New bridal and tux shop has the ‘largest selection of tuxedos and suits in eastern Idaho’
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IDAHO FALLS – If you’re planning to get married soon or need to rent a gown or a tux, there’s a new option for you.
Hearts Bridal & Tuxedo opened Oct. 1 at 630 West Broadway in Idaho Falls in the building formerly occupied by LaNeige Bridal & Tuxedo.
Owner JC Weber tells EastIdahoNews.com the response has been pretty good, but there has been some confusion among customers.
“There was originally a Hart’s Tux & Gown (in this building) named for the Hart family,” Weber says. “We know the Hart family well. We sought their blessing in calling it Hearts, but we’re spelling it like the shape and that was intentional.”
Hearts Bridal & Tuxedo is not affiliated with the Hart family or their previous business.
Weber acquired the 6,000-square-foot space from the owners of LaNiege in September because they were filing for bankruptcy.
“They didn’t fare as well through coronavirus as many businesses have struggled. They were in a spot where they needed (to be) bailed out. So they reached out,” says Weber.
Weber is hosting a ribbon-cutting and open house Thursday, Nov. 19 at noon.
The business has a wide variety of gowns and tuxedos for rent. With more than 3,000 tuxedos in its warehouse, Weber says they have the largest selection of tuxedos and suits in eastern Idaho and focus primarily on sleeveless and backless contemporary gowns.
Colored tuxedos, including burgundy and navy, are a popular trend right now, Weber says, along with the Bohemian-style bridal gown.
He says summer weddings are pretty popular, particularly the month of August.
“We’re really one of the main players still in (the bridal industry),” he says. “There’s Margene’s Bridal and Treasure’s Formal Bridal and Tux. We want to work well with every (bridal) business. The best part of Idaho Falls is there’s a lot of clientele and it can support a variety of businesses, even in the same industry.”
Weber got his start working in the bridal gown industry as a kid. His grandma opened Circle of Love Bridal Shop at 64 East Main Street in Rexburg sometime in the 1980s. His parents, Jon and Heather Weber, bought it in 1992 and operated it until he took it over Jan. 1.
Weber says he wanted to continue the family legacy of helping people celebrate special moments in life.
“It happens that we celebrate the moments of weddings and dances and these special events where you want to look your best,” he says. “Having grown up with that, it’s something you tend to lean towards and want to continue to do for people.”
Being a part of someone’s big day and helping to shape how they feel about themselves is what Weber finds most rewarding about the job.
Weber says things were a little rough at the height of the pandemic when the stay-home order went into effect, but once things reopened, there was a huge uptick in weddings. That was good for business and allowed him to acquire LaNeige.
Weber recently brought on some new designers to help create new inventory and wants to continue to provide a great selection of suits, tuxedos and wedding dresses for people in eastern Idaho.
“We’re excited to be part of the community, to be locally-owned and operated and we’re so grateful for all the support we’ve received from eastern Idaho and the opportunity to continue to provide this great service,” Weber says.
Hearts Bridal & Tuxedo is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday with a 5 p.m. closing time Saturday. Visit the website or Facebook page for more information.
