Our Story

Where it All Began...A Mother's Passion

A History of Making Dreams Come True

Pina Murano was just 17 years old when she packed her suitcase and immigrated to Canada from Italy with her new husband. A fashion design certificate in her young hands from Studio Competente per la Tecnica def Taglio, she quickly found work as a seamstress.

As her English improved, so did her skills. She soon became a furrier, designing, selling, and manufacturing high-end custom fur coats and accessories. It was a fitting profession for the young designer, who appreciated attention to detail and high-end craftsmanship.

Soon enough, Murano made the switch to the bridal industry, and quickly became known for her second-to-none customer service and unparalleled seamstress skills. At the back end of her mind though, was the dream to one day open her own bridal salon. "As a young girl, I always had a love for fashion and an eye for the latest style trends, especially bridal," she recalls.

At 33, with two young sons, Murano purchased a historic limestone building in the heart of downtown, and the rest, as they say, is history. It was the beginning of Bridal Creations - which continues to make its mark on the city to this day.

A Growing Success

Surrounded by gorgeous pieces, Stephen Murano seems quite at home at the Queen Street Store, which has expanded three times over the years. Stephen's goal is to carry on his mother's dream as the salon continues to grow and expand. "It's all about the full service," he says. "We go above and beyond more than anybody else...we go the extra mile to make sure everything is perfect."

Bridal Creations - now known as Bridal Creations & Murano's Formalwear - is the largest bridal salon in eastern Ontario with Murano's Formalwear offering renowned lines such as Soul of London Tailored Suits and Collins Formalwear for men to choose from. "We're really big on attention to detail for the men," explains Stephen. "I make sure it fits properly."

Celebrating a Milestone

This year, Murano's Formalwear celebrates a 4 year anniversary and Bridal Creations celebrates a 20 year anniversary."It's a nice achievement, but it's all thanks to my mum," says Stephen, proudly presenting a smiling photo of his mother. "We've been fortunate; we have a great reputation and people love us. But we are very, very loyal to our customers."

After four bouts of cancer, Pina isn't at the store as much as she'd like to be, but her son is determined to carry on - proud of all his mother has accomplished over the years. "it's very important I carry on what my mother started, because it's a privilege doing what I do," he says. "I am very proud of what my mom achieved for the store and would like to honour it by continuing its growing success."

It's not only about making a sale at Bridal Creations and Murano's Formalwear. Stephen mentions the personal connections he values with his clients, "You're spending 20 and 30 hours with them, and you become friends. You get invited to their weddings, which is nice. I think we just go above and beyond. We really give a lot of attention to everything."

Where are we now?

It is with a heavy heart that the full of life, stylish, hard working, and founder of Bridal Creations & Murano's Formalwear, Pina Murano, passed away in May of 2015. It is a bitter sweet feeling for us at the salon as so many of our loyal customers return to us once again for their nieces, friends, and daughters wedding gowns and remember Pina. This is the effect she left on the community. We continue to honour her beautiful soul, attention to detail, and have vowed to try to make every customer feel their most confident self - just as Pina did.