It's a Mom-Daughter Bridal Business

Sarah Dottery worked in the human resources department at Chevron for 20 years until she was laid off in September.

At 59, she was close to retirement age, but not mentally close. She wanted to work and she wanted her success or failure to rest on her own shoulders.

"I prayed to God and told him if I lost my job that it meant I should do something different," Dottery said. "So this what I'm doing now."

Last Friday, Dottery and her 22-year-old daughter, Desiree Mortenson, opened Blessed Brides in the Clayton Valley Shopping Center. The boutique offers wedding gowns from the likes of David Tutera, Mia Solano and Liz Fields, along with bridesmaid, mother-of-the-bride and prom dresses.

Dottery and Mortenson know they are taking a risk. Neither has run a business before — though Mortenson earned a degree in event planning and has experience working in a bridal store. But the mother-daughter team believes it has found a neglected market, which it hopes will be the cornerstone to its success.

Mortenson got married last month and when she went looking for a dress it wasn't easy.

"I'm an average woman, but I'm not a size 10 and that's all I could try on," Mortenson said. "At one point, I went to a store and they told to me to 'paper doll' it, to just hold the dress up next to me. But sorry, I'm not going to buy a dress if I can't put it on."

This gave Dottery and Mortenson the idea to cater to the petite and the curvy, with sizes at Blessed Brides from 0 to 26.

"I wanted a store for average and above-average women, so that anyone who walked in and wanted to try on a dress could," Dottery said. "We want it to be an enjoyable experience."

Prices are reasonable, with the highest end gowns going for about $2,800 and the cheapest about $300. Prom dresses are available for less than $100.

Though the economy continues to struggle, Dottery and Mortenson say people continue to get married and high-quality dresses at reasonable prices is something brides-to-be want.

Dottery used some of her retirement savings to open the business, along with money from a home she sold. Mortenson put up some of her money, too.

The two women are combining their skills to make Blessed Brides thrive. 

"I know things and she knows things," Mortenson said. "We have a difference of opinions on some stuff and there's a little tension, but at the end of the day we love each other."