Bateau Bridal Boutique - A Local Anchorage Bridal Shop

I recently had the pleasure to speak with a local bridal shop owner, Tara from Bateau Bridal Boutique. 

Her appointment-only boutique has been around for 9 years and occupies a cozy 1947 era home in the Spenard neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska.

Tara loves looking for quality, integrity and story when shopping for designers to add to their bridal dress collection. 

She strives to create a shopping environment that is thoughtful in price points and has gorgeous options for all body types.

Her customers appreciate attention to detail and she prides herself on being able to give her customers one on one customer service.

Keep reading to learn more about Bateau Bridal Boutique and to get some helpful hints on shopping for your wedding gown.

Learn more about Bateau Bridal Boutique: https://www.bateaubridalboutique.com/

Tara, owner of Bateau Bridal Boutique.

What does the dress shopping or dress buying experience look like inside Bateau Bridal Boutique? 

Bateau Bridal Boutique offers private appointment-only service. Tara wants to give you a personalized experience. 

You get to pick the music you want to listen to and then she’ll encourage you to talk about what you’re looking for in a dress and your overall vision for yourself as a bride. 

If you know you need a dress but are not quite sure what you’re looking for, Tara and her thoughtful staff can help. After serving brides for over 9 years, she knows all the right questions to ask in order to help you find exactly what you want. 

Once you’ve settled on a few dress options to try, you’ll be invited to try on the dresses privately and then come out to display yourself to your guests and Tara’s staff.

It’s always fun to dress shop with friends and family but she recommends inviting a max of 3 or 4 others to come shopping with you. This way you keep it intimate and personal and don’t get overwhelmed by too many opinions.

How do you recommend someone find the perfect wedding dress? 

Tara says that for most people, once they put on their dream dress they just can’t stop smiling and they don’t want to take it off. Once this happens, you’ve found the one.

When I went shopping for my wedding dress, after trying on what seemed to be countless dresses I wondered, how do I know when I’ve found the one? 

My aunt gave me this advice: once you put on your wedding dress, you’ll just know. You will feel so amazing and happy. 

She says that a lot of brides want to take off dresses pretty quickly. If, on the other hand, you find yourself lingering in a dress and not wanting to take it off, you may have just found the one. 

Go into dress shopping with an open mind. You may think you want one thing but actually fall in love with a different style. 

This totally happened to me. I had envisioned a modest and simple looking gown but ended up falling in love with a Vera Wang gown with layers and layers of frilly tulle. It was nothing I had envisioned.

Once on, I couldn’t stop smiling. I has found the one!

Tara says to give yourself a lot of time so you’re not rushed. 

And once you have found the one, be happy and move on. Decision fatigue can be real. So have your own back after each wedding decision. Make a choice and be done!

A gorgeous dress from Bateau Bridal Boutique.

Ok, you’ve found the wedding dress of your dreams. Now what?

Once you’ve found your dream dress it’s time to special order it in your ideal size. Unless of course you happen to buy off the rack - meaning they have your style and size in stock.  

Most likely, even when ordering your ideal size, you will need to get it tailored in order for it to fit perfectly.

Tara is able to refer to local tailors who can expertly alter your gown once you’ve found the one.

What do bridal gowns cost?

Bateau Bridal Boutique offers plenty of dresses right off the rack for under 1,000.00. 

More than half their inventory is under 2500.00 and otherwise range from 1,500.00 to 4,000.00.

Some of the brides I work with shop outside of Alaska for dresses. Why should they come to you instead? 

Tara said that in the past, people had the mindset that they have to leave AK to find something new and different. 

She wants people to know that they may be able to find the same dress in her store. 

Tara and her staff travel outside to go to market in order to get the most fashion forward gowns.

She wants brides to know that they don’t have to travel to find a dress. You really don't have to fly out of state. You can shop locally for dresses, accessories and tailoring. 

You can support Alaskan businesses and find an amazing wedding dress.

