“We have created a place that's full of love and joy for families waiting for groups to come in and really feel celebrated and make it a special, special experience for them where they feel like they're kind of part of the Whittington family,” Kari Whittington said.
Twelve years later, the bridal shop relocated in June to a larger building in the same shopping center to expand its services.
Jenna and Kari Whittington grew up in the Kingwood area and graduated together from both Kingwood High School and Texas A&M University where they met while dating brothers.
Soon after college, the two became sisters-in-law and pursued careers in education as teachers at Kingwood Middle School and Kingwood High School for several years.
With Kari’s passion for weddings and Jenna’s passion for creating the ideal wedding experience, the two decided to partner up and start their own bridal boutique business.
“I always wanted to be in bridal. Like I loved all things bridal, [as a kid] my Barbies planned their weddings, they were entrepreneurs. That was literally what we did. But I did it in my imagination,” Kari Whittington said.
Since the relocation, Whittington Bridal expanded from three stages for wedding gown fitting services and dressing rooms in each stage, to eight stages with eight dressing rooms. In addition, the bridal boutique added a bar, prom dresses and prom dress fitting services.
Per the owners, Whittington Bridal creates a relaxing environment by starting each appointment by celebrating the occasion with mimosas. The celebration is followed by a 1.5-hour appointment with a stylist to guide the bride-to-be through the boutique’s more than 350 wedding dresses available to try on.
With the help of the stylist, dresses are then paired with accessories and celebrated with a champagne toast.
“We wanted the experience for all brides to be a grand and memorable experience but at the same time not overwhelming, still comfortable, still fun without being intimidating,” Jenna Whittington said.
While the boutique accepts walk-ins, the Whittingtons said they recommend brides make an appointment to fully enjoy their services.
Whittington Bridal offers various designer dresses ranging from $1,500-$7,000. Designer dresses offered include Essense of Australia, Justin Alexander, Aria Bride, Eva Lendel and their own designer brand, Corinthian James.
“This is an emotional purchase [and] you have to be aware of how you're feeling. It's not always going to be logical, you can't reason your way into a purchase of a wedding dress,” Kari Whittington said.
Through their bridal business, the Whittingtons support nonprofits including Elijah Rising, a nonprofit that rescues women from human trafficking. Whittington Bridal donates a portion of their boutique sales to Elijah Rising monthly and a larger portion from their private collection Corinthian James. Other nonprofits the business support include Arrow Child & Family Ministries and the Houston Pregnancy Center.
- 2665 Royal Forest Drive, Kingwood
- www.whittingtonbridal.com
