Tell us a little bit about the story of Brideside.
Brideside was born out of our personal experience and a strong belief that women should be celebrating these moments in life, not worrying about logistics and coordinating details. There is this terrible rumor out there that suffering through the bridesmaids process is a necessity and a rite of passage! It was critical to both Nicole and I that we have a great selection of bridesmaid dresses and a flexible and modern means of completing this task. We’ve been fortunate to have an amazing community of brides and bridesmaids around us who have been active participants in making Brideside the best it can be. It’s why our business has evolved so much and so successfully.
Describe the ideal bridal party to work with.
This is a tough one because Brideside exists for every bridal party – whether all the bridesmaids live in the same city, or around the country, we can give you the peace of mind you deserve. But if you’re going to make me answer this question, I’d say the ideal bridal party is one where everyone is in it together – open lines of communication among all the bridal party members and their Brideside style consultant. When our style consultant practically becomes a member of the bridal party, we know we did our job well!
What advice would you give to someone who is trying to break into the wedding industry?
It is remarkable and sometimes unbelievable how much this industry has changed since we launched Brideside! What remains constant is that the companies that succeed are the ones where the founders earnestly want to make the wedding experience better. Create a business for a customer base with a clear pain point to solve and where you have a unique solution or experience to offer.
Describe a highlight or pivotal moment for Brideside.
What has been the most rewarding part of building this company is finding a mission that everyone believes in, and watching it evolve and express itself in different ways. It’s truly amazing.
I’ll never forget hosting our opening night dinner party at our new showroom in Charlotte, North Carolina. We invited the community to come over and have dinner with us – bare walls, no furniture, no dresses, just some beautifully decorated farm tables, a delicious meal and tons of cocktails and wine. Amanda, one of our very first stylists and early member of our team, is now opening up a new market for us. It was a beautiful moment to bring together new friends and show them what we stand for, while also celebrating how far we’ve come.
