EcoLux☆Lifestyle: From Truvelle to Lovenote, Gaby Bayona is Building a Bridal Empire

EcoLux☆Lifestyle: From Truvelle to Lovenote, Gaby Bayona is Building a Bridal Empire

On the north end of Cambie Street in Gastown, on the second floor of a historic red brick building, the Lovenote Bride team prepares for a boutique visit with someone who is about to make a decision that will change their life.

truvelle, lovenote, bridal boutique, gastown, roena ong, gaby bayona, helen siwak, vancouver, vancity, yvr, ecoluxlife, ecoluxluv
Beautiful gowns at Lovenote Bride | Image and Styling by Roena Ong

The Lovenote Bride is a modern woman who seeks to be unencumbered on her wedding day. She seeks to be free of the cumbersome silhouettes, such as the unwieldy Princess or constrained by a ruched Mermaid. At Lovenote, owner and head designer Gaby Bayona has created a bridal boutique that defies traditional and thrives on personality.

Roena Ong shares three dresses from Truvelle LoveNote - EcoLuxLifestyle - Bridal, Vancouver, Vancity, YVR, Helen Siwak, Roena Ong
Bridal empire builder Gaby Bayona in a portrait shot by Grady Sheppard (@grvdy) for Kotn.

A devoted daughter, Gaby grew-up sewing with her seamstress mother. In high school, she began selling online, and by the time she was 20 years old, she had outgrown her Etsy-based custom-made wedding dress business. She forged ahead ambitiously launching  Truvelle from her studio apartment. Now, six years later, her dedication to the modern bride has Gaby managing the helm of two beautiful flagship locations in Vancouver and Calgary, still selling the collection that started it all – Truvelle – plus a selection of bridal collections and accessories.

A Dress is a Dress is a Dress?

At Lovenote, a dress is not just a dress, and a bride is not just a bride. Gaby understands the modern bride and celebrates what makes each special by offering a selection of lines that speak to their individuality.

Laudae

A collage from Truvelle LoveNote of Laudae - EcoLuxLifestyle - Bridal
Laudae collection | Images by Lovenote Bride

The Laudae collection was created with a mission to produce gowns with sleek silhouettes that the wearer feels amazing in. The design of the Laudae pieces accommodates the little things that are important, from stretchy linings for a surprisingly comfy fit, to secret support through boning, to rigorous fit testing on models of all sizes.

Aesling

A collage of Aesling bridal from Truvelle LoveNote - EcoLuxLifestyle - Vancouver, BC, Vancity, YVR
Aesling collection | Images by Lovenote Bride

Aesling is minimal wedding wear built for the bride who wants sleek simplicity. With a focus on highlighting natural silhouettes and creating clean lines, the designs are intentionally crafted to be both modern and timeless. Leaving the frills behind, Aesling brings care and attention to every necessary detail – an ode back to the basics of bridal wear and the bride themself.

Halseene

A collage of Halseene bridal from Truvelle LoveNote - EcoLuxLifestyle - Vancouver, BC, Vancity, YVR
Halseene collection | Images by Lovenote Bride

Gaby designed the Halseene collection to reflect the notion that every bride should feel beautiful, comfortable, and supported on their wedding day. She is unapologetic to her inclusive approach and challenging the industry’s standards. With Halseene, she aims for it to be more than a brand by adding a voice supporting body positivity and size inclusivity.

The Finishing Touches

Complete your look with accessories – from jewelry to custom veils | Styling and Image by Roena Ong

Your perfect dress is just the beginning. When putting together an unforgettable look, take care to not overlook accessories. LoveNote carries accessories from  New Phrenology, Olivia the Wolf, a. b. ellie, and others. Mix and match to create a look that is all you and reflects your true heart.

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Lovenote Bride recently re-opened and implemented new measures to make sure that appointments are as safe as possible for all parties. These include reduced boutique capacity (including no walk-ins), masks for stylists, and extra sanitization of all surfaces and dresses between each bride.

In Vancouver find Lovenote Bride in Gastown on the Mezzanine Level at 235 Cambie Street in the Mezzanine and at 1317 – 9th Avenue SW in Calgary. Hours vary between the two locations but both are open Wednesday to Sunday and closed Monday and Tuesday.

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For this small business spotlight, EcoLuxLuv Comms worked with Roena Ong , a freelance fashion stylist, creative director, and writer. Watch for more of her work in the upcoming weeks as we collaborate to share more of our favourite shops in this timely series. Roena’s past pieces for EcoLuxLifestyle.co include an evening with O M Couture, spotlight on Much + Little, and capturing the heart of Horace Jewelry.  

 

Author Profile

Helen Siwak - EcoFriendly Lifestyle Consultant
Helen Siwak - EcoFriendly Lifestyle Consultant
Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine and digital women's lifestyle magazine EcoLuxLifestyle.co. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury lifestyle niche. Post-pandemic, she has worked with many small to mid-sized plant-based/vegan brands to build their digital foundations and strategize content creation and business development. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read industry magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and consults with many of the world’s luxury heritage brands. Always seeking new opportunities and challenges, you can email her at helen@ecoluxluv.com.
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