Suzanne Panter with a range of preloved wedding dresses.
Suzanne Panter with a range of preloved wedding dresses.
Suzanne Panter’s bridal business looks like a typical wedding gown boutique on paper, with its array of beautiful dresses in various styles and sizes which hang on racks in streams of whites and creams.
There are veils and tiaras for sale and soft faux fur pull-overs to warm the shoulders of mid-winter brides, as well as glistening champagne glasses waiting to be filled with bubbly.
As expected, there’s a changing area that’s comfortable and private for soon-to-be wives to try on gowns from Suzanne’s carefully curated collection. With the added touch of lit fragrant candles and snug white robes to wrap themselves in between try-ons, brides of all ages and backgrounds fall in love with the special experience of finding their dream dress at Eco Bride.
But there’s a catch. There’s something different about the mum-of-two’s bridal business, which she launched in June last year after brainstorming the idea during New Zealand’s first Covid-19 lockdown.
At the time, hot topics like the environment and cost of living were at the forefront of people’s minds and in a ‘lightbulb’ moment, the Kāpiti grandmother decided to create a wedding boutique based around affordability and sustainability.
It means her business stocks only preloved wedding dresses, which Suzanne hires out and sells at a fraction of their original price. The concept was a first for Kāpiti and is already proving to be a success.
“New wedding dresses usually cost around $5000 to $10,000 and not everyone has thousands to spend in the current cost of living climate,” explains Suzanne, 58, who runs Eco Bride from a relaxed space in her Paraparaumu home.
“In my line of work as a celebrant, I’ve seen a lot of beautiful gowns that are worn once and put away in boxes, which seems a shame. I also understand just how significant a bride’s wedding dress is to her.”
During the late 80s, after Suzanne married her husband Scott in Manchester, United Kingdom, she donated her own wedding dress. The long-sleeved, high-collared number cost her a couple of hundred pounds, which she recalls was a lot of money at the time. Suzanne believed then, as she does now, that it was a waste to wear it just once for six to eight hours and so she dropped it to a local charity shop.
Newly married Suzanne and Scott Panter.
“I didn’t think about one day creating a business like this, I just decided it’d be nice knowing it would be sold on to someone who needed it at a lower cost,” recalls Suzanne, who has worked as a professional celebrant since 2017.
“In my eyes, recycled dresses have already been someone’s dream dress and so they’re filled with love when I get them. I just keep the love going! I now have over 100 dresses plus accessories available to hire or buy.”
While the Eco Bride brand is set around cost flexibility and less waste, Suzanne makes it clear her business doesn’t skimp on quality and beauty. She stocks sought-after dresses from bridal designers including Julia Barnes, who creates the renowned Elizabeth May Bridal range in New Zealand, along with popular labels including Maggie Sottero, Stella York, Andy Anand and Sophia Tolli.
There are one-off styles that were worn once on the catwalk for New Zealand Fashion Week and couldn’t be sold as new, which Suzanne has made available for brides on a budget wanting the ‘designer bridal’ look. Her hire fees start at just $195.
“Everyone deserves to feel special, the business has been well received and proved far more popular than I anticipated,” says the mum of sons Chris, 33, and Daniel, 28. “It makes a bride’s day, as well as mine, when she finds the dress she loves. It can get quite emotional and this isn’t a job for me, it’s a joy.”
When brides meet Suzanne for an appointment in her consultation room, which is decorated with dreamy wedding decor and accessories, they sit together to discuss their visions for the big day. Then she guides them through the different styles she has on hand, which range from sizes 6 to 22.
Suzanne Panter checks out a preloved wedding dress.
“I don’t want women to think that choosing to hire or buy preloved means missing out on that once-in-a-lifetime try-on experience,” Suzanne says. “I created an appointment-only service that lasts around an hour and ladies can try on as many dresses as they like. We have a lot of fun and there’s always laughter.”
Having moved to New Zealand in 2008 and co-run her husband’s company The Hearing Specialists in Paraparaumu, Suzanne received full support from her family when she launched Eco Bride, including marketing and photography from youngest son Daniel, who owns Kāpiti Castles.
“Hiring or purchasing a pre-loved wedding dress is true recycling at its best,” she enthuses. “Plus, I offer buyback for $100 on dresses that are purchased from me to keep the recycling going. If they sell it back to us, we can redo the fun all over again!”
Suzanne decided to further reduce Eco Bride’s environmental footprint by donating to Trees that Count, a tree planting charity, every time a dress is hired or purchased.
Following a small launch party last year, where she invited other Kāpiti businesswomen and friends, Suzanne received her first inquiry call just 24 hours later. Since then, the bookings have flowed in, even attracting clients from outside the coast.
“I’m so proud of what Eco Bride stands for and sometimes I can’t believe how quickly this has grown,” she smiles. “Choosing to hire a wedding dress that doesn’t cost the earth has gained popularity for good reason. It makes so much sense.”
