sidelines watching the bride glow. It really is true happiness and bliss and I love it!
Do you have a favorite moment/story from working at Charlotte’s?
There are many brides that I have worked with that have been wonderful. I have so many favorite moments that it is hard to pick just one! There was a bride that I worked with that needed a modest gown. It was not a problem at all because we have so many Casablanca dresses that can be customized into a modest cut gown. This bride was with her mother and they were both so wonderful. We ended up taking a poofy tulle-like Casablanca dress and making it an elbow length and ankle length gown! It was beautifully plain all in tulle and was the cutest dress on this girl. I just loved her and her mother, they were both so bubbly and cheerful, I never once saw them stop smiling!
What kind of advice would you give brides about dress shopping?
I suggest starting your search by looking through magazines or even the Internet for gowns that you think are gorgeous. I think that’s a great way to get ideas. Then call some bridal stores, maybe see if they have the gowns you like in stock. It usually takes around 6 months for gowns to come in so when you order make sure to give yourself enough time to get your gown before your wedding, so you’re not stressing out. If you don’t have 6 months, don’t worry, we work with many designers who have rush options.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working at Charlotte’s?
When I’m not at Charlotte’s working you can usually find me at home working on my art. One of my favorite things to do is to be creative. I love painting and drawing; it’s seriously one of the first things I jump to do in my free time. I love to put my feelings and passions into my art. Someday, I hope to sell my art and that people will be able to look upon my paintings and feel happiness. If I am not fueling my creative passion, I am either hanging out with friends, bargain shopping or cuddling up with my miniature Daschund, Maverick, and watching some great On-Demand movies.
Melissa
Bridal Consultant, Tuxedos Manager
What is your favorite part about helping brides and working for Charlotte's Weddings? How long have you worked here? My favorite part of helping a bride is the "wow" moment. That's the moment when a bride first sees herself in the dress that she loves. Often, a friend or mother will tear up too. I love that!
Do you have a favorite moment/story from working at Charlotte's? I once had a bride and her family start singing to me during our appointment. I was stunned. Here's five women and a four year old boy explaining how dinosaurs "flatten the earth" through song.
What kind of advice would you give your brides about dress shopping?
Be open to the possibilities. There are many styles that look great on that you may not have considered. Give your consultant a chance to surprise you.
What do you like to do when you aren't working at Charlotte's? I'm usually playing with my kids, or if it's quiet, I'm designing knitting patterns.
Lauren
Bridal Consultant
What is your favorite part about helping brides and working for Charlotte’s Weddings? How long have you worked here? I've worked at Charlotte's for a little over two years and have had the opportunity to help many brides find the gown of their dreams. My favorite part about working for Charlotte's is taking a bride through all the steps needed to make her feel at ease when purchasing her gown. Finding the perfect gown is the most important purchase to many brides I encounter and I get the job of making the process as fun, easy and relaxing as it can be. It's a thrill and I enjoy every minute of it.
Do you have a favorite moment/story from working at Charlotte’s? I have so many great memories from brides that I've worked with, so it's really difficult to choose just one. I would have to say the most memorable moment I have in recent memory was when a bride came in on a prior occasion and picked out a gown to try on. When we had the chance to put it on, she instantly fell in love and didn't want to try on any more. She was ecstatic. Not only did she find her dream gown on the first try, but it was a great price and it fit her like a glove. She took it out of the store that day and was able to check it off her list.
What kind of advice would you give brides about dress shopping? I tell my brides to just relax and have fun. Bring your friends and family and make a day out of trying on gowns. Ultimately the decision is up to the bride, but it helps to have the opinions of the ones you love and trust. Also, if you find the gown you love you should go for it. It's one big thing to check off your list and the gown style can play a big role in the decor of the rest of your wedding.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working at Charlotte’s? My time is typically consumed trying to finish my last year of engineering school. When I'm not studying, however, I love playing soccer and tennis, riding my bike, hanging out with my fellow engineering students, gardening and loving my two rabbit children.