Learn more about Bateau Bridal Boutique: https://www.bateaubridalboutique.com/

When should brides start shopping for a wedding dress?

Make sure to shop for your dress 9-12 months in advance.

You want to make sure you can order in the one you want if need be.

You’ll want to start tailoring your dress 8 weeks before your event.

Do you have any general dress do’s and don’ts to share with people?

Tara thinks the biggest thing to remember is to be happy with your body the way it is. If your weight goes up or down a tailor can fix the dress. 

Buy a dress that fits you now. It can always be altered again later. 

And here’s my own funny dress sizing story: I was sized for my dress in a midwest heat wave with temps around 100 degrees. I then came back to Alaska to get married on a particularly cold July day that was in the 50’s.

That’s a big temperature difference!

Unfortunately for me it meant my dress was almost falling off during the wedding. Little did I know that my body tends to swell in the heat. In retrospect a tailoring appointment a few days before the wedding, in Alaska, would have been ideal.

She agrees that getting sized in the right climate is important.

As a final thought, Tara wants every woman (of every size and shape) to feel good and beautiful. 

I love this. Because truly, we are exactly who we are supposed to be. We shouldn't be smaller or bigger, shorter or taller. 

Being ourselves is our biggest gift to the world. If I see you feeling beautiful in your body, it will inspire me to feel beautiful as well. 

Learn more about Bateau Bridal Boutique: https://www.bateaubridalboutique.com/

Wedding gown from Bauteau Bridal.

MaryAlice Beauty - Interview with an Anchorage hair and makeup artist.

I first met MaryAlice in a photoshoot I organized for my business, Turnstone Farm. 

After my last shoot I learned a lot: get a haircut the day before, hire a professional to do my makeup. 

Because, seriously it is quite possible that you will break out the day of your photoshoot, wedding or other special event. Plan ahead!

After working with MaryAlice, I knew I wanted to work with her again and refer all my clients to her. 

She is warm-hearted, calming and has a soothing way about her that puts everyone at ease. 

Her energy is just a perfect fit for a hectic wedding day. 

I was so thrilled to talk with her more in depth about her business and more importantly, beauty.

Click here to book Mary Alice: https://www.instagram.com/maryalice.beauty/

MaryAlice is the star in this Alaskan Wedding Flowers photoshoot. Flowers by Turnstone Farm. Photo by Lauren Roberts.

How long has she been in business?

MaryAlice has been in business doing hair and makeup for over 10 years. She’s always had a passion for it and has completely fallen in love with the power of the beauty industry.

How long does it take to get someone ready (do their hair and makeup)?

Set up can vary based on the type of wedding.

Elopements are more relaxed and can take less prep time depending on the look.

For large wedding parties, she often starts at 7:00 or 7:30 am to make sure the whole wedding party has time to be prepped.

Even without a big wedding party, couples often do first looks which can take an hour and a half of time with a photographer. So it’s best to plan for plenty of time to get ready.

Does she have any advice to couples getting married?

MaryAlice wants to encourage you to get really clear about the vision for your wedding. In fact she offers Creative Strategy Sessions for couples wishing to nail down their dream vision.

She’s noticed that the people who are the clearest about their vision are the happiest. MaryAlice’s interdisciplinary career has given her opportunity to build a lot of skill as a creative problem solver.

As a start, ask yourself why - why are we doing this? How do we want people to experience this? There is no right or wrong answer. It’s just important to be clear. With clarity, all the decisions you need to make will become easier.

What exactly is a Creative Strategy Session?

It’s a conversation without a custom end goal for each person. It’s a process of guiding and reflecting back the vision that is emerging and being heard to create clarity for everyone involved. It’s finding patterns in your thoughts. It’s finding your why for your event and most importantly creating space for what you actually want. 

Having a guide to help you figure out what you want can be incredibly powerful.

