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Simply Elegant 

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Liesel Schmidt

veryone knows that, when it 
comes to the big day, it’s all about 
the dress. And whether you’ve 

been dreaming of swathing yourself in satin 
or loving the idea of lace, Simply Elegant 
Bridal has the perfect dress to make you say, 
“I do.” Offering a dazzling array of bridal 
wear, formal wear, and accessories to clients 
for over thirty years, owners Bob and Deborah 
West have created one of the Emerald Coast’s 
premier bridal boutiques; and they go beyond 
expectation to bring you wedded bliss. 
“Really, one of the things that’s led to our 
continued success is the fact we’re working 
in an industry that fl ourishes in LOVE—the 
love of the customer, the love of fashion, and 
the love and satisfaction of knowing that each 
bride will be in the gown of her dreams when 
she comes to us,” says Bob, who boasts his 
own success in love and marriage, having 
thirty-six years and counting as Deborah’s 
partner in life as well as in business.

With names like Allure Bridals, Mori Lee 

Bridals, Casablanca, Maggie Sottero, and 
Stella York in their collections, the Wests and 
their team of bridal consultants at Simply 
Elegant have taken the vow to wow 
and guide every bride in fi nding 
the perfect match. “Today’s 
brides are extremely 
fashion conscious and 
spend countless hours 
researching the latest 
designs before they try 
on a single wedding 
gown, so we meet the 
challenge presented to 
us in staying on-trend 
by going directly to the 
sources,” Bob explains. 
“Deborah attends the 
national bridal markets 
in New York, Chicago, 
Dallas, and Atlanta to view 
and select the designs that we 

display and stock in the boutique; and 
we make our selections based on the 
current fashion trends as well as on 
the average budgeting trends of our 
brides.”

Budgets aside, it’s the look—

and that feeling, the indescribable 
sense of knowing that this 
dress—above every other dress 
out there—is The One that makes 
the fi nal decision for a bride, and 
that’s exactly the feeling that the 
team at Simply Elegant helps their 
brides fi nd. Not that it’s always 
simple, which is why Bob and 
Deborah recommend allowing ample 
time for gown selection as well as any 
alterations and special orders that need 
to be made. “We generally advise brides 
to schedule their bridal appointment with 
a Bridal Stylist weeks ahead of time—really, 
a year before the wedding is ideal, though 
not always possible—to view and select their 
perfect gown,” Deborah says. “Three out of 
four brides actually have to special order their 
gown for the correct size and color, and it often 

takes the designers on average four to six 

months to make.”

Naturally, classic styles will 
always be classics, but current 

trends are bringing in more 

brides seeking out some 

unexpected designs in 

champagne strapless lace. 

“We’re also seeing a great 
many brides moving 
more in the direction of 

simplicity in design—but 

elegance is still a must!” 

Deborah contends.

With so much success 

at their Fort Walton Beach 

location over the past three 

decades, the company was able 

to celebrate the opening of a sister 

in Love

E

XX Destin Style.indd   1

12/27/18   6:35 PM