What an unexpected treat it was to stumble upon a simply stunning bridal salon at 4430 Olive Street, east of Taylor Avenue. Juno Bridal, named after the Roman goddess of marriage, celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, March 4.
Last summer Claire Ketterer left Los Angeles where she had been practicing nursing for the previous 3 years, and returned to St. Louis and her large tight-knit family in North County. While she was away she would hear news of her parents, 2 sisters, 3 brothers and 2 step-siblings and “always felt left out.”
She gave up nursing – at least for the time being – and decided to try something completely different. She saw that St. Louis was lacking a boutique bridal salon and searched the city and county for a suitable location to fill the void. She looked in The Grove (which she loves) and Kirkwood, for example, but fell in love with a a light-filled storefront at 4430 Olive Street, which she said, “is just the right size, and out of the bustle of the CWE retail district. It also has lots of street parking.”
On the website Juno Bridal is described as:
“…not your mother’s bridal shop. We’re for the free-spirited, creative, modern bride who cherishes individual style.”
Ketterer carries 6 designers whose creations are unconventional and exclusive to Juno Bridal. The gowns range in price from $1,500 to $3,000, which Ketterer says are on the more affordable side of gowns found in boutique settings. Most of the designers are based in the U.S. and Canada. One is located in Budapest.
There will be frequent trunk shows (Truvelle is scheduled for March 24 to 26), and that designer’s wedding gowns will be 10% off at that time.
Brides-to-be are advised to make an appointment at least 8 months before the wedding date so there is ample time to choose the dress, have it made, and shipped. If you need a dress sooner, Ketterer will do the best she can to make it happen, though you may have to pay a rush fee. Alterations are not offered on premises, though there a list of reputable seamstresses on hand.
Juno Bridal is the only salon in St. Louis to offer Bohemian-style dresses such as the one above designed by Daughters of Simone, based in San Francisco.
A selection of bridal veils and flower crowns are also on display, above and below.
Ketterer’s cousin Mary Kohnen creates the flower crowns for the shop, some of which are shown above.
A family photo at the grand opening shows from left, cousins Laura and Anna Kohnen, Claire Ketterer, middle, and her sisters Sara and Caroline, far right.
The whole family pitched in to help get Juno Bridal open. Claire says her father, who owns his own business, was tremendously helpful guiding her through the process of setting up Juno Bridal. Two brothers are electricians and took care of all the lighting needs, and her sister Sara, who works for Butler’s Pantry, brought all the food for the grand opening. She mentioned that her stepmom was a big help too.
Juno Bridal is open every day but Monday by appointment, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., (314) 300-8959. It’s suggested that appointments be booked online (you should check out the lovely website whether wedding plans are in your future or not). The shop is another wonderful addition to the growing mix of new retail establishments springing up in the neighborhood.