by Mindy Luquiana Chicot
For some people the magic of being married starts from the day they answer ‘yes’ to the big question. All the planning and preparation that goes into a wedding can make it a fascinating or daunting experience. When the day finally arrives and those wedding vows are exchanged, it can turn out to be one of the biggest and most momentous occasions of one’s life.
Nurcia Paul, Managing Director of Something Borrowed Bridals is making the dreams of many couples a reality. Her goal has long been to create a one-of-a-kind bridal experience for women in Saint Lucia. Thanks to her unique and innovative ideas she has made remarkable strides and her business has proven to be quite successful.
Nurcia who hails from Dennery describes her upbringing as ‘economically challenging.’ From a young age she learnt the value of dreaming big and working hard to get what she wants.
“I am from a large family of six girls and a boy. We are all originally from Derniere Riviere, Dennery. Like most families in Saint Lucia, we came out of very poor beginnings. One of the things I committed to doing is working as hard as I could to get out of poverty and better myself and I’ve been working on doing that for a very long time,” says Nurcia.
She began working even before she graduated from the Clendon Mason Secondary. Thereafter she worked in varied jobs and gained lots of valuable experience. However, opening her own business is what has given her the greatest thrill.
Initially she worked with a dentist in Castries as part of an internship programme when she was about 17. Subsequently she was employed with the firm MediaCraft Photography as a sales executive and was responsible for selling Photos to hotel guests.
“This showed me another scope of the business and naturally I gravitated to photography,” Nurcia explains. “As part of the photography team, I got to visit and work with many of the hotels. Being an outgoing person, I became very intrigued by the entertainment portfolio at Sandals Resorts. I did everything I could to get in at the hotel. I soon took on the role of an entertainment coordinator at Sandals La Toc where I stayed for a few years until I became pregnant with my son.”
She gave birth to her son at age 21. At that point she realised she would have to start all over to provide for her baby.
“I knew that I had to do what I could to get us on the right track.”
She eventually succeeded in getting a job at Helen IT in telemarketing and call centre sales. From there she moved to Cable & Wireless where she worked in varied sales within the regional Call Centre. Nurcia then moved to the Corporate Sales department and over a period of 10 years she worked in several levels of Account Management positions which allowed her to travel and work in some of the other islands, including the BVI.
In 2011 Nurcia got married. 2 years later her position at Cable and Wireless was made redundant. Once again she had to devise another plan to kick-start her career.
“In making my wedding plans, I had decided that I wanted to rent a gown. However, I couldn’t find a place in Saint Lucia, which offered beautiful, modern gowns for rent. I also wanted to share the experience with my sisters: go dress shopping etc… but that too was not available. So I thought that might be a good business to go into and I started doing my market research. The response was positive so I decided to start my own business, Something Borrowed Bridals. I had also been exploring other business ideas but this one just seemed to make more sense because people are getting married or they want to get married but they just think it’s an expensive venture. Something Borrowed is here to show people that there is an inexpensive way to get married.”
Nurcia’s mission is to change the aesthetics of bridal shopping. She provides her clients with a unique experience that they can share with friends and family. Most of all, she provides them with a more economical solution to getting married.
“Businesses do not open after hours in Saint Lucia. At SB, we open when people need us. It gives brides more options and a space which they can come to enjoy. We have a lounge where our guests are serenaded and given refreshments and they can bring friends and family to share and enjoy the experience.
“Our guests are allowed to try on dresses, something which is otherwise prohibited in most establishments. We provide the option for the rental or sale of a range of items including candle stands, dresses, veils and jewellery. The concept is that the ‘something borrowed’, can be everything you want in your wedding. We have recently started Intimate Weddings by SB which caters to clients who want an elopement style wedding.”
The lounge located in Good Lands, Castries offers a Hollywood-type glamour which is unsurpassed here on the island.
“At the lounge we work by appointments, consulting with one bride at a time. Each bride has about an hour and a half to two hours to try on their dresses. They are allowed to try on as many dresses as necessary. This is followed up with some further consultation and once a decision is reached, SB would email the customer. We also keep in touch, in most instances up until the day of the ceremony.”
In her bid to make Something Borrowed a premiere bridal lounge, Nurcia hosted a bridal show in January 2014 which featured a diversity of key players in the hospitality industry, including hotel representatives, bakers, florists, as well as soon-to-be-brides and grooms. The event was hailed a huge success by its organisers and patrons.
Nurcia continues to work at forging strong partnerships and alliances with a range of companies such as Bay Gardens Hotel, St. Lucia Distillers and David’s Bridal, to name a few. In response to how important her customers are to her, Nurcia replied:
“If it were not for my customers I would not be where I am today. They are extremely important. We have to go beyond what we believe is necessary for us as a business. We have to go to where the customer needs us.”
Nurcia believes there is great potential for growth in the bridal business and as far as she is concerned, the sky is the limit as she and Something Borrowed Bridals continue to make wedding dreams come true. Dazzle wishes her all the best and continued success!
