Minnesota Wedding Shop

Photo by Art Sidner

New Ulm: Minnesota Wedding Shop

From early on in life, Brittney Anderson would begin learning the essentials of later managing New Ulm Event Center and Minnesota Wedding Shop, both co-owned by Rich and Lynnette Draheim. Minnesota Wedding Shop opened in May 2014 near Hy-Vee.

As for the wedding shop, “It was Rich’s dream since buying the event center to open a wedding shop,” said 28-year-old Anderson. “He really wanted to make a one-stop stop for brides, to help take away their stress. He thought what better place than the event center, where we had room upstairs.”

Much of what Anderson learned about business, she picked up from her parents, co-owners of a Montevideo cleaning and restoration business. She said, “They really showed me what a great work ethic looked like and they were always available to customers. I remember quite a few times my dad having to go out in the middle of the night to deal with emergencies, such as when a customer’s basement water pipe would burst.”

She picked up more having to organize her own wedding, on 9-10-11. She said, “I’d always wanted to be in the wedding industry, but my interest (in the industry) grew when I was doing the planning for my own wedding. I’m really detail-oriented, and good at organizing a wedding, making checklists and timelines, and figuring out what to do and how. I’ve always been organized.”

As for services, Minnesota Wedding Shop does in-house alterations, a “huge” benefit, she said, because it can provide brides-to-be with immediate answers to alteration questions. The shop has six dress designers, with all six new to New Ulm: Allure, Bonny, Eden, Impression, Mikaella, and Private Label by G. Dresses range in price from $399 to $2,500. The shop sells bridesmaid, mother, and flower girl dresses, and veils, jewelry, and belts. It also offers tuxedo rentals, and sells men’s suits, ties, pocket squares, and socks.

Minnesota Wedding Shop
Address: 301 20th Street
Telephone: 507-354-GOWN
Web: mnweddingshop.com