Hyde Park Bridal

Amanda Topits, owner of Hyde Park Bridal

With a dream to bring brands and an experience that can’t be found elsewhere in the Tri-State, Amanda Topits, opened Hyde Park Bridal (HPB) in 2012.

She was inspired after shopping with her friends and family members in search of their wedding gowns in Cincinnati. When they didn’t always find what they were looking for, Topits, a UC DAAP program graduate, saw the opportunity to pursue her passion for fashion and open a bridal boutique. She decided to locate it in Hyde Park, where coincidentally, no bridal boutique had ever been before.

“I wanted to offer brides something different, a personalized experience that I feel every bride deserves,” Topits says. “An experience that just can’t be found in the Cincinnati area.”

HPB boasts an extensive list of exclusive designers ranging from Alvina Valenta, Anne Barge and Badgley Mischka to Hayley Paige, Tara Keely by Lazaro, Theia and Winnie Couture. The boutique also specializes in bridesmaid and flower girl designers, as well as accessory designers such as Alvina Valenta and Jim Hjelm Occassions, Haute Bride and Kata Banko Couture. According to Topits, there’s a lot of thought and research that goes into choosing which designers to select for HPB.

“We wanted to make sure we carried designers that couldn’t be found in our area and could be exclusive to our shop,” she explains. “It was also very important to select designers that represent the store well while also accommodating to a wide variety of brides.”

Each designer that HPB carries also has their own custom options they offer to each bride which include, changing the skirt or bodice to another one of their designs, extending the train, adding buttons, removing or adding straps, custom length, raising the neckline, split sizing and changing the color. Topits says that designers will often create veils and belts that coordinate with the brides gowns so that brides have the opportunity to mix and match.

“Designers we carry are unique in their own way and you can see that come through in their designs,” she says. “Each season you can see a lot of inspiration come from current trends in fashion, celebrity red carpet gowns, popular movies, etc.”

Some of the most popular trends and styles that are in demand right now in the bridal industry, Topits says, are lace, color, open/detailed backs, sleeves/straps and belts. In HPB, Topits says designer Hayley Paige has been one of the most sought after bridal designers due to her fresh and modern twist to her designs. At HPB, Topits adds, you’ll find a variety of price points ranging from $1,500 to $9,000.

In addition to offering exclusive designers, HPB also gives brides the opportunity to reserve the boutique for themselves and their guests during the time of their bridal appointment. HPB also gives brides the chance to touch and feel the wedding gowns they offer so the bride gets a better idea of what she wants to try on unlike other bridal stores who put all gowns in garment bags. Brides and guests are also welcomed with a reserved parking spot, cupcakes and refreshments.

Topits says she’s proud to have won several awards in her short time since opening, such as “CityBeats Best of Cincinnati.” She’s also been featured in Cincinnati Magazine, Venue Magazine, Cincinnati.com and TheKnot.com, to name a few. Topits says she is looking forward to several things such as, Bridal Fashion week in NYC this coming April where she will begin the buying process for next season, the launch of her bridal blog and possibly designing her own line of bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses in the near future. “Being such a new store and having such a great response our first year we are excited to see what the future hold for us,” she says.

Hyde Park Bridal is located at 3319 Erie Avenue. To learn more, visit www.hydeparkbridal.com.