Diocese awarded $20M bond deal
November 28, 2006Thibodaux toy drive kicks into high gear
December 1, 2006
The world has changed dramatically over the last 40 years: Women attending college is no longer a rarity, and opting to start a family later in life has become the norm. Career-oriented couples tend to marry later than their 1960s counterparts.
The institution of marriage has evolved from being the next step right after graduation to a custom that can wait until the time is right.
For Laura Cancienne, co-owner of Chez Lilli Bridal and Formal Wear, customs may have changed through time but weddings are still about family.
“I am very fortunate to have really good people working for me, that really care and take an interest in this business. That’s really rare this day in age. That is the kind of business we run here, it’s all about family,” she said.
She and husband Harold Cancienne purchased the shop nine years ago from Beulah and Norman Claverei.
Claverei originally purchased the then ladies’ dress and sportswear supplier for his first wife, Lilli Claverei. Lilli passed away a year later and Beulah took over after she and Norman were wed.
“It was a big undertaking,” admitted Cancienne, who contributes her fortuity in the bridal business to her successors.
It wasn’t until the mid 1980s that Chez Lilli, or the House of Lilli, became one Houma’s premiere wedding-day outfitters.
“It really hasn’t been the industry that has changed, it has been the environment surrounding the industry that has caused us to adapt.” According to Cancienne, 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina altered the way wedding businesses operate.
In the early days of Chez Lilli, brides could plan a wedding in six months. Cancienne laughs at the very thought today.
“Our deadline here is six months on everything and brides usually come nine to 12 months before the big day. It is a process n most of the time it takes a bride two to three months to make her final decision.”
The contributing factor behind the extensive process is the change in manufacturing of attire. The Calvereis could purchase stock from seamstresses down the road in Thibodaux, around the state or the nation. Now, Cancienne orders her dresses from China, which takes six weeks just to transport merchandise back and forth.
Cancienne also offers a variety of products that are not only for brides but for every formal occasion as well.
High school formals have created highly profitable seasons. The amount of business drawn to the shop for high school proms is subsequent only to the bustling wedding months of May and November.
A fashionista can purchase shoes, jewelry and other accessories from Chez Lilli. They also provide men’s attire through Norman’s Tuxedos.
The shop networks with others in the industry if a particular item is not carried, and can refer business specialists like wedding cakes, florists, or salons.
“We can plan a whole wedding here,” said Cancienne.
By catering to a variety of ages Chez Lilli maintains cyclical relationships with most of her clients. Many women continue visiting beyond their high school days, first becoming bridesmaids and then finally the bride n referring friends and family in between.
Cancienne said that providing a comfortable atmosphere where women feel comfortable usually lures customers back.
“It doesn’t matter if they are buying a $200 dress or a $2,000 dress, customers are treated the same. We strive to make them feel special here because, after all it is their special day,” she said.
