10 Things You Never Knew About Miss Ruby

Because we know a lot about wedding dresses, we get used to answering questions. Some questions about our boutique, however, keep popping up - and some people wonder but never think to ask! 

So here you have it!
10 Things You Never Knew About Miss Ruby

1. The boutique started because of a wedding

Miss Ruby Boutique's owner Erin had a hard time finding a bridal gown for her own wedding. She easily found dresses that were embellished and over-designed, but it was difficult finding anything that fit her simple & classically elegant style.

Inspired by her bridal & bridesmaids dress shopping experience, Erin and her mother Pauline opened Miss Ruby Boutique in 2007, hoping to give Milwaukee brides an elegant and exceptional shopping experience.

2. Miss Ruby didn't always sell wedding dresses

It's hard to imagine Miss Ruby without any wedding dresses. But when our doors opened in 2007, we were a bridesmaids dress boutique only. We didn't add our first bridal collection until a few years later, and even then, it took up only a small segment of our store.

3. Every dress in our store is hand selected

When we say we have a curated collection of bridal gowns, we mean it. Seriously. Twice a year, Bridal Market comes to Chicago. Our owner & managers spend very long days at the HUGE event - scouring bridal gowns and deciding exactly which ones are going to be perfect for that year's newest Milwaukee brides. 

It sounds like fun (and it is!) but it's also one of the most difficult aspects of the job. We want to bring you the absolute best in quality & style!

4. We support small businesses every chance we get

We're a small business ourselves and we never forget it. We are always looking for fellow small businesses to support on their rewarding journey towards success. Accessory collections Jaxie, Lovebird Jewelry, and Jennifer Leigh are all fellow small businesses owned by great people. 

We recently were able to extend this to our bridal collections as well. Love Lives Here is a Milwaukee-based company established by local designer, Amanda. We love having local partnerships!

5. Giving back to the community is so important

We support our community by supporting local designers - but we like to get personally involved too. At least twice a year, our staff has a volunteer outing where they can have a chance to personally give back to the community. 

We have helped amazing organizations such as Kathy's House, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and The Guest House of Milwaukee. This year we hosted our first ever fashion show, Illuminate, to benefit local organization Pearls for Teen Girls.

6. Your stylist isn't just a pretty face

Our staff is super stylish, but they all have interests and talents outside of fashion. Sadee is a talented poet & artist. Meg is studying Marquette to become a future nurse.  Kylie is working towards becoming a wedding planner. Chanae is our weekend warrior & works full-time outside of the boutique.

Our diverse staff is accomplished in many different areas. They just all really like wedding dresses too!

7.  Our new employees go through A LOT of training

It takes lots of training to become a Miss Ruby consultant. New hires spend up to two months learning the ins & outs of our products, our policies, and our expectations for customer service. Being a bridal stylist may seem like all fun and games, but we make sure every member of our team is educated and able to answer any question that comes their way.

8. Winter is our busy season

People often assume that Wedding Season (May - October) is our busiest time of year. Actually, the opposite is true! Brides typically purchase their bridal gown 9-15 months before their wedding date, so our busy season starts in November and lasts most of the winter. Other factors, such as holiday proposals & bridesmaids traveling home for winter holidays all add up to a very full schedule.

9. People are ALWAYS asking about our champagne...

Our champagne is always a hit! Even people who say they don't like champagne comment that we have the best. We get periodic phone calls asking for the brand - one bride even wanted to buy a case of it from us for her Bridal Shower!

So what do we serve? Honestly, it's nothing fancy! Andre Spumante is sold at nearly every liquor store in the area. We have a feeling toasting it in our boutique is what makes it taste so great!

10. Who exactly is Miss Ruby??

Miss Ruby was established by mother-daughter team, Erin & Pauline. Miss Ruby isn't exactly named after a specific person but it came about from Erin's love for the name Ruby.
Miss Ruby represents all of the beautiful customers that have walked through our doors - strong, confident, & smart women!