Irvington Laurels Bridal
By: Stan Denski
Photo By: Stan Denski
Fashions come and fashions go, but the institution of marriage seems to be doing just fine. The Circuit Court Clerk’s Office for Marion Country reported 7,008 marriages in Marion Country in 2005, up from 6,930 in 2004. And this is good news for Lauren Kyle, owner of Laurels Bridal at 5646 East Washington Street. The 21 year-old entrepreneur opened her first business in January 2006 in the former location of the Indy Bike Shop. Older residents of Irvington will remember when the location originally housed a bank. While the original bank vault has long been removed, the big heavy steel vault door remains as the door to the back room. “We like to tell customers, ‘Wait here while I get your dress from the vault.’” Lauren joked. A life-long Irvington resident, Lauren is a graduate of Our Lady of Lourdes and Scecina High School. Daughter of Brenda Bishop-Kyle, a local Realtor and business woman, Brenda explained that her daughter’s name, “Lauren,” means “of the Laurel tree.” “Laurels, wreaths made of laurel leaves, were what the Greeks wore on their heads during celebrations. If you look at the name on our awning out front you’ll see that there is no apostrophe ‘s’ at the end of ‘Laurels.’ That’s why.” The wedding dress industry works like this: Every dress shop has an array of models to select from. Once the bride has picked out her dress, exact measurements are taken and her wedding dress is ordered. Depending on the model, this can take up to a month to arrive. Laurels have some dresses that can be ready in as little as one week. The shop has all new inventory; this means no buy outs of old models from discounters, which means the emphasis is on the most recent designs and trends. The price range of the dresses also reflects a good understanding of the neighborhood and surrounding area. In addition to wedding dresses, Laurels also offers attire for the entire wedding party, from tuxes, to bride’s maids, flower girls and mother of the bride dresses. Laurels also has a very nice collection of wedding jewelry, including custom-designed tiaras. In addition to wedding dresses and accessories, Laurels also stocks a full range of prom attire, gowns and tuxedoes, as well as First Holy Communion dresses and suits for young students at Lauren’s alma mater. A bridal shop is the sort of business I would expect to see in what I’ve described as a “real” neighborhood; a multi-generational neighborhood. The sort of place where families grow up, and stick around. In other words, Irvington. Laurels Bridal will celebrate its official Grand Opening on Saturday, July 29th and everyone is invited to stop by and say hello. |
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