Though Great Falls may seem to have limited options for prom dresses and formal wear, you might be surprised by how diverse the choices actually are. During prom season, locals often have dresses shipped from Amazon or thrifted from Goodwill, sometimes spending up to $800 on a dress. However, downtown businesses Bloom and Bean and Be Loved remain hidden gems. Bloom and Bean offers affordable coffee, flower bouquets, and corsage services, while Be Loved provides tuxedos, prom dresses, wedding dresses, jewelry, dress coats, shawls, and little girls’ dresses, all in one location.
Bloom and Bean and Be Loved are two standalone businesses run by Rebecca Hannant that provide all prom necessities in one convenient spot. However, the idea didn’t just come from nowhere.
“I did weddings. I would meet people for coffee and do their wedding flowers. That came to be Bloom and Bean. It was coffee and flowers,” Hannant said.
Hannant started Bloom and Bean nine years ago out of her home, where she would meet with brides over coffee to plan their floral arrangements and bouquets. She eventually combined those elements to create Bloom and Bean, which blossomed into a full business. She said working with flowers is something she has loved her entire life, a passion that began at a young age and continued to grow.
“Since I was a kid, I grew up doing flowers with my grandparents. I sold flowers and put myself through college doing flowers. I even sold my flowers in bars,” she said.
Hannant learned the trade from her grandparents, who owned and operated the first grocery store in town. Like them, she continued working with flowers, even selling them at the state fair at just 13 years old. She carried that passion into prom season as well. Her corsages and boutonnieres are custom made. Customers choose their colors, bracelet band, and flower type. Prices typically range from $55 to $60 for a corsage and $20 to $25 for a boutonniere.
“I was doing a lot of prom corsages and helping kids dress up for prom already, so that became a passion of mine. It all kind of went hand in hand,” she said.
Hannant’s work with prom flowers eventually expanded into full styling, including dresses, tuxedos, and jewelry.
“I started doing prom stuff with flowers, and I kind of stumbled along. Then I found someone selling a prom business, and I decided to buy the inventory and start doing that,” she said.
After several years of selling dresses and event wear, first in a location near Target and then in another space for five years, she found her current downtown storefront. The previous owner was retiring and sold her prom inventory to Hannant, allowing the business to grow even further.
Hannant typically sells prom dresses in the $200 range and rarely goes much higher. Her inventory includes designers such as Jovani, Alyce, and Cinderella, among others. She also offers wedding dresses ranging from about $700 to $900. Customers can bring in photos of dresses they like, and Hannant helps them find or order similar styles. Accessories like necklaces and earrings are available for around $45 each, along with hair pieces designed to add extra sparkle.
Hannant has become something of a jack of all trades through her businesses. Alongside flowers and formalwear, she also serves coffee.
“I think the coffee part came in because I worked a lot in the bar and restaurant industry, so that felt like second nature to me, serving people coffee, food, and drinks,” she said.
Her experience in service helped shape the welcoming environment she has created.
“I love coffee. I drink it all day,” she said.
The shop offers a wide variety of drinks, including customer favorites like caramel macchiatos and chai tea lattes, with the chai latte being one of the best sellers. In addition to drinks, the menu includes cupcakes, breakfast burritos, ice cream, and cheesecake. Hannant also sells Bloom and Bean merchandise, such as sweaters and hand sanitizers, which can be used in gift baskets. She creates custom gift baskets using items from the shop, including tea, bath bombs, lotions, and more, and can also incorporate items customers bring in, assembling them for a small fee.
All in all, Hannant’s businesses offer a unique, local option for prom attire, florals, and coffee, giving students in Great Falls more ways to make the night their own.
