Brighton City Council Approves Downtown Bridal Boutique

Kristy Koryzno of suburban Chicago has been dreaming about owning her own bridal shop for years, and can hardly contain her excitement now that it's on the cusp of becoming a reality.

Her expansive bridal boutique is expected to become an integral part of the downtown Brighton retail landscape in the near future.

The Brighton City Council approved the final site plan for the bridal boutique at its meeting last Thursday. The City Planning Commission unanimously approved the site plan at its meeting on Aug. 15.

A "soft opening" is planned for mid-October and a formal grand opening at the end of the month. The store will take up most of the nearly 5,000-square- foot first floor of the former Next Generation building at 209 W. Main St.

"I've been dreaming and thinking about this for a long time," says Koryzno. "It's a real thrill."   

Her father, Mark Krueger of Linden, is purchasing the building so that his daughter can make her dream come true. Krueger is owner of E & L Construction Co. of Flint, which has built many large commercial buildings and shopping centers. 

"It's a substantial investment, approaching the seven figures," Krueger says. 

Krueger says he plans on remodeling the interior of the building, replacing the flooring - making it mostly wood - but with carpeting at the entrance and in the fitting rooms. He will add new ceilings, transom windows and gooseneck lights. 

Krueger says he hopes to open in October. In addition to a large selection of bridal gowns and accessories, Krueger says the shop will also have a large selection of bridesmaid dresses and other wedding-related attire and accoutrements.

Brides-to-be will be able to try on dresses in one of four private fitting rooms, and groups will be able to relax on couches and chairs in the "cozy room". Store mannequins will be attired in a selection of the bridal gowns, both in the front display windows and inside. 

Initially the shop will carry about 100 bridal dresses, including a selection of sizes for fuller figures, something Koryzno found to be in extremely short supply during her research.

Krueger says the hope is that the bridal shop will draw brides-to-be and in some cases an entire entourage -- bridesmaids, mothers and future mothers-in-law -- to the boutique. While in downtown Brighton, he says, they may want to dine and shop at other businesses.  

Koryzno says she did her own market survey to gauge the areas in Michigan which are the most underserved by bridal shops and the "winners" are Grand Rapids and Brighton.  Koryzno says she found there are no bridal shops in Brighton, though there is one in nearby Howell.

Father and daughter both say Brighton - though much smaller than Grand Rapids - is a place where there is a lot going on.

"I can't imagine a better place," Koryzno says. "What little I know about Brighton is it's a pretty happening place."  

Koryzno says she and her husband, Andrew, plan to move to the Brighton area in the near future. That means she will have to quit her her job as a certified public accountant for a Chicago CPA firm. But that doesn't bother her.  

"I love Michigan and I always planned to move back," she says. "I've been a wedding girl my whole life, and now our whole focus is getting the bridal shop up-and-running."

In fact, in her heart-of-hearts Koryzno envisions not just a large bridal shop but a whole "bridal center," with related stores in the same complex. There is an entire lower level to the 209 W. Main St. building, which currently has just one tenant - Shine Salon Inc.  - and room for three or four more.   

She's already been to one bridal show in Chicago, purchasing some dresses for the planned store, and will make more buys at another show this fall. 

Koryzno says her background should hold her in good stead in her new venture.

"I learned a lot about business and finance (as a CPA)," she says. But she says her effervescent personality is more suitably fitted to the business she is going into. "I don't necessarily fit the (CPA) mold," she says, laughing. 

Her goal is not only to have an ample supply of wedding and bridesmaid dresses and accessories, but to "make it fun and relaxing" for the prospective bride and bridal party. That's a pretty big order for what, for many women, is the most stressful day of their lives. But Koryzno feels she's up to it.  

"We want them to (fulfill) their dream," she says.