Karina Torres, mother and owner of BellaLina’s Couture, opened her business in April 2020 to provide affordable gown rentals and a studio space for women’s special event photoshoots, specializing in designer maternity gowns.

Torres said her business name is a combination of her daughters' names, Isabella and Angelina.

“My daughters are everything to me. I lost my mom at the age of 17, so I feel like for me it was like, I want to build something for them,” Torres said.

The framework

Torres said the idea to create a gown rental business stemmed from her own experience as an expectant mother, when she began looking for a dress for her maternity photoshoot.


Torres said she wanted a designer dress that was both elegant and affordable and said she was surprised with the limited resources available for gown rentals.

“I wanted that fairytale experience of wearing a luxury gown,” she said.

In 2020, Torres bought her first designer gown for her own maternity session.

“I loved the experience. I loved that I was able to wear this beautiful, luxurious gown,” she said.


During her photoshoot experience, Torres came to the conclusion that other expectant mothers would appreciate an affordable gown rental company for their own special occasions.

The details

BellaLina’s offers gown rentals with over 130 options to choose from. Gown options include classic, couture, luxury and mini dresses. Mini dresses are designed for kids ages 6 months to 10 years. Dress sizes for adults range from extra small to 2X and 3X.

A few gown designers at BellaLina’s include KH Fashion, Chicaboo and Before & Ever Maternity Gown in addition to foreign designers.


While BellaLina’s Couture started as a gown rental boutique, it expanded in 2022 to include a photography studio to provide customers with both a studio space and wardrobe options.

The photography studio offers a white canvas studio, seamless paper backdrops, and props such as chairs and other furniture. Customers are welcome to take advantage of the white canvas studio to create their own set using their own props and creativity, Torres noted.

A photography studio rental starts at $60 for the first hour and $50 per subsequent hour. Customers also have the option to pay an additional flat rate of $50 to access BellaLina’s entire gown collection.

To book the studio or a gown, customers can visit BellaLina’s website under rentals or BellaLinas Studio.


BellaLina’s Couture