3rd Avenue in Gowanus is 'bridal row'

The Gowanus section of Brooklyn isn't the first place that comes to mind when you think of wedding planning. But thanks to a pair of Rebeccas and some other visionary female business owners, this industrial neighborhood is also becoming a hub for the wedding industry.

Rebecca Schoneveld opened her first bridal boutique in Gowanus six years ago, choosing the neighborhood because she didn't want to deal with the subway. She says she knew Gowanus had a lot of potential and was still relatively affordable.

About three years ago, Schoneveld moved into her current shop, after the owner of the building approached her and said he loved what she was doing in the neighborhood—bringing high-quality, locally made wedding gowns to Gowanus.

About half of Schone Bride is her personal collection, which is mostly made in New York City. She also partners with an embroidery house in India. All of her gowns are made to order and have a ton of customizations. Schoneveld offers size 00 to 30 all at the same price. Most of the gowns in the shop cost between $1,500 and $3,000.

Schoneveld also helped to attract other businesses to Third Avenue, creating a bridal row in Brooklyn. Amanda Madden moved her tailoring boutique, AMadden Tailoring, into Rebecca's original bridal shop. Rebecca Shepherd moved her studio Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design into an amazing space down the street.

Shepherd says she waited for the spot for two years and calls it an awesome location for people coming from Red Hook, downtown Brooklyn, and Bay Ridge.

It's a weird perfect corner and the space is just ridiculous, she says. Finding something with 25-foot ceilings and a whole basement for storage was just serendipitous, she says.

Shepherd not only uses the space for floral design and appointments with clients but she also throws weddings and events there, too.

So Gowanus has one-stop wedding shopping. And, Shepherd adds, Gowanus is a really awesome hub for a lot of women-owned businesses, which is also very cool.