Love Lives Here Bridal Fits all Brides

Amanda Ergen Jennings, owner and designer

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When I was asked to go to a friend’s final wedding dress fitting, I had no idea what I was walking into as this was my first time being asked to join this precious moment. Upon entering a very hip industrial studio building off Allis Street in Walker’s Point/Bay View, I was already impressed. I pictured us going to a store with thin mannequins and a bunch of sequins, but this was anything but that.

Love Lives Here Bridal was created by owner and designer Amanda Ergen-Jennings organically after she was asked to make bridal dresses for a few close friends. Amanda and I met on a cold January day between sewing sessions and bridal consultations. Here’s her story:

What was your path into bridal design? Did you go to a fashion school specifically for bridal?

Well, I've been sewing since I was a kid. My grandma taught me when I was eight. I'm the only grandkid she taught. I studied fashion design at UW-Madison and they have an exchange program with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. So, I spent a year there finishing up and worked in technical design for a while, then moved home because I was broke and alone.

Once back in Milwaukee in the early to mid-2000s, I was working for Carson Pirie Scott, and my friends and their friends started getting married. I did not want to do bridal. That was not something that I was ever interested in. I studied sportswear, but as I started doing more custom stuff, word of mouth spread. It started with mostly bridesmaids, a few custom brides here and there, and it just kind of grew the whole time. I was working full time at Bon-Ton, growing this full-time business on the side. Once I had my daughter, I had to choose one or the other and that’s when I started Love Lives Here over five years ago.

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What’s the story behind the first wedding dress that you made? And, did you make your own?

My first adventure was for a very close friend of mine from design school’s wedding gown. I met her the first day of class at UW-Madison and we’ve stayed in touch ever since – She’s how I met my husband!

It was tough to design her dress because she knew all that I know. So, she would question everything that I was doing, and I didn't have all of the experience yet. I would love to remake her dress, but that was also back in 2008 so the time has passed.

And, yes, I did make my own wedding dress!

Let’s talk about your brilliant and beautiful size inclusion – it’s not something we see often in bridal wear.

I met with so many brides that wouldn't fall into that standard sample size in stores. While in the past few years there has been a swing for more stores offering larger size samples, designers expanding their size range, many custom brides who were curvier to plus-sizes were coming to me because they couldn't find even samples to try in stores.

Coming from my background in technical design, I specialized in plus and petite fit in like the ready-to-wear brands. And with that specialty in non-sample sizes, that became a big focus of my custom work. I wanted to make what’s flattering on a size 2 also flattering on a size 22.

What is your process when beginning with a new client?

First, I ask about where they are in their wedding dress journey and look at any inspirational photos they have with them and decide if I’m the right designer for them.

Next, we try on a few of my collection pieces and then customize from there. We pick fabrics or source other fabrics, but really just getting them to get something on their body to decide, yes, she really likes this! Or, they didn't even think I would like this, but it's even better than the photos they linked. Really, I want to give them some options – No one really knows what they want until it's on their own body!

My size chart goes up to a street size 0 to 30, but I have done custom above and below. The mannequins you see around my studio are a reflection of different brides I’ve worked with and examples of the many shapes and sizes of the female figure.

Where can people find your dresses in stores? And, what’s the best way for an interested bride to get in touch with you?

I have my collection items in Appleton, WI, just outside of Chicago, Mystic and Branford, Connecticut, just outside of the Boston area, one in Athens, Georgia, one in Denver, CO, another in Berkeley, California, then one in Oklahoma City.