Meet & Greet: Sheri and Kristin, owners of Scottsdale

Bella Bridesmaid ladies are like family, and for some, actually are family! Sheri and Kristin Cartwright, are the fabulous mother/daughter duo who opened the Scottsdale boutique in January of 2011. The recent college graduate and the savvy business woman sought to bring modern and wearable designer lines to brides and bridesmaids alike in the Scottsdale area.

With the encouragement from fellow Bella owners and old friends, Kathleen and Erin of Chicago, Sheri and Kristin have had great success! The duo sat down with us to share a little more of how they came to be Bella gals...

BB: What did both of you do before owning Bella?

S: We lived in Chicago for the past 12 years. I was a real estate agent for four years before my husband and I purchased an existing business CartwrightDownes, where we do background verification services.

K: Before opening the shop I was a college student. I graduated from Northwestern University in 2009. In between graduation and opening day, I waitressed and catered at our family restaurant.

BB: Why did you want to become part of the Bella franchise?

S&K: The idea started after talking with good family friends of ours, Kathleen Casey and her daughter Erin, owners of the Chicago boutique. Through the years we have heard about her and Erin's exciting experiences running the Chicago store. The more we learned about the franchise the more interested we became in being a part of the Bella family. We were both fascinated with the wedding industry and eager to be a part of a crucial calling for brides.

BB: What is the most memorable moment so far in your boutique?

K: Our first sale, which actually happened before we even opened our doors. About two months before the store was complete, a bride contacted us looking for Saja wedding gowns. Luckily, Saja was one of the first designers to have sent their dresses to our home. Not wanting to make the bride wait an extra two months, we packed up the dresses and brought Saja's beautiful line to her. We were able to set up a mini showroom in her living room where she found the dress of her dreams!

S: For me it was seeing the end product of our shop and having our first appointment come in. The interior of our shop turned out looking better than we could have ever imagined and it was fantastic to have someone finally experience it. I will probably always remember that first bridal group that came in. They ended up choosing multiple styles from LulaKate that looked fabulous on the girls.

BB: What are your favorite bridesmaid dresses that are hanging in your personal closets?

S: 57 Grand's “Reade”. This is actually the dress that I wore to my son's wedding in September.

K: My choice for favorite changes periodically. As of right now, my favorite Bella dress is Joanna August “Dara”. I love all of Joanna August's dresses, but this one in particular is the ultimate flattering, chic, and comfortable dress.

BB: Tell us about a favorite recent bride that has an interesting story.

S&K: We have had so many wonderful brides come into our store with incredible backgrounds and stories. Our favorite recent bride's story is our daughter in law/sister in law's, Syreeta Burnett. Being from Illinois, she was able to make a trip to Scottsdale where she made a visit to the shop. It was a magical time to be able to help her in creating her perfect wedding.

BB: What is your fave celebrity wedding dress?

S: I love Chelsea Clinton's Vera Wang wedding gown. It is a true fairy tale wedding dress without being over the top. The crystal waistband she wore made the dress even more glamorous.

K: Carrie Underwood's wedding gown AND wedding reception dress! Both so unique and so stunning!

BB: So what are dress/s are Arizona's brides flocking to?

S&K: Our Arizona brides love Amsale's crinkle chiffon dresses. Light and airy enough to keep them cool during a hot Arizona day or evening and stylish enough to evoke elegance.

BB: What is the best wedding trend you've seen recently?

S&K: We know you're hearing this a lot, but we love brides giving their maids options! Designers such as LulaKate, Lynn Lugo, Two Birds and Amsale make it so easy for bridal parties to pick multiple dress styles that both unify the wedding party and compliment each unique bridesmaid's body type. We also have some brides who are choosing a variety of bolder, brighter colors. They are choosing colors that help express their particular personalities. We love that! Thank you Sheri & Kristin!