Puttin’ On The Glitz offers all the little things a bride needs to make her big day complete.

The Perrysburg boutique has a large selection of tiaras, veils, hair accessories, custom-designed Swarovski crystal jewelry, rhinestone jewelry, personalized gifts and accessories, garters, serving sets, guest books, invitations, save-the-date cards and fine silk floral arrangements.

Jennifer Schulte and her mother, Jackie, with Joanne Heuss.

Owner Joanne Heuss decided to open the boutique after being told by a friend, “I just bought my daughter’s tiara for $300.” Her 20-year-old daughter, Casey, will marry in July 2009.

“I thought I could do this better and for better prices,” she said. “I just know how the jewelry business runs, so I went to the national bridal show. I have all the same suppliers as they all have; we just do it for better prices.”

Heuss has been in the jewelry business for 16 years and people hire her to make their wedding jewelry. She continues to make jewelry as a store owner, but the rest of her inventory is ordered.

“If we could do everything but the dress and shoes,” Heuss said of her mission when starting the boutique.

Puttin’ On The Glitz opened in June at 122 W. South Boundary, Suite B in the Country Charm Shoppes at the corner of Louisiana Avenue. Susan Bowman of Susan’s Floral Fantasy rents a space from Heuss and provides custom silk and dried floral arrangements for customers.

“The thing about getting business for a bridal store is doing the bridal shows,” Heuss said. “So, we are doing all the bridal shows because it targets our specific market and we only get brides.”

Store hours are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. All other times are by appointment.

“We just try to have things that you would have to go looking all over for. If you found it on the Internet, you would have to pay the shipping.”

Heuss aims to give each customer individual attention with sit-down service if necessary. Because of this, she is allowed to carry TRU, a line of invitations, which is only for stores that offer personalized service.

She said the economy doesn’t factor into planning a wedding. People are just as willing to spend money as they were when the economy was better.

“It is the wedding. It is one time.”

The good thing about her boutique is that everything costs less. She offers tiaras for an average price of $68; other places could be as high as $200. She also carries unique gifts for the brides, grooms, bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls and ring bearers, including pillowcases, tote bags and bandanas for pets. A fun gift for brides-to-be is an essential kit for the big day, which includes stain remove, tissue, double-sided tape and breath spray.

When it comes to trends, brides like the color red, and are adding cake jewelry to their wedding cakes. Since dresses are color, tiaras come with color now, too, she said.

“All the girls that we have seen at the shows are more summer already,” Heuss said of when they are getting married. “Yes, after the Christmas brides and Valentine’s Day bride, it gets kind of slow until you start having better weather.”

Her daughter, Kelly Heuss, handles the invitations, which she can customize. Fifteen books are on hand for the bride to find the perfect invitations, save-the-date cards and thank-you notes.

“Some of them you can change everything up,” she said. “Instead of this is what it looks like in the book and this is what you get, you get to pick the colors and fonts.”

Puttin’ On The Glitz carries tiaras and veils for first communions.

For more information on Puttin’ On The Glitz, call (419) 874-3334, e-mail: info@PuttinOnTheGlitzStore.com or visit www.PuttinOnTheGlitzStore.com.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at 10:46 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Retail.
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