Daily Inspiration: Meet Suzanne Novak

Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Novak.

Hi Suzanne, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised on Kauai, Hawaii, to immigrant parents. Clothing and the money to buy it were a premium, so I learned to sew at a young age, which paved the way to a career I never dreamed of.
But I am first and foremost a musician. I played in several bands in high school and entertained locally on Kauai, where I spent most of my youth. My father was a musician and an excellent trumpet player, and had his orchestra.
But I left Kauai to join an all-girl band from Down Under called the Australian Vamps. They wanted to expand their four-piece band to an eight-piece horn group, which was the thing back in the 1970s. I guess I forgot to mention that I played the trumpet, like my father.
I was on the road for two years with the Vamps, touring the Midwest and the South. From the Vamps to Sundance in Canada to Moxie in Michigan, I was on the road for four years before meeting my husband, Tom, and joining his band, Quinn. We married and made beautiful music and a family, but having our daughter moved us to Phoenix and got us off the road. We continued playing music, but having to be responsible, I got a day gig, sewing. We still gig to this day as Two’s Company, and I have a solid foundation in making outfits for the band.
We started Suzanne’s Sewing Service in 1983, and I soon discovered I had a deep passion for altering and creating wedding gowns. I worked for 5 of the local bridal salons doing alterations while operating my full-service alterations shop until I decided to start my bridal shop in 2002. I opened Suzanne’s Bridal Boutique in 2002 and sold it in 2021. I continued as Suzanne’s Sewing Service, doing exclusively wedding gown alterations for the entire valley. Circumstances were such that I reopened Ohana Bridal after the person who bought my original shop, Suzanne’s Bridal Boutique, went bankrupt last year.
But that isn’t the only reason I opened OhanaBridal. I have a legacy of brides I have served for many years, and to date, I have been a part of over 40,000 brides’ journeys to the altar. Bridal is not an easy path, but one that, when done well, produces a LOT of gratification. I have brides that bring me back their daughters and, more recently, granddaughters (deep sigh). Bridal is an acquired passion and requires a deep devotion to elevated customer service. O’hana, more simply put, is family. My clients have become my family over the many years of doing bridal sales and alterations. My father always said that if you find a job you love, you will never work a day. I feel that statement because at 73, after working many days, I feel like this is what I was always called to do! Bridal is my passion. But a little music along the way isn’t bad either.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it hasn’t! But learning bridal from the alterations side was a huge asset. It gave me perspective. It enabled me to train my team and, as a fitter, it gives us a unique edge, because my stylists also learn from that same perspective. It helps us guide brides in seeing the full vision of their dress, often better than most shops can. It’s one of the things that truly sets us apart.
The bridal struggle is real. I’ve seen the industry change over the years, from the rise of the Internet to the entourage shopping era, from Yellow Pages and print ads to the ever-evolving digital world. It’s all been a challenge. But if you work hard and love it, bridal has a beautiful way of loving you.
The hardest chapter for me was selling my original bridal shop. Health issues made it clear it was time to step away, but the truth is, I wasn’t ready to let go. The exit was messy and emotional, but as always, God had a plan. He brought me back to bridal, and Ohana Bridal has risen like a phoenix from the ashes.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in making wedding gowns fit. As an alterations seamstress, I look at gowns differently and fit accordingly. I can make design changes and build-ups and attempt things other seamstresses can’t. That’s my superpower.

How do you think about luck?
I don’t believe in luck. Success, to me, comes from hard work. As a Christian, God places every challenge in my path for a reason. I’ve built my business on relationships and treating everyone like family, because people remember how you made them feel. That principle and working 12-hour days, seven days a week (not kidding) has been the foundation of everything I’ve achieved. I’ve had setbacks like the bankruptcy, but that only made me see the forest for the trees. I’ve been blessed, and I guess you could call that good luck.

Pricing:

• Wedding gowns range from $1000- 5000
• Alterations average from $500-1000
• OTR options available

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ohanabridalaz.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohanabridal.az/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565781178756
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ohanabridal

Image Credits
Purposeful Photos, Rori Glover Studios