Shopping for a new dress for a special occasion is fun, but shopping for THE dress for THE special occasion is something else entirely. This is not the time to run into a local department store and grab something off the rack five minutes before closing time. This is a time to sip champagne and savor the moment, exploring the world of sumptuous silk, layers of lace, and tempting tulle gowns fit for a fairytale. It should be an experience that culminates in a bride that not only looks, but also feels like a princess.

That’s why it is so important that she picks the right bridal salon to select the dress she will wear on the first day of the rest of her married life. Olivia Duran, owner of Liv and Love Bridal understands the importance of creating a shopping event for the bride that extends far beyond just selecting the perfect gown. A recent bride herself, Duran opened her boutique, located at 25035 West IH 10, Suite #102, to provide other brides with the extras that she felt were lacking in her own experience.

“My goal is to give brides that picture perfect experience that they see in the movies,” she describes.

That not only includes things like oversized dressing rooms, comfortable seating, and a large selection of fashionable yet affordable gowns from top designers, but it also includes building a relationship with the bride and listening to her needs and wants, rather than simply “pushing a sale.”

“We pride ourselves on our customer service and the atmosphere that we’ve created,” says Duran. “We want our brides to be completely confident in their purchases and we strive to make each one feel like she is the most important bride we are serving, because she is!”

From the moment the bride walks into the store until the day she picks up her gown, she is given one-on-one attention that extends to every aspect of her wedding from recommending vendors to customizing accessories. Duran and her staff work with each bride to interpret her unique vision, while encouraging her to be open-minded and try on several different styles, noting that sometimes the gown she never imagined herself in is the one she falls in love with.

“Sometimes the bride completely surprises herself,” says Duran.

The commitment, level of service, communication, and support she provides to her customers is something Duran learned from her parents, entrepreneurs who owned a variety of different businesses ranging from restaurants to refrigerator sales.

“Growing up I saw how hard my parents worked and the pride they took in everything that they were able to accomplish,” she recalls. “It always inspired me and made me want to follow in their footsteps. They were the best teachers I could ask for.”

One thing her parents could not have prepared her for however was how to run a successful business during a global pandemic.  Duran, like many business owners had to make some tough choices, but she never compromised on the quality of merchandise or service. Instead, she scaled down on the number of bridal appointments she would take at one time, and the number of guests she allowed to accompany each bride. This allowed her to keep both her brides and her staff feeling safe while still providing that one on one attention to detail that makes Liv and Love so special.

“Today’s bride is a little anxious,” describes Duran. “We want to help her stay as positive and happy as we can by making sure that she has a stress-free, worry-free experience while she is here. We feel like that is the least we can do.”

Owing and operating a small, niche business is challenging anytime, but especially in today’s world. Wedding vendors have been hit hard by the restrictions imposed on gatherings as brides have been forced to scale down their dream day. But scaling down doesn’t mean abandoning ship, and Duran is optimistic that wedding vendors will survive and thrive.

“People are always going to get married, and they will always want a beautiful experience regardless of size,” she says. “We try to remind every bride that she can still have the wedding of her dreams, even if it’s a little smaller than she imagined. At the end of the day, it’s about the couple and their love. That’s really all that matters.”