Finding the perfect wedding gown that makes you feel radiant and ready to celebrate your big day is a process. Often when brides are looking for a shop, they want to patronize a bridal store that’s clean, customer focused, that has a large selection, and that will leave them feeling great about their important purchase. Luckily, our area is home to a store that makes the bride-to-be feel like a goddess.
“It’s such a privilege to be trusted by someone, and to empower them to feel beautiful and confident. That’s why I love being here,” says Autumn Underberg, owner of Goddess Gowns in Union. Located at 33 S. Oak St., in the heart of downtown Union, the location has long been a dress shop, but Autumn purchased it in late 2020 and rebranded it to its current name. The store has two floors, each coming in at over 2,000-square-feet of space, with the main level focusing on bridal gowns, while the lower level contains prom and formal wear.
Prior to owning Goddess Gowns, Autumn spent a decade working at Union High School and worked part-time in the dress shop on Saturdays under its previous owner. Although she loved what she was doing at the school, she couldn’t resist the pull of becoming a small business owner when the previous owner decided to retire.
“I wanted to change what I was doing in the world,” she says of the decision to open Goddess Gowns.
Ensuring her clientele has the best experience possible is at the center of all that she does. In an ideal world, selecting a wedding gown should be a completely joyful experience free from overwhelm or uncertainty. Autumn says that many times a bride-to-be will enter her shop without a clear idea of what type of gown will work for her body type, or even uncertain she’ll find the dress of her dreams within her budget.
It’s those moments that Autumn gets most excited about, since it’s an opportunity to help the customer find the perfect wedding gown. Throughout her years in the business, she’s discovered that consulting with brides and helping them into the dress of their dreams has become her passion.
“The happiness is so addicting,” Autumn explains of the process of helping brides.
Small town charm meets city style selection
As the owner of an independent dress shop, along with having strong ties to the community she serves, Autumn offers bridal and prom selections at a lower price than the larger boutiques and chain stores one might find in the city. Although the majority of her clientele are from the Union and Franklin County area, some customers make the drive in from St. Louis and even Illinois.
No matter where her customers call home, the ultimate goal is helping them into a dress that makes them feel beautiful and that they can afford. And with her knowledgeable, yet approachable, down-to-earth personality and focus on staying true to her community, Autumn has her finger on the pulse of who her local customers are. So much so, that she often repeats a sentence that sums up the hardworking folks that come into her shop.
“My customers wear boots and work for a living,” Autumn shares about the local clientele. And everything from the price tags to the interaction with the shop staff, to the sophisticated without being pretentious store vibe, reflects that truth.
Assisting her with the day to day operations and meeting the needs of both bridal and prom customers is Annalise Sullivan, who Autumn says has “been the greatest gift,” to her business. While Annalise is the only full-time employee, on weekends, much of the prom sales area is staffed by young ladies who are still in high school, since they’re in tune with the current dress trends for teens.
When it comes to bridal trends and fashion, the team stays up to date by attending bridal shows both locally in the St. Louis Metro area, as well as further away in cities like Chicago. Although trends and tastes can vary, Autumn sees many of today’s brides choosing dresses that buck tradition.
“Brides are daring and there are no rules. They’re wearing what they want to wear and often it has nothing to do with white.”
Some of the dresses brides have selected in recent years have been in off-white colors, along with hues like sand, mocha, pink, and even black. For the women who want to make a unique statement with black bridal gowns, the shop also carries black veils to complete the look. In addition to color variety, the size selections at Goddess Gowns range from 8 to 30, and styles can range from elegant ballgowns to trendy, edgier cuts, lace embellishments, or lots of bling.
Similarly, the prom dresses and formal wear available can fit a variety of tastes from traditional tuxes to pink suits and prom gowns in the latest cuts, colors, and fabrics. In addition to prom and homecoming attire, the shop also carries items to dress the entire wedding party, from bridesmaids, mother of the bride, flower girl dresses, and more.
Additionally, the shop sells press on nails, a variety of accessories, hairpieces, and shapewear to ensure everyone looks their best in their gowns. And there’s also a selection of scented wax melts and jewelry, both of which can make great bridesmaid gifts.
Find out more about Goddess Gowns by visiting its website, following the shop on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, or calling the store directly at 636-364-2555.
Small Town Socialite 