LaTonya Turnage, Founder of Elite Secrets Bridal Has Created An New Experience For Brides Who Dare To Be Different

It’s wedding season and Elite Secrets Bridal Boutique is the go-to location for brides from all walks of life to find, customize and build the wedding dress of their dreams. Located in the Fashion District of Mount Vernon, they cater to the couples obsessed with all things exclusive, specialty and undoubtedly unique. They have crafted a truly special experience, and partner with designers nationwide to have them take part in their signature, “Sketch to Yes,” events, where brides from all over get an up-close and personal touch to the beginning of an unforgettable wedding journey.

Founder, LaTonya Turnage has been a full-time fashion entrepreneur for over 15 years. Her business has evolved from bridal makeup, to bridal showroom and now, a dream bridal design house. Her journey began as a makeup artist for brides on their Big Day. She took time, and ensured that every bride felt special. She would even stick around the entire wedding day, just to make sure they were touched up throughout. As her journey continued, she wanted to do more. She knew that makeup was just a part of the complete package. The styling, photography and more seals the final look.

She opened her bridal showroom, Elite Secrets Bridal in 2015, and has aided in the crafting of couples journeys every day since. She believes that the pinnacle of beauty for many brides is the day they say, “I do!”

Elite Secrets Bridal has created an entirely new experience for the bride who dares to be different. We had the pleasure of interviewing LaTonya about her about wedding season and the backstory of her brand.

What was the inspiration behind your brand?

LaTonya: Loving what I do and the drive to excel and build a legacy for my family. I am also an advocate for the community, specifically the black community. Being an example to young women and men.

Who do you feel is your target client?

LaTonya: We serve the modern luxury bride. Age range 25–35, (occasionally 40’s or 50’s). We have three profiles: girl next door/local bride, luxury bride looking for an experience, bride looking to support the community and the culture.

What do you define as success?

LaTonya: Serving!! It’s what sets us apart from our competitors. Our focus is on the experience and how we welcome our brides and their bridal parties. Also being a change for the bridal community and offering a size from 8–30. Being a curvy women myself it’s important for women of all shapes and sizes to feel celebrated.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

LaTonya: Our experience.

We are a full service bridal salon catering to women of all shapes, sizes ,and color. It’s what brides all over the DMV are talking about! The one of a kind bridal experience we offer our brides and their bridal parties, will last a lifetime. With over 20 years of bridal beauty experience, ESB expanded our services in 2018 to a full service salon adding wedding gowns, accessories, and alterations to our bridal hair and makeup services. Since then, couples from The Knot, Wedding Wire, and Google have chosen ESB for the Best Choice Couples’ Award for the past 4 years and counting. We are even hosting our very own in-house private bridal VIP experience appointments and ceremony space for the micro-ceremonies! We also received the Business award from the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.

Connect with the brand online @elitesecretsbridal

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