‘Every bride deserves to put on a dress and feel beautiful’: Milwaukee bridal bar expands with eye on alternative and plus sized wedding dresses

By Tajma Hall

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — One of the most memorable days in a person’s life of course is the day they get married. For brides, what they choose to wear down the aisle is almost as memorable as the day itself.

One Milwaukee bridal shop is going the extra mile to prioritize inclusivity. Abby Janiszewski is owner and designer at Strike Bridal Bar & Rare Bridal Bar.

“I love when brides just choose to do something that’s just really true to them and not necessarily what people are expecting,” she said.

Janiszewski has created a place where brides can embrace their unique style, whether that be modern and edgy, or more traditional.

“The big thing that I thought of when opening Strike is exclusivity. I wanted the dresses to be very unique, different, alternative,” she said.

Her shop carries small, independent designers. “There are things that you’re not going to see at every other store. All of our dresses at Strike are exclusive to us in the state of Wisconsin so if you’re coming in here and falling in love with a dress…you can’t find it anywhere else,” she said.

Janiszewski is a Milwaukee native and says her goal was always to have her own shop and design a space for brides to come in and have a unique experience while finding their perfect fit.

She went to school for fashion design and in high school, worked part time at a bridal shop. Janiszewski says she fell in love with the bridal industry and knew she’d be in it for life…opening strike bridal bar in 2019 was putting her love for bridal into action.

This shop isn’t just all about exclusivity but inclusivity as well. Abby says an important piece of that is catering to plus size brides.

“Being able to offer all different sizes to brides was something that was always really important,” she said.

Strike Bridal already offers a large size variety but is now preparing to take its inclusivity mission a huge step farther, dedicating an entire space to plus size brides.

As of April, Rare Bridal Bar becomes the new occupant of strike bridal’s flagship location on 4th and Florida streets, while Strike will be moving its main location to a larger space nearby.

“Rare opening…we’re actually going to be the first and only plus size shop in the entire state of Wisconsin,” said Janiszewski.

She says most people don’t realize that bridal gowns tend to run smaller in size than regular clothing.

Having a successful business in her hometown is a dream come true for Janiszewski and she’s even more grateful to have a hand in making brides feel special ahead of their special day.

“Every bride deserves to put on a dress and feel beautiful regardless of what they look like, what size they wear so I’m glad that we’re able to give that to our brides whatever the capacity is,” she said.

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