Meet and Greet: Trinh, owner of Orange County

Trinh Chu

We love nothing more than having a happy Bella customer. But we love even more when they become part of the Bella family! In September 2010, Trinh Chu, a previous Bella customer, decided to open her very own Bella in her hometown of Orange County, CA. After having such a wonderful experience planning her own wedding and discovering her new found love of the wedding industry it seemed only natural that Trinh become a Bella Bridesmaid franchisee! We caught up with Trinh in sunny SoCal and got to ask her a few questions…

BB: What did you do before owning Bella?

T: Prior to opening Bella, I spent ten years working in advertising at a few different agencies in Los Angeles. Most recently, I was an Account Director at Team One overseeing advertising, strategic and branding efforts for Lexus vehicles.

Trinh on her wedding day

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

T: I had such an amazing time planning my own wedding that I knew I wanted to do something in the wedding industry. I had visited the LA store when I was looking for bridesmaid dresses and from the moment I stepped into the store, I knew the concept was great, one of a kind and the absolute perfect fit for my personality. When I found out Bella was a franchise and there was an opportunity to open one in my hometown, I leapt at the opportunity!

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

T: Without a doubt, it would have to be my first sale, which happened to be my very first appointment! WOW! It's coming up on one year since we opened our doors.

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

T: I'm starting to build my collection, but so far, I'm loving my Coren Moore Skylar, Simple Silhouettes Reed and my Two Birds Long Flutter gown.

Trinh in her fav TwoBirds dress

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

T: One bride that I absolutely adored, came to us pretty distraught and had given up hope finding flattering dresses for her plus size maids. I introduced her to Two Birds and she loved them so much. Not only did her girls don the dresses, she outfitted her mom and soon to be mother-in-law in them too and of course, ordered one for herself for her rehearsal dinner. The best part was through the process we became friends and she ended up inviting me to her wedding!



BB: Fave celebrity wedding dress?

Kate Moss, Image by Film Magic via Brides

T: I absolutely love Kate Moss's wedding dress. It was so delicate and ethereal. The silhouette kind of reminded me of mine (minus the sparkles and the fact that it probably cost 100 times more.......) but otherwise it was very similar. :)



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

T: I like the classic styles from Simple Silhouettes and their Reed dress is probably my go to dress when working. It's the perfect dress for any occasion. You can dress it up with jewelry and heels, but for work, I like pairing it with a cardigan and some flats.

Trinh(center, in Sapphire Joanna August dress) at
 grand opening for OC Bella Bridesmaid

BB: Best wedding trend you've seen recently?

T: I LOVE it when brides let their girls select their own dresses that reflect their personal style and work with their body type. Whether it be different dresses in the same fabric/color or different dresses but in a particular color palette, it's so nice to see girls feel great in their dresses. We just got in dresses for a bride that let her girls select any short purple dress in the store. We're so excited to see how it all comes together!

                                  Thank you Trinh!