Community Over Competition

This is one of our favorite sayings. It’s part of our brand ethos that we live by. There is something exciting about lifting others up! It’s desirable to be part of a community and not off on your own. Why create competition when you can cultivate relationships?

We build relationships within our community by working with local photographers, hair and makeup artists, and other creatives as often as we can. We attend mixers and work with local publications, too. While we do work with many creative professionals in the industry near and far from the Lehigh Valley, it feels extra special to have a core group of individuals we know we’ll always be able to bond with and count on.

Over the summer, we moved into our new studio space on the west side of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Growing into a new space during a global pandemic yielded its own unique challenges but nothing our team couldn’t handle. We're close to Main Street where there's always something going on - and right now it looks like the most magical little Christmas town! Being so close to Main Street makes it even easier to support local restaurants and breweries when we're in need of an after-work happy hour, too! (Heyyy Apollo Grill & Lost Tavern Brewing!)

We're in a space now that allows us to continue to grow, produce more beautiful wedding gowns, and meet with brides for one-on-one bridal appointments.

Fun Fact - Because of its name, Bethlehem is nicknamed "Christmas City USA"

Other notable Bethlehem facts:

· We have the oldest bookstore in America – Moravian Book Shop

· We’re home to the #2 Historic Hotel in the US - Hotel Bethlehem

· The US’s largest free music festival takes place here – Musikfest

· Barbara is an avid runner and enjoys taking part in the Runner’s World half marathon (shout out to Aardvark Sports Shop, too!) and she’s a proud Golden Hawk alum of Bethlehem Catholic High School.

There are times when speaking about our Bethlehem design studio can feel subpar though... Brides or industry friends expect you to say you're in an industrial loft in a major city or that you run an entire warehouse filled to the brim, bustling with gowns. But that's just not how we do things.

Yes, our 2000+ square foot bridal room and design studio in the eastern PA suburbs may seem modest to some, but it means that our quality control is like none other. It means we can creatively communicate with our whole team with ease. There are always collaborative design efforts and conversations going on, our team is close-knit and everything is cared for with the utmost attention to detail.

When you visit our atelier or buy one of our gowns, you just know that there’s a sense of pride in what we do. Our roots are here and it shows that we’re comfortable in this workspace and excited about doing what we love in a place we love. Growing up in the same city that you got to help build a business in is an extraordinary feeling! It’s our goal to give you that same extraordinary feeling when you wear one of our gowns.

Some of our favorite people to collaborate with in this community and the work we’ve done together are shown below. Check out their work and show them some love if you get the chance – on social media or by booking them for your own occasions – because that’s what we’re all about: Community Over Competition.

- The Barbara Kavchok Team

From Top Left to Bottom Right Photo Credits are as Follows:

- Barbara Kavchok Atelier - Photo by Zachary Hartzell Photography, Hair & Make Up by Alisha Nycole + Co

- Hotel Bethlehem marble staircase photo shoot

- Lehigh Valley Style feature by Alison Conklin Photography

- Allium Floral Design arch and bouquet in Fox and Finch Studios by Alison Conklin

- Fox and Finch Vintage Rentals & Studio by Zachary Hartzell Photography and Alisha Nycole + Co Hair and Make Up

- Bethlehem Steel, SteelStacks photo shoot

- Pocono Palms Styled Shoot by Elle Studios Photography