She says ‘I do’ to new bridal store

Borderline survivor opens boutique in Moorpark



DREAM BIG—Moorpark resident Taylor Young, 23, a survivor of the mass shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks last year, will soon open her new business Ever After Bridal. Courtesy of Taylor Young

DREAM BIG—Moorpark resident Taylor Young, 23, a survivor of the mass shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks last year, will soon open her new business Ever After Bridal. Courtesy of Taylor Young

Taylor Young believes fairy tales can come true. The 23-year-old is, after all, seeing her dreams become reality as she prepares to open her own business in the heart of downtown Moorpark.

In less than a week, Young will welcome brides into Ever After Bridal, an independent boutique at 690 Walnut St. The boutique itself is full of magic with sparkly dresses, a Cinderella carriage and a name alluding to “Happily Ever After.”

“My goal is to add to that fairy-tale idea of what brides have wanted for their whole life,” Young said. “I’m grateful that I get the opportunity to make those wedding dreams come true for people.”

Young has fantasized about opening a bridal boutique since she was a junior at Moorpark High School. Seven months ago, though, she worried those dreams wouldn’t become a reality.

In November, Young was one of nearly 200 people to survive the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks.

When the shooting started, she pushed her friends down onto the beer pong tables and used her body to shield them.

They later escaped through the bar’s back patio.

“More than anything I’m just thankful to be alive and to do what I want to do and love to do,” she said.

Since the shooting, Young’s “Borderline family” has helped her pick out her shop’s dresses and get Ever After Bridal ready for its grand opening.

“Because we are such a tight family, they were willing to help me,” she said.

Young also credits her mother, Laurie, for encouraging her as she tried to break into the bridal industry.

“I give a ton of credit to my mom because if she wasn’t supporting me and helping me open my business then I wouldn’t be able to do so,” she said.

Young said she’s learned a lot about running a business from her mom. For as long as she can remember, Young has helped her mother run her two successful nurseries in Moorpark and Simi Valley.

“I’ve been doing her accounting and helping her do invoices for so long that she’s taught me everything I know,” Young said.

Together, the mother and daughter duo have transformed a 1950s building off High Street into a shabby-chic boutique. Young handled the indoor decor while Laurie was in charge of landscaping the shop’s outdoor patio.

“I’m allowing her (my mom) . . . to decorate the back area with whatever designing she thinks (is best) and she’s been letting me do my own stuff on the inside,” Young said. “I love that the store is near High Street and in my hometown.”

A different bridal experience

After working in the bridal industry for six years, Young knows first-hand the struggles many brides face when they go looking for a wedding dress.

“Brides always feel pressured to purchase something within an hour or they get sent out the door,” said Young, who has worked for small boutiques and large chains like David’s Bridal.

With Ever After Bridal, Young hopes to create a different experience for her brides where they feel heard and taken care of.

She plans to offer “experience packages” so patrons can rent out the store and shop at a leisurely pace while they sip drinks, nosh on appetizers and take photos. Young will also host specialized events for “modest brides” and “curvy brides,” as well as vendor days with florists, hair and makeup artists and musicians.

The goal, Young said, is to allow brides to choose the experience they want to have at Ever After Bridal.

“I don’t want my brides to feel like I’m forcing them to buy something that they aren’t going to love or feel confident in on their fairy-tale day,” she said. “If you don’t find what you’re looking for, I will tell you where to go.”

But Young hopes she has dresses that cater to every bride. The range of designers is what inspired Young’s first employee, Penny Martin, to join the Ever After Bridal team as its head of alterations.

“I’ve always loved bridal, especially the lines that she will be selling, so it was exciting to come in and join her and watch this whole process get off the ground,” Martin, 24, said.

Even bigger dreams

Young’s aspirations don’t stop with the opening of Ever After Bridal.

She hopes to turn the store into a one-stop-shop for all aspects of the wedding planning process. In five to seven years, Young plans to open Ever After Ranch in Moorpark as a wedding facility tied to the bridal boutique.

“I’m really excited to see the whole company grow,” Martin said. “I know Taylor has a lot of plans for the future with big designs in mind.”

Young’s ultimate goal is to create her own line of bridal gowns, called Ever After Designs, for brides of all shapes and sizes.

And Young believes it will happen, with just a little bit of faith, trust and pixie dust.

Ever After Bridal’s grand opening will take place Wed., June 19 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 690 Walnut St., Moorpark. Visitors will have a chance to try on sample gowns, sip champagne and take a photo in the boutique’s Cinderella carriage.

For more information, email info@eabridal. love or visit instagram.com/e.a.bridal.