


For over 30 years, Veronica Michaels Bridal and Formalwear has been outfitting Utah brides and beauty queens from all over. Grace Ehinger, a certified beauty queen herself, took over recently and has been leading it to a thriving place for all kinds of dreams to come true—a place for the community to come and be a part of in every way.
Veronica Michaels originally began as an alterations shop and has since grown into a place for all kinds of bridal gowns and formal wear. Since Grace took over she’s seen the behind-the-scenes of what it takes to run a gown shop, and not just from the wearing-the-gowns side of it.
“I was Miss Spanish Fork back in 2022, and because of my title I got to work a lot with Veronica Michaels Bridal and Formalwear—I went in for gowns for different events. I got to be really close with the owner and towards the end of my year of service, she decided that she wanted to sell.”
And that’s where Grace and her mom came in! Or rather, she happened to be in the right drive-through at the right moment. “I was actually in the Chick-fil-A drive-thru line and I looked over, and there she was in the stall next to me. She goes, ‘Hey, do you want to buy my business?’”
“And I looked at my mom, who’s my co-owner, and we kind of shrugged and were like, sure!”
And that’s how Grace came to be in the position she is now—helping her fellow pageant girls and brides find the gown of their dreams. You really never know what could happen when you go out for a chicken sandwich—you might come home with a brand-new business!
“It’s been really fun to just dive right into the wedding industry and the bridal world. Getting to work with Utah brides is so fun. I always tell people I get to play dress up for hours every single day. I’m enjoying every second of it.”
Grace attributes her time in pageants to being able to recognize that this would be a great opportunity. “It was really because of my opportunity to be Miss Spanish Fork and to be able to work with the previous owner that I got to see how cool owning a business could be—and the impact that I could make on the lives of other young women in my community.”
But Miss Spanish Fork wasn’t the end of it—Grace was also Miss Freedom Festival 2023 and Miss Ashton Hill 2024. Who better to get gown advice from than someone who has worn countless gowns of her own?
Finding the One at Veronica Michaels Bridal and Formalwear
When you book your appointment at Veronica Michaels Bridal and Formalwear, the process of choosing a gown is as easy as the moment you said, “Yes!” to your fiancé. Each bride gets to look through their showroom, where they carry every kind of style of dress, from fitted and chic to beautiful ballgowns. Based on what you like in the showroom, your consultant will find even more gowns for you to try on from the rest of their collection.
“We really try to make it a very fun and personal experience for these brides, because it’s such an important decision for them. We’re excited to just be there with them!”
From the moment you walk through the door to the moment you find your perfect wedding dress, it’s an amazing experience. Utah brides, this is where you want to be.
One thing to keep in mind is that ordering your perfect dress takes time—usually six months or more! So if you’re looking to get married sometime in the next year, now is the time to start shopping for a dress! Take this as your sign to start with Veronica Michaels Bridal and Formalwear.
“For the most part, we order the gowns in, so we typically tell our Utah brides that they want to give us six months in advance because in the wedding world, things take time and our vendors can take a while to send us gowns.”
It’s just like in your favorite movies—every wedding gown is made-to-order and delivered to Veronica Michaels just for you. Talk about a magical wedding dress shopping experience!
Inspiring Utah Brides
From pageant gowns to wedding gowns, Grace and her team are perfect for making your dress dreams come true. “It’s really fun to get to inspire these young women. Even though they’re coming for a dress, I feel like I can give them so much more than just a gown. I can give them insight and advice. It’s a really cool opportunity.”
Grace’s biggest piece of advice for Utah brides looking for a wedding gown is to go with the gown that you want. “Don’t try to make everyone happy. Especially in Utah, brides really care about the opinion of their family and their friends—which I completely understand—but if you try to make everyone else happy you won’t be successful and you won’t end up happy yourself.”
“So relax, take a breath, kind of pick what opinions you think are most important, and then go from there—ultimately do what you want. This is your day, this is about you, and this is your dress so at the end of the day, you are the most important person and it’s going to matter how you feel on your wedding day and not how anybody else feels.”
Perfect advice from a bridal shop owner who knows her way around in a gown!
Veronica Michaels is an amazing wedding dress shopping experience for Utah brides and beauty queens—and everyone else! What are you waiting for? Booking your appointment right this second is as easy as saying, “I do!” Grab your gowns and gloves and get ready to fall in love with your dream wedding dress.
Find Veronica Michaels Bridal and Formalwear on Instagram!