Standing outside of Artisan Bridal at West 28th and Bridge Avenue, you immediately know you are not in for the usual “Bridal Industry Machine” experience.

The lovely facade offers a glimpse of what lies inside, an interior reminiscent of an earlier time of specialty shops and fashion boutiques. Upon entering, you are greeted warmly by shop owner and garment designer Heidi Korkosz, who welcomes you into an artistic, serene and inviting space. A framed wedding photograph of Heidi’s parents Margaret and Wolfgang Ligoke sits on a vintage table along with artisan made jewelry, upcycled vintage brooches paired with silk flowers, and lovely purses made from vintage Kimono Fabrics.

The shop is peppered with vintage and antique display pieces that contribute to the overall beauty, simplicity and harmony of the interior space. The striking art nouveau logo featured on Heidi’s business cards and website for the shop is the work of her uncle, artist Eric Ligoke. With those family connections in spirit, and the unique jewelry and dresses on display, this unconventional bridal shop is a welcome alternative to mainstream offerings.

Heidi’s sums up her philosophy, motivation and passion for starting the shop in this way: “Unconventional bridal shops are important. I want you to have the courage to be your own kind of beautiful bride, no matter your age or your size. Because everything is made by hand by people who love what they do, you will be enveloped in love from top to bottom. You will be starting your lives with love and a good vibe as well.”

Dresses and alternative wedding day ensembles are all designed and made by Heidi from organic cottons, bamboo, vintage lace and custom fabrics in sizes that range from XS to 3X. The jewelry, purses and accessories are all handmade by craft artists or purchased from free trade vendors. Heidi’s motto is “keep it pure and work with local artisans and free trade.”

Heidi wanted to make sure that the wedding clothes she made would include “easy to fit dresses without costly alterations.” Some of the dresses are reversible and made from separate pieces, allowing the bride to keep wearing the outfit beyond the wedding day itself. She aspires to “keep brides happy; and create lots of choices for brides,” including her laughing admission that Artisan Bridal has a strictly “No Spanx” policy.

The day that I was there, a young woman, Jennifer, came into the shop to inquire about what was there. Heidi immediately engaged her in conversation in her warm way and it wasn’t long before the woman was sharing with Heidi how wonderful it was to be understood as a bride who did not want to “look like a cupcake” on her wedding day. This future bride also shared that she and her fiancé, having fallen deeply in love in Cleveland, wanted to have a wedding that honors that connection. Jennifer proposed to her fiancé at an Indians game this past summer, catching him totally off-guard. As the fireworks went off in the stadium, Jennifer slipped onto his finger a 49 cent hose clamp she had purchased for the occasion.

I smiled knowing that this bride-to-be would be in good hands with Heidi and the offerings of Artisan Bridal, who would make certain her dream wedding, of her own making, would come true.