How does an independent bridal store last 26 years? At VeKa Bridal, Jana Vendeland and Ksenia Kaliaguina first ask "Who are you?"

When childhood friends Jana Vendeland and Ksenia Kaliaguina went looking for their own wedding dresses in the late 1990s, the choice in Philadelphia came down to two extremes. There were large bridal shops with hundreds of dresses, often variations on the same style, and there were stores dedicated to a single designer. What they could not find was something in between: a small boutique with a curated selection.

After moving to New York in 1999, they opened one themselves in Manhattan's Nolita neighbourhood in 2000, which made VeKa Bridal one of the first stores of its kind in the city. Now based in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, the founders have watched bridal retail swing from too little choice to far too much. In an interview with FashionUnited, Jana and Ksenia discuss what that shift means for independent retailers and how they built an offer that stands out.

More information, less clarity

Ready-to-wear brands have added bridal lines, online shopping has grown and social media shapes a bride's expectations long before she visits a store. According to Ksenia, today's bride arrives better informed, but often overwhelmed by all the images and options while trying to find a look that reflects her own personality.

This is where the independent retailer proves its value. "Even after all that research, most brides still look for guidance," says Jana. "What they really ask us is to help them narrow it down."

Start with the vision, not the silhouette

VeKa Bridal's consultations deliberately move away from the images a bride brings in. The conversation starts with the wedding itself, the venue and how she wants to feel, before turning to her everyday style. The shape of the dress matters, but for Jana it is only part of the picture.

In most appointments, the bride is alone in the store, which makes for a personal setting. "Brides really appreciate the listening part," says Ksenia. "Taking time for that curated, intimate experience is very, very important for us."

Brides first choose pieces from the inventory themselves, after which the team suggests alternatives. "Brides tell us again and again, whether they buy from us or not, that the experience in our store felt very different," say the founders.

A small line-up of independent designers

The same logic drives buying. The boutique works with five or six small, independent designers at a time, including London-based Bon Bride, Spanish labels Marta Marti and Inunez and Belgian family business Rembo Atelier, each covering its own niche, from romantic to architectural to avant-garde. "They're very identifiable. They're not a version of something else that's out there," says Jana.

Most of these designers produce their own collections, work with silks and natural fibres and can adjust designs to each bride. "We know the designer personally. We can have conversations about what the bride is looking for and what customisations are required. That is actually quite rare," says Jana.

Second looks as an entry point

One shift the founders see in US bridal shopping is the demand for multiple outfits across a wedding weekend. "Almost every bride who comes in now tells us she needs two or three dresses," says Jana. Brides increasingly want a different look for each moment, from the night before and the ceremony to the reception, the party afterwards or an event the next day.

For unconventional labels, that second look can be the way in. Amsterdam-based Galiu makes bridal wear in silk knitwear, unlike anything Jana and Ksenia have come across at the Barcelona and New York bridal shows. "The details, the lines, the shapes, we loved what we saw," say the founders. "We believe there's definitely a market and brides for that look."

Buying for vision, not bestsellers

Rather than buying for trends or potential bestsellers, the founders select designers whose vision fits their own. "What we look for is an interesting, beautiful vision," says Ksenia. "It's a bit like running a gallery. There is real thought behind why we chose each piece and which bride it is for."

That approach has not changed since 2000: individuality, a curated selection and quality of fabric and production, preferably where the designer can oversee it. From the first appointment to the final fitting, the bride stays in the same hands: the boutique still offers in-store alterations, a service the founders say has become rare in bridal retail.