MaryAlice loves weddings because they are already a creative endeavor. Artful gatherings, traditions, logistics and a ton of emotional meaning are always involved in weddings. Design sprints. Creative process. Disguised in different names: sprints, accelerators. Merge the two to support people creating their vision. Helping people have a creative vision who can bring that together. Having a crystal clear vision. There’s a thousand different ways they can go.

MaryAlice in a beautiful Bateau Boutique wedding gown with Alaskan grown floral install by Turnstone Farm.

How far out do people need to book her for a wedding? 

People start booking around December for summer weddings. Each wedding party gets a custom quote for pricing as it varies depending on time, size of groups and desired looks. 

To determine this custom quote you can fill out an inquiry on her website in order to find out more. GO HERE to do that: https://www.instagram.com/maryalice.beauty/

I have my own story about why to outsource makeup and hair! But I wanted to know in her words… why should someone hire MaryAlice and not just DIY it?

Makeup is such a felt sense, wearing it's a sensory experience.

A professional can use makeup to transform you into many different moods. If the tool is not used in a way that supports your desired feeling, it can become an experience that doesn’t honor your goal. It’s really all about an experience.

Hiring a professional can also create a buffer between relationships. If your best friend offers to do your makeup, yes this may save you money but if you are not happy with the end result or the process it may create added relational tension. No one wants this added stress on their wedding day.

MaryAlice has heard so many stories of this happening and it makes sense to give yourself clear boundaries with important wedding details. 

You tie things to people and you want to enjoy each moment and boundaries are a great way to keep it uncomplicated. There is so much psychology in the art of beauty. 

She strongly recommends doing a trial run for folks that aren’t used to wearing makeup. It can feel weird, whether you’re wearing fake lashes for the first time or just putting on a thin layer of lip gloss. Everyone has a different comfort level for makeup.

To some people it can feel dramatic like putting on a costume. The most important thing is making sure you feel comfortable with your choices so that you don’t have extra discomfort during an already energetically charged social situation. 

I always like hearing about other wedding vendors. What vendors does she like working with?

MaryAlice loves Lauren Roberts and Megan Freeman for videography and photography.

As for planners, she says there are so many great options. We both agreed that communication style and personality really matters when hiring a planner. If you have the chance to interview a few by all means do it!

On another note, MaryAlice gets excited when people find ways to use more small businesses for the in-between experiences/gatherings that happen around weddings. 

Is there a way to incorporate some of our favorite small businesses into your special day or weekend?

Like Wild Scoops, Fire Island Bakeshop, Cynosure Brewing (or any other brewery in town). The Spa at Alyeska, etc. Get creative!

There are so many options for creating fun and new experiences for friends, family and guests who visit Alaska to be a part of your day. 

MaryAlice with Alaskan Grown Wedding flowers by Turnstone Farm. Photo by Lauren Roberts.

I love giving my clients cool ways to wow their guests, and transform their event.

Is there a story that stands out in her mind of a couple going above and beyond?

She loves when families personalize their weddings. One couple canned their family’s smoked salmon and gave it to guests. Those small personal touches make events so special.

She remembers one of her first wedding experiences as a teenager of attending a beautiful pre-reception night. It was an elegant backyard party an evening before her cousin’s wedding. 

Most of the guests were invited to this casual and classy dinner. People told stories about their relationships with the bride and groom and gave toasts. 

An event like this makes the actual wedding day so much more cohesive. People have already had the chance to meet and to put each other in context. This allows everyone to feel more involved in the many different connections. 

It also gives your most beloved people the chance for friendships and new relationships to spark. What an awesome gift.

I wanted to know what one goal MaryAlice has for her business this year or next?

She says she is really excited to launch her new website.

And as always, she is excited to do more weddings. MaryAlice loves being a part of weddings. She likes being a part of intimate moments and joy while helping people feel their best.

At a wedding you are part of a collaboration and that group energy is contagious. She gets super energized with all the love that is shared and learning about families and how all the relationships were born.  

It can be such an intimate experience with people. She loves hearing stories and hearing about all the different ways people come together in life.

I wanted to know the one thing MaryAlice wants her soon to be clients to know?

