Branding Session for Hannan House Bridal Boutique in Imlay City Michigan

For a short time in 2024, I had the wonderful opportunity to work for Hannan House Bridal Boutique. I was able to help quite a few brides find their dream wedding gown as a bridal stylist. Being a photographer brought me a unique perspective when helping brides find their gowns- I could offer insight into how it would photograph, what to accessorize the gown with, and offer tips to brides for their wedding day (like to carry a crochet hook for buttons or a tide pen in case of a spilled drink). I decided to leave Hannan House because my focus really needed to be on my business. I was turning down really awesome photography opportunities because I was working a lot at the boutique, and I just decided that I wanted to take on even more photography jobs. I’m thankful for everything I learned as a bridal stylist and for the people I met while working there!

It’s an exciting thing to see your photos used all across a business’s website, and I loved the opportunity to take some photos for their new website! I also worked with a bride this year who bought her gown from Hannan House. I actually went with Dani the first time she went dress shopping- back then Hannan House was in the downtown area right behind our State Farm office. We closed down the office for the morning and went with her to her gown appointment. Dani ended up going back a second time with her bridesmaids and finding her gown.

Hannan House Boutique

What is Hannan House? It’s a bridal boutique where brides can shop for their wedding gowns. The boutique is unique in that it offers what’s called Off The Rack Gowns. This means you don’t have to place an order for a gown and wait 6-12 months for it to come in, you actually get to leave the same day with it. All the gowns (minus just a few) are new and come from a variety of well-known designers like Allure, Eddy K, Jadore, etc. The gowns are pretty unique because there’s just not very many of them that were made by the brands. The few gowns that have been worn before were worn by models and walked a runway in the gown- these are usually kept on the clearance rack and have very minimal wear and tear since they were only used once in a fashion show. This store is great for budget minded brides because all gowns are under $1,500. The average cost of a gown fell around $800-$900, with the lowest cost being around $300. We saw many brides within the 6th to 9th month mark of wedding planning shopping for their gowns since this is a store you don’t have to order in advance from. With the lower price point of these gowns, I saw quite a few brides purchase a second gown as a fun reception dress (a trend I’m loving this year).

One of my favorite shipments we received were gowns from the Allure Bridgerton Collection. These shipments were sent randomly- meaning we really didn’t know what was inside the box. We were told how many gowns would be in the shipment but nothing else by the brand. When we opened it, it was full of Bridgerton designs that didn’t make the cut to be sold by the designer. There was truly only one of each gown which meant each one was truly unique. My favorite of the collection was a blush pink gown accented with maroon, light blue, & green florals. It was so different than anything else we had in the store! That dress has since been sold, and I’m curious how the bride styled it!

Hannan House also serves mothers and grandmothers. I helped a wide variety of mothers of the bride or groom find gowns for them to wear to their child’s wedding. Hannan House may not offer ordering wedding gowns, but they do have the option of ordering MOB or MOG dresses in different colors and sizes, depending on what’s in stock with the designer.

Regardless of whether you’re a bride or MOB/MOG, I highly recommend making an appointment even though walk-ins are accepted. There was only ever one of us in the store at a time, and I know I always felt bad when I was with an appointment and couldn’t assist any walk-ins. An appointment guarantees that you’ll be working with a stylist and get the attention you need. We helped fasten gowns, clip gowns, and offer opinions.

The Best Wedding Gown Accessories

As a bridal stylist, I loved giving brides the opportunity to see how their gowns would look on their wedding days. I would clip in veils, hair pieces, jewelry, and more to give it a more final look. As a photographer, my favorite wedding accessory is a wedding veil. They make so many different lengths and styles of veils that it’s easy to find one to go with any gown. Under the veil photos are one of my favorite types of shots to get on a wedding day. I also love photos of veils on brides walking down the aisle- seeing it and their dress train perfectly fluffed out behind them. There’s nothing better.

Another accessory I’ve seen a lot of this year are interchangeable sleeves or gloves. I had a bride last year wear puffy sleeves during the ceremony, no sleeves during dinner service, and then changed into fine tulle, elbow-length gloves for her dances. Each look gave the dress a new refreshed look throughout the night, and I loved capturing each little change.

Shoes are another accessory you can have a lot of fun with! With longer gowns, guests may not even see your shoes so you can really choose to do something fun. I personally wore Vans under both of my gowns and my feet were happy all day and night long. My husband wore Vans, too! I’ve seen brides wear absolutely beautiful heels, personalized sneakers, and even sparkly boots. My best tip is to wear something you’re comfortable in- you’ll be wearing these all day long unless you bring something to change into!