Meet & Greet: Jamie, owner of Las Vegas

Jamie in LulaKate, Christy dress at Bella Grand Opening

In “Sin City", where Elvis themed nuptials, outrageous bachelor & bachelorette parties, along with endless bright lights seem to encompass everyday life, Jamie Johnson introduced Las Vegas to the world of fabulous bridesmaid dresses. Jamie opened the doors of Bella Bridesmaid in March of 2009 and has since come away with some fun memories! While keeping up with the Vegas pace and wearing her signature cowboy boots along the way, Jamie has kept on her toes! We asked Jamie to take a break to answer a few questions for us…


BB: What were you doing before becoming a Bella Bridesmaid owner?

Jamie wearing Amsale, her sister in Swoon

J: Prior to opening Bella I opened the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas in April 2005. I started out as an Assistant Wedding Consultant learning the world of weddings, etiquette, and design. I was then the Manager of the Wedding Salons from the Fall of 2005-February of 2009. Working in such a luxurious environment and having amazing management training truly allowed for me to better understand running a business.

BB: Why did you want to become part of the Bella franchise?

J: I knew I wanted to stay in the world of weddings but needed a change. I was in a wedding for a dear friend on 7/7/7 and we purchased our dresses from the Bella in San Francisco. I had a great experience and when I was searching for what my next move would be Bella Bridesmaid came up in conversation. From that minute on I could not stop thinking about opening a Bella here in Vegas, you could say I became obsessed. In talking with franchise owner, Bridget Brown and the other owners I knew it was a great fit for me, a lot of work, but also very rewarding. A year later we opened our doors and it has been an amazing adventure.

BB: What is the most memorable moment so far in your boutique?

J: There are too many to list... but I remember my first bride she emailed me every week to see if we were open yet and was so eager to see our boutique and what we had to offer. I contacted her when the doors opened and set up the appointment. She was the nicest and most organized bride. We had so much fun selecting her dresses, and remain in contact to this day. When she left the boutique I felt such a sense of accomplishment and joy all the hard work the year of pre-opening had paid off and the result was positive and a blast!

BB: What are your favorite bridesmaid dresses that are hanging in your personal closet?

Jamie in TwoBirds Mini Rosette

J: I have a million LulaKate Christy's they are my absolute favorite. I am also obsessed with Amsale Chiffon I have G425C and G462C they are light and comfortable for this Vegas heat. I get a ton of use out of my TwoBirds dresses- my favorite is the mini rosette but it is a little too mini now that I am pregnant.

BB: Tell us about a favorite recent bride that has an interesting story/wedding

J: My baby sister is getting married so I am now Maid of Honor, Wedding Planner, and in charge of her bridesmaids apparel. It is such a great experience planning something so monumental with her and seeing the wedding through her eyes (but with my vision as well). I often work with the best vendors in town for all of our weddings but it is exciting to be on the other side again and help her wedding day dreams come true.





BB: What is your fave celebrity wedding dress?

Image by Thomas Rabsch/Wire Image via Style News 

J: Gwen Stefani’s Christian Dior, I loved the pink ombre on her dress, and I also loved Jessica Simpson's dress by Vera Wang when she married Nick Lachey.


BB: What is your go to dress for a busy Saturday in the shop?

J: Right now I am eagerly awaiting some new frocks from Carol Hannah in Jersey. Since I am pregnant my closet of Bella dresses are not fitting but prior to the baby bump I rocked a Christy all the time almost every Saturday. I also love my Simple Silhouettes Aster. I wear my cowboy boots on the weekends they are the only shoe that is comfy all day when you are on your feet.




BB: What is the best wedding trend you've seen recently?

Jamie pictured with her sister (in TwoBirds) and mom (in Alfred Sung)

J: I am really into the mix and match of designers with the use of the same fabric. I recently had a bride do pink chiffon and had dresses from Amsale, Jenny Yoo, Jim Hjelm, Dessy, and Lela Rose. She had a great eye and sense of style. I also love the incorporation of the Junior Bridesmaid that is a young teenager (12-14) she is so excited to participate, wants to look older but still feels self conscious in anything too revealing or mature she is a fun customer to dress.


Thanks so much Jamie!