MaryAlice likes to make people feel comfortable being seen in these special moments. 

She wants you to know that your vision is unique and there is no one right way to be a “bride”, there can be a lot of societal stories that come pouring in once you start planning a wedding. 

She wants to help build a vision with you that you’ll love. 

Click here to learn more about Mary Alice: https://www.instagram.com/maryalice.beauty/

MaryAlice. Photo by Lauren Roberts.

A Conversation with Alaskan Wedding Photographer, Lauren Roberts

I had the greatest pleasure to sit down and to talk to one of my favorite people in the wedding industry: Alaskan wedding photographer, Lauren Roberts. 

I first came across Lauren at the end of the 2020 wedding season after she took photos for a couple I worked with. There was one photo that I couldn’t stop looking at in her collection of photos that day - it was of two people in an embrace. I’m guessing it was the father of the bride. The raw emotion she captured in his face blew me away and I knew I wanted to know and follow Lauren. 

Since then I’ve hired her to do two photo shoots for me. I have not only been over the moon about my photos but working with her behind the camera was a powerful experience. I felt seen and accepted and completely taken care of. 

Alaskan Wedding Photographer, Lauren Roberts Photography

On being photographed

The fear of being a little shy and awkward in front of a lens makes me nervous. But in Lauren’s hands the task of getting photographed becomes an absolute joy.

We talked at length about this aspect of wedding photography. Do you have to innately feel comfortable in front of a camera? Or is it the photographer’s job to help you create ease and thus natural and relaxed looking photos? Definitely the latter, says Lauren. In fact she teaches other photographers this skill. It is a skill that the photographer brings to the table.

I get to look at a lot of wedding photographs. Photographers are so generous in sharing their work with me so I can add photos of my floral work to my portfolio. 

I can see in the photos what couples are coached on feeling comfortable and which ones are left to their own devices. 

Lauren Roberts Photography

Why hire Lauren or any professional photographer?

Although Lauren uses more of a documentary style when she shoots - meaning she likes to capture people in a wedding just doing their thing, she does do posed shots for the wedding album. 

The gift of a highly skilled photographer is so important in making these posed shots look natural and relaxed and almost candid. Another side of Lauren’s business is boudoir (aka nude photographs posed in a studio). If there’s a photographer who is practiced in helping people get comfortable in their own skin it has to be someone who takes nude photos of people who aren't models.

Lauren emphasizes that it’s the professional that helps open people up. It really doesn’t matter what the couple brings to the table. She is there to know you and fall in love with every single couple and find out what makes YOU lovely and beautiful. 

Lauren loves to get to the essence of her clients. This is evident when booking a discovery call with her. She avoids most of the standard questions about wedding details and focuses more on just chatting and getting to know each other. Her calls she says are “75% shoot the shit and 25% about booking a shoot”.

She loves creating a connection and feeling a sense of vibrancy in her clients.  

It is important you feel comfortable with your photographer - you will spend more time with this person than any other person on your wedding day. They will see you getting dressed. They will see you before the first look. 

I wanted to know why someone should hire a professional photographer for their wedding?

Why not let a family member or friend take the photos? 

We both agree that couples need to put their money towards what matters most to them. For me, that was food. I wanted the best food available! I can’t believe I’m saying this now but photos and flowers weren't as important to me.

When planning for your wedding, know that your photographs have the most longevity of anything else that day. They will be held and looked at by your grandkids and your great grandkids. They will be a family heirloom.

I love telling this to my clients because more than likely, your flowers will also be in those pictures. If photos matter to you, then invest in them.

Weddings are also inherently chaotic and multidimensional. There are so many decisions for a couple to make. 

Decision fatigue can be a reality so it’s best to hand off tasks to professionals whenever possible. Lauren knows all the shots to take. She can even help with your day-of timeline. 

When you hire a professional it will ease your load which allows you to enjoy the moments with your most beloved people on your wedding day.

