When Kaitlyn Sanichar’s mom first asked her to design a wedding gown, Kaitlyn quickly said yes. She was only 11 years old when she sketched out her first design. It was a fluffy ball gown with a sweetheart neckline, hidden pockets and a row of tidy white buttons down the entire backside.
“My mom loves everything bridal,” says Kaitlyn. “She knew what she wanted the dresses to look like but just couldn't design it, so that's when I started to help her out.”
Kaitlyn — a self-described creative perfectionist — loved to draw and watch bridal shows for fresh inspiration. At first, her designs were just a hobby, but pretty soon she asked her mom to go a step further.
“She said, ‘Why don’t you just open your own shop?’” says Nadira Sanichar, Kaitlyn’s mom.
Soon after, in 2017, Nadira launched Kaitlyns Bridal out of the family’s remodeled upstairs game room. Nadira contracted manufacturers to bring Kaitlyn’s sketches to life but also ordered styles of her own choosing from new designers.
Then, earlier this year, the two re-opened their showroom in a new business park at the corner of Queenston and Barker Cypress. It was a dream come true for the mother-daughter duo who’d invested so much care into every detail of their boutique. Nowadays, Nadira runs the day-to-day operations, booking brides and reordering inventory. Kaitlyn, now a 13-year-old honor roll student, spends less time designing, but helps around the shop from time to time.
Kaitlyns Bridal carries every style of luxury wedding gown from stately ball gowns with cathedral-length trains, to revealing mermaid-styles fit for a beach wedding. Brides can even customize their own wedding dress by mixing and matching elements of separate gowns. Sleeves can be added, skirts detached or lavish embellishments sewn to suit any bride’s personality.
“Once it comes to life, you’re not going to see this specific one in other stores because it was done for our store only,” Nadira says.
The shop also offers unique jewelry and bridal accessories such as flower girl baskets, ring-bearer pillows and corsages. Nadira is constantly on the lookout for new styles to add to the collection and updates inventory every three months. Her goal is for brides to find a dress that fits their personality and budget. At the same time, she takes extra care to give each of her brides one-on-one attention during each fitting. Brides are given complete access to the entire showroom during their visit and can order special alterations in the shop.
In many ways, working with brides has been a part of Nadira’s life since childhood. She grew up in Guyana where her home was often used for elaborate family weddings. Nadira would help brides dress and tend to them throughout their big day. As an adult, she coordinated her sister’s wedding and weddings for two cousins. When it came time for her own wedding, however, it was a disastrous experience. She felt forced into choosing her wedding dress and didn’t enjoy the style.
“I think that’s what really wanted to make me do this so much more,” she said. “I didn’t want anyone to have that experience.”
KaitlynsBridal.com 917-324-4545 12258 Suite C Queenston Boulevard Houston Texas 77095