Interview with Jan Mount, president
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: We were looking for a business that we could call our own, where we could call the shots, have fun and make a difference. We stumbled down the isle June 22, 1991. Amanda’s Bridal & Tux was formed and married to the wedding business. This proverbial “June bride” is now celebrating her 23rd anniversary. This small family start-up was definitely a ma and pa operation, with me leading a small team of three employees (now 17). My background wasn’t in retail, it was in banking, I had to rely on my experienced staff for on-the-job training. Combining hopes and dreams with long hours and hard work, the store became a success. Having some awful supervisors in the past, our goal was a fun and friendly atmosphere that employees and customers would enjoy. Our next goal was to sell top-quality dresses at reasonable prices.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: What distinguishes us is attitude. We are not stuck up or stuffy like many bridal shops. We’re fun. We cater to today’s typical bride who wants to find a quality, beautiful wedding dress at a reasonable price. She doesn’t want to spend thousands of dollars on her gown. That’s where we come in. We know that weddings are expensive, so we search out designers that have the best and latest designs, provide top-quality workmanship and offer reasonable prices. Dresses start around $400 for an informal wedding and go up to around $1,999 for our most expensive gowns. Plus, we offer hundreds of styles to try on in that price range. We also offer group discounts to help.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: Helping make brides’ dreams come true and seeing the happiness on their faces and on their family’s faces. Many young women have been thinking about this big day since their youth, and helping them bring it all together is a blast.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: To be honest, the biggest challenge is having to deal with unreasonable expectations. Brides are always talking about the “Bridezilla” TV shows — they are very popular. When a reality TV show turns into your reality, it isn’t as much fun. But, these are the exception.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: There are a lot of surprises in the wedding business. A week doesn’t go by that we don’t hear something new. One big surprise is that some wedding dresses, not all, can be washed. Once, we had a child come in eating cotton candy and … you guessed it. The “store sample” needed washing right away, it came out perfect. Thankfully, it was a store sample not a bride’s dress.
Profile
Business: Amanda’s Bridal & Tux
Address: 7430 W. 52nd Ave., Arvada
Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday
Founded: 1991
Contact:303-422-4007,
Employees: 17