Lauren Roberts Photography

How to book Alaskan Wedding Photographer, Lauren Roberts

Booking Lauren usually happens 6-9 months in advance, but let me say that if you want to work with Lauren don’t delay. To miss out on having her shoot your wedding would be a huge mistake if she was already booked out. 

She breaks down her booking process so people can choose from different standard packages. I’d recommend checking out her website so you can get a feel for exactly what each package entails. After booking a package, she allows all sorts of add ons if you need to customize a little more.

Included in each package is a consultation, digital photos, a photo reveal and an actual tangible product. She wants to make sure you leave with something in your hand and not just “a usb drive that will gather dust on your desk”. 

My favorite part of her photo experience is her photo reveal. I felt like an absolute movie star, sitting in her hip studio, looking through all the pictures she edited for me. What a fun time! 

Lauren Roberts Photography with a signature Turnstone Farm bouquet

Going above and beyond for your wedding guests

I love giving my clients cool ways to wow their guests, and transform their event.

I wanted to know if Lauren had any “wow” moments at weddings where the couples went above and beyond. 

Two things stuck out for her. 

At one wedding every guest had a hand-written note from the couple at their seat telling each guest the important role that they played in their life. 

I was lucky enough to receive such a note from a couple whose wedding I attended. It is a touch I will forever remember and I often share it with my couples who book with me. It can be a lot to take on but if you split the task with your soon-to-be-spouse and take on 2-3 notes per day, you’ll be through it in no time. 

What I love about this exercise is that it puts you in a serious mood of gratitude as well. And although I have not asked couples how this practice transforms their event for themselves I can imagine it creates a sense of immediate gratitude that extends into their wedding day.

Lauren had another favorite idea for couples. She is unsure the origins to this practice but it goes like this: behind the head table is a small two-seater table with two chairs. Guests are invited to come sit at that table during the dining experience to get some one on one time with the couple.

This allows everyone to have a seat with the couple. I know from experience that guests cannot get enough time with the newlyweds. Plus, Lauren thinks that there is something extra special about sitting together and visiting that is more meaningful and more intimate than standing and talking.

Another more common practice is to have a receiving line. After the ceremony, the couple can wait and greet each guest as they walk by. 

Toasts are also a great way to call attention to everyone present. Calling out and saying everyone’s name can be a powerful experience. While this could get long if the guest list is long, be creative. Figure out a way to break this up. Saying people's names is powerful - they will remember.

Lauren wants to emphasize that while a wedding is for the couple and should honor what is important to them, it is also important to honor the loving community that surrounds and supports them.

As I celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary I know this to be so true. A relationship does not exist in a vacuum. It is because of our quality outside relationships that we are successful in our marriages. It does take a village to partner two fully-realized people.

Lauren Roberts Photography

Alaskan Wedding Vendor Recommendations

If you’re still building out your wedding team, Lauren has some recommendations for vendors that she loves to work with. 

For planners, Rebecca from LaBoum is a favorite to work with. As Lauren says she is “on her shit”. I have heard this from other wedding pros in the area. And if I was pulling off a large wedding, that’s who I would want on my team.

For beauty (hair and makeup), Mary Alice is the stylist she works with most. Stay tuned, as I’m interviewing Mary Alice soon and will have an in depth blog all about her.

For music and MC, Jared Woods and Woodrow.

For wedding venues, she thinks At The Barn in the Palmer/Wasilla area is super cute. She also loves shooting weddings at the Forget-me-not Nursery in Indian, AK. It is a magical place and the people there are super friendly.

Lauren Roberts Photography & Turnstone Farm flowers

Final Wedding Day Advice

Any final advice from Lauren, who has attended countless weddings documenting them from behind the lens?

She encourages couples to “sink your feet into the experience and enjoy every single moment.” 

View a wedding Lauren and I worked on together at Raven Glacier Lodge in Girdwood, Alaska here: Fall Wedding at Raven Glacier Lodge

Inquire about wedding photography with Lauren here: ​​https://laurenroberts.com/contact