Mackins Bridal Boutique aims to offer affordable and size-inclusive wedding dresses for local brides.

The new luxury bridal boutique next to Archive CLT at 2023 Beatties Ford Road will open Friday, Feb. 24.

Why it matters: Brides shouldn’t lose out on their dream wedding dresses, owners Tracie and Jennifer Mackins say, because of out-of-reach price tags — especially as the average wedding costs become more expensive.

• The shop will feature luxury designer dresses all for under $2,000 in store. Custom-designed dresses will be the only dresses offered above that price point.
• “Most bridal shops have prices set at five, six and up to $10,000. Everybody may not want to spend that amount on what many people view as a one-wear dress,” Tracie said.

Background: The owners, who are sisters, come from a family of business owners in west Charlotte.

• The Charlotte natives say that they’ve hoped to open a bridal boutique for years, and that the location couldn’t have been a better fit. Their current shop previously belonged to their godparents. Their parents also own two businesses in the area.
• “The west side is important to us because our godparents had a beauty salon in this space, so we’ve grown up right here. It’s kind of like a full circle moment,” Tracie said.

Inventory: Expect a range of dress styles including anything whimsical to full beaded, sparkles, embellishment options plus accessories. 

• Dresses are available in sizes 00 to 30. They can be shipped in four to six weeks.
• Tracie tells us it was important for their store to offer options for all shapes and sizes, so every dress will come in three different sizes to try on in-store.
• “A lot of the shops we went into weren’t very size inclusive. They had maybe up to a size 16 in bridal. It’s always better to have to clamp you into a bigger dress rather than having you feel like I can’t even get this on,” Jennifer said.

Bonus: The “bee experience” is a service that allows you to rent out the boutique to share a dress try-on experience with family and friends.

• The reserved time will include snacks, charcuterie boards and champagne for the entire group.

Hours: The shop will be open daily from 11am to 6 pm and by appointment only on Wednesdays.

• Appointments are not required on days outside of Wednesday but are encouraged if you want a one-on-one experience. 

What’s next: The Mackins sisters plan to assist aspiring designers in the community.

• In the coming months, they hope to provide a paid internship opportunity to any high school student who wants to pursue a future in fashion and design.