Formalities Bridal Boutique Reopens After Chimney Topples Onto Roof, Flooding

The hurricane-like storm that ripped through Bemidji in the early hours of Saturday, June 21, 2025, toppled a chimney from the building next door, sending it crashing into the roof of Formalities Bridal Boutique at 421 Beltrami Ave. NW and sending water from the boutique’s flat roof gushing into the store’s main level and into the basement. Formalities reopened and continued operations after the damage, keeping service running during the critical June wedding season.

Owner Char Petrowske was at home sewing an alteration when her husband, Rick, summoned her to the basement as the storm intensified. Petrowske said, “I sometimes burn the candle at both ends,” and described leaving her sewing machine to take shelter: “So I finally left my sewing machine and went down to the lower level.” After the storm passed she added, “And when the whole thing settled like 20 minutes later, who could have imagined that much devastation in such a short time?”

Longtime staff moved quickly after the chimney struck. Weidner, who has worked at Formalities for 28 years and has taken on store manager duties as Petrowske eases into retirement, said, “I was worried about everybody that I worked with here,” and added, “They’re like my family. When I talked to Char and she was at the store, I knew it was bad. We all came in, and it was just surreal.” Team members named in store coverage include Espeseth, who handles social media and marketing, and Boggess, the seamstress; staff “jumped into action” to begin recovery inside the downtown boutique.

Formalities is a long-established downtown business that operates during the city’s busiest bridal month. Reporting on the shop notes two overlapping records of the business’s tenure: one line says Petrowske “has owned Formalities since it opened in 1987,” while another describes the store as “a business that has been operating in Bemidji for 39 years.” Those two statements are inconsistent as presented and require follow-up to confirm the boutique’s exact opening year and how the 39-year figure was calculated.

Photographic coverage of the damage includes an image credited to photographer Dennis Doeden. Public details not yet disclosed include the exact date the store reopened to the public, the dollar extent of structural and water damage, insurance-claim status, contractor names for repairs, and whether the neighboring building’s owner has accepted responsibility for the toppled chimney. The shop’s reopening during June — wedding season — means local brides and fittings likely faced disruption, though specific customer impacts such as rescheduled appointments were not detailed in initial accounts.

Staff members reported that working through the recovery taught the team practical lessons and strengthened internal coordination as Petrowske transitions toward retirement. As Formalities continues operations from 421 Beltrami Ave. NW, confirmation of repair timelines, insurance outcomes, and the boutique’s long-term mitigation plans remain key open questions for the community and for couples relying on scheduled fittings this season.