Courtesy Frankie Jane Couture Bridal
Holly Smith, left, and Tatum Knell, the mother-daughter duo and owners of Frankie Jane Couture Bridal.
It doesn’t matter if the wedding dress is fit and flare, ball gown or A-line, for Tatum Knell and her mother Holly Smith the only rule is simple — it must be couture.
Finding couture wedding dresses in Utah is not that easy. That is why the mother-daughter duo opened Frankie Jane Couture Bridal at University Place in Orem.
While many young women in the area are hoping for a “Say Yes to the Dress” moment, the idea of being able to choose a couture, designer dress has not been readily available. And for some, the more modest LDS Temple appropriate dresses have been an off-the-rack choice.
Last year, Knell flew to Los Angeles to look for her own wedding dress. Smith and her mother talked about not being able to find what they wanted in Utah and Smith came up with the idea to open a couture bridal store.
“There needed to be more. LA had a lot of dresses,” Knell said. “Mom said we should open a store. That was last April.”
Courtesy Frankie Jane Couture Bridal
Some of the wedding dresses on display at Frankie Jane Couture Bridal.
Although born in St. George, Knell was raised in Orem and knew this was the place to start the business.
The whole family bought into the idea. While mom and daughter run the store, dad takes care of the finances to keep them in line and grandpa Frank provided start-up money while little sister Jane provided the second half of the stores name.
Frankie Jane is a by-appointment-only wedding shop. However, the store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday — and the window shopping is worth a visit on its own.
They currently have 65 sample dresses in the store and are planning to grow. Sample sizes range from size 4 to 12. As the collection grows, Knell indicated they will add on other sizes.
A one-of-a-kind spot in Utah is the store’s six designers from around the world supplying dresses to the store. The designers include Rita Vinieris, Sarah 7, Anna Kare, Angel Rivera, Anne Barge and Inis Vi Santo. These designers come from Canada, New York, Florida, Atlanta and Poland.
Courtesy Frankie Jane Couture Bridal
Dress available at Frankie Jane Couture Bridal.
Dress prices range from $2,500 to $7,000 with the majority of the dresses ranging in cost between $3,000 and $5,000. The store also sells veils and couture headpieces by Maria Elena.
Appointments are scheduled for 90 minutes and the bride may bring an entourage of up to five guests.
One of the more interesting problems, Knell said, is the speed at which many local young couples marry.
“We are trying to change the narrative,” Knell said. “It takes 16 weeks to get a dress in and then in some cases alterations to make them temple worthy.”
The store has two seamstresses to help with alterations, if needed, when the dress comes in.
Courtesy Frankie Jane Couture Bridal
One of 62 sample dresses at Frankie Jane Couture Bridal.
“Frankie Jane Couture Bridal was my 13th bridal store (if you can believe it). Take it from me, this was the best bridal store I have been in. Holly and Tatum are so incredibly helpful and you can just feel how much they truly care about helping you find your perfect dress,” said bride-to-be Zoe Simpson. “They made me feel so special and their store, I mean come on … doesn’t get much better than that. They are the full package. Finding the perfect dress gets a little tricky when all their dresses are so stunning.”
Next week, the mother-daughter duo will be off to New York for the big wedding dress week and runway shows. Designers will be introducing their fall lines for 2023.
Currently, popular wedding trends include wearing pearls either around your neck or on the dress, taffeta sleeves, floral appliques and square necklines.
While most of their dresses are white, the bridal store does offer some lace dresses lined with nude color, to bring out the lace. They have ivory dresses and one ballroom style — like Cinderella — in blue.
Knell said one of the most popular trends is pockets. “Pockets are popular. We have several gowns with pockets,” Knell said. “We don’t think we have an ugly gown in the store.”
Courtesy Frankie Jane Couture Bridal
Couture wedding dress, one of several at Frankie Jane Couture Bridal.
Knell said they work directly with brides, of which they have had 32 in their first month in operation. “That is beyond our expectation.”
As the store’s name gets out, Knell is confident they will grow and become a busy venture.
Sometimes a bride doesn’t know what she wants for a dress, but she knows where and when she wants to get married. “I thought I wanted a floral applique and ended up getting a satin ball gown with pockets,” Knell said.
This is where having that one-on-one appointment can help a bride bring her wedding into focus, so the dress is what she wants and that it fits the venue and season.
“Our goal is to be the best bridal store in Utah — a destination place,” Knell added. “Our motto is: Be unforgettable, be unique and most importantly still be you. Find it all at Frankie Jane.”
More about Frankie Jane Couture Bridal can be found on their website, their email info@frankiejane.com, on Instagram @frankiejanecouture or by calling at (385) 535-7684.
The store is located in the retail spaces across from the park at University Place, just under the new Aston Apartments. While the store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, those coming from areas out of town or out of state may be able to make exceptions for appointments on Sunday or Monday.
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