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New bridal boutique opening in Medford Kaite Allen, co-owner of Forever Yours Bridal Boutique, is working to open the shop by May 2 in Medford. [Mail Tribune / Jamie Lusch] Tuesday Apr 25, 2017 at 4:50 PM Apr 25, 2017 at 5:49 PM Greg Stiles Mail Tribune @GregMTBusiness Katie Allen admits she prefers long engagements to short ones. After all, the owner of Forever Yours Bridal Boutique, which is scheduled to debut May 2, wants to make sure her customers get everything just right. "I want my brides to be perfect," Allen said. "I want her to be comfortable. If she's a size 8 and has to take a size 10 off the rack, it kind of gives them a little bit of anxiety." Allen and her cousin, Rebecca Allen, selected a 1,900-square-foot suite at Central Place, 724 S. Central Ave., to reduce that anxiety, combining natural light, access, open space and private dressing rooms. "I always knew I'd work in the bridal industry," said Allen, who worked in a bridal shop for three years before setting off on her own. "Bridal was my passion, even through high school I loved it. I thought I would be a designer, but when it got to working hands-on with some of the brides and being part of their special day, I realized that was my true passion and what I loved to do." Of the more than two dozen major gown brands on the market, Allen opted to carry three: Casablanca, Water and Justin Alexander. Budgets and timelines can be challenging in the wedding-dress process that is generally as lengthy as the train. Bridal appointments can take 2½ to 3 hours, looking at gowns, dressing and selecting. "They pick five to seven gowns, and then I start taking mental notes," Allen said. "What they're liking, what they're fitting into, what their favorite color is, and what looks good on their skin tone and hair color. You really have to listen to your bride. Is she getting married indoors or outdoors? All that helps us pick the perfect gown." Once the bride reviews her top picks, Allen brings additional gowns to consider. "I will pull dresses that will complement what she's wanting, because I know our inventory," she said. "They usually order that day and it arrives five or six months later." The bride is concerned with dress length, budget, ordering, getting the gown on time, while Allen wants the bride to be comfortable with the date the dress arrives, allowing time for alterations. "We want to please everybody, and sometimes it's hard," said Allen. The cousins looked at several locations before choosing a former antique store across from Miller Paint. "We did our research and we kept our minds open," she said. "There aren't a lot of bridal stores around here," Rebecca Allen said. "But when they are here, they are here for a long time; bridal is always going to be around." For the first six months, the shop will focus on brides alone and expand to bridesmaids. And if there is a short engagement period, Katie Allen has options, with 130 to 140 gown styles in stock. "If they are getting married in a month or two months," she said, "they can take the dress off the floor and go to alterations and have the dress fitted to their needs." — Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31.