Bliss Bridal Boutique opens in Downtown Midland

“My husband, John, brought it up,” said Tamara Schmidt. “We have five daughters and do a lot of shopping, a lot of dress shopping. Last February, the family sat down to discuss this, and we all agreed to do this.”

The family-run business is located in the old Losey’s Fine Jewelers building at 133 E. Main Street, next door to Little Forks Outfitters.

“A lot of Losey’s old customers came to our grand opening celebration with their wedding bands,” said Schmidt. “It was nice to hear some of their stories. Things have been going well so far.”

The Schmidt girls, ranging in age from 14 to 22, have always been involved in the family businesses. They aren’t afraid to run equipment or get their hands dirty and did just that as they jumped right in (along with the Schmidts’ seven nieces) to help with the extensive renovation of the building.

“All my daughters helped out,” Tamara Schmidt said. “They sanded and built walls, laid tile and stained floors on their hands and knees. “My husband did the copper racking you see in the store. My Dad came in to lend a hand. The girls helped pick out all the dresses. Everyone got involved.”

The grand opening celebration featured a cake-cutting ceremony courtesy of Belle’s Bakery. Other small businesses, such as Peel N’ Pare and Coley’s Sweet Treats, also donated items.

“The event went super well,” said Josie Lake, a niece who is also Bliss Bridal Boutique’s manager. “We’ve had so much encouragement and support from local businesses. They’ve been so nice.”

“We had a blast,” said Tamara Schmidt. “We really enjoy being in downtown Midland. “There is so much going on. After work, we can have pizza and listen to music. We’ve always involved our children in our businesses. This seems like a good fit for our family now.”

Bridal Bliss Boutique offers a beautiful selection of wedding dresses, accessories, bridesmaid dresses, tuxedo rentals and gifts. The shop carries name labels such as Couture, Thomberg and Allures that offer a range of designs and styles, from traditional to modern and trendy.

“I love weddings nowadays,” said Schmidt. “They are so unique to the couple. Colors have changed. Ivory on ivory is still popular, as is ivory and sand. But you are even starting to see black wedding dresses. We have one that is bluish-gray. There is a big range in price point and style as well.”

The willingness of brides to stretch conventional boundaries suits Bliss Bridal because they do a lot of customizing of dresses. One wedding-day custom — that it’s first and foremost the bride’s day — hasn’t wavered. Yet Bliss Bridal Boutique has formal men’s wear to buy and rent along with apparel, accessories and gifts for the entire wedding party.

Tamara Schmidt and Lake run the day-to-day operation. Schmidt’s daughter, Hannah, 18, works afternoons after her school days, an arrangement that “so far has worked pretty well. Maybe it’s still the honeymoon phase,” said Tamara Schmidt, smiling.

Blood runs thick at Bliss Bridal Boutique.

“I can’t imagine doing this without my niece,” Tamara Schmidt said. “John and I have flipped houses and like to keep the family involved. We like remodel projects. We look at a building and envision what it could look like. I felt there was a need for a bridal boutique in Midland. I know when I was looking for a formal dress for a convention or another event, there weren’t a lot of places around that offer that. We looked at the bridal world and really like it. I called on it and got the keys.”