New bridal shop opens in familiar location

NORWICH – Since high school, Jill Eddy has had an interest in weddings, but she had no idea that her interest would one day lead her to owning her own bridal boutique.

On Dec. 3, Lily Katherine’s Bridal Boutique LLC opened at the location formerly filled by House of Windsor Bridals. Eddy, who grew up in Norwich, was familiar with the location. As one of Bernie Windsor’s former models, she had spent quite a bit of time at the shop.

It was only after House of Windsor closed and Eddy saw people being laid off at the company where she worked that she considered opening her own bridal boutique. “I just decided that this is the place I wanted to be,” Eddy said.

With the help of Windsor, Eddy easily converted the store to suit her own purposes. “It was pretty easy to convert. Bernie helped 100 percent, and it was already designed for a bridal shop,” Eddy said.

With all the similarities between the shops, Eddy said people will probably notice some differences too. For starters, with designs and designers changing rapidly, Eddy said many of the bridesmaids’ dresses are cut to flatter any figure.

“The dresses are more tailored to flatter every girl and every figure,” Eddy said. “There are a lot of optional straps, that make dresses a lot more versatile.” Eddy said the shop currently has dresses in stock from size four to 22, and some dresses can be ordered up to size 32. Eddy also has a few maternity bridesmaid gowns in stock.

She explained that colors are a lot more versatile too, with many designers offering up to 55 color choices.

“Technology has helped,” Eddy said. Many wedding gown designers are adding different colors to dresses, and through the magic of the Internet, customers can see the gown they like in any color, so they know what to expect.