Just About Eight Years Ago, I Woke Up One Morning And Thought To Myself I'm Going To Open A Bridal Store, And I Did
It was January of 2010, and I was working a 9-5 job at a Law Firm up in Cleveland. I didn’t feel like I was making a difference, I wasn’t that special staffer. Don’t get me wrong I worked hard and worked my way up in the two years I worked there, but my desk job I knew just wasn’t for me. Yes, this was my beginning right out of school. Four years of higher education studying pre law and here I am today, an owner of a bridal boutique. Trust me, I didn’t see that one coming either. I had this plan that I would work for the Child Protection Section. I did so in DC when I Interned there one summer during college and I loved it, but that all went down the drain when I woke up one morning in January, now I can’t tell you the date, I just remember it was January and thought to myself ‘I’m going to open a bridal boutique.’ I spent the entire morning getting myself ready for another day at the law firm, but in my head all I could think about was where my location would be and what I would call it. I couldn’t wait for my day to be over so I could start researching all there is to know about starting a business.
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I talked to my Husband later that night and told him my thoughts of the day. He was supportive and I told him it really just depends, but these are my thoughts. I also called my Best Friend that night and told her my thoughts, and she literally said to me “that is so funny because I have been thinking you would be great for that.” I bought all the booked, even my favorite, “How to Start a Business for Dummies” and I read that thing front to back. I then began writing my Business Plan and doing my research. I never went in and searched at other current Bridal shops, but I did have my Sister. I have never told anyone that, hahahaha! But it was part of making up my Plan to make sure i knew what I was doing and what I needed to do to be different. I really got to work on this idea and everything just started to fall into place. Literally everything was what I called a domino effect and just was perfect. It happened quick and I was signing my first lease up on Medina’s Historic Square within two months. The Dress Bridal Boutique opened its doors on April 17th, 2010 on the historic square in Medina and it was my biggest adventure and scariest thing I had ever done in my life.
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Being the owner of The Dress Bridal Boutique has been one of the best decisions I have ever made! While it has taken a lot of time and dedication, it has been so enjoyable and rewarding. After five years in business, we started outgrowing our small location, so we expanded into a larger space across the street. It still has that quante and intimate atmosphere that our other location provided us, but we can cater to more brides and bridesmaids than ever before, and we love it! And while we are on the topic of expanding, we have just opened a new location, The Dress Rack! Unlike here at The Dress Bridal Boutique, The Dress Rack allows us to cater to shorter time frames and lower price points all while still offering the service and experience we pride ourselves on at The Dress.
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With this new location we get to add even more brides to our growing family, and we are SO excited about that! It is our amazing brides that motivate my staff and I everyday, and that is why I wanted to start this blog to grow closer to our clients and all brides out there! I figured what better way to get connected than to offer my story about how I started this crazy journey and ended up getting to know all of you! Like I said, who knew this is where I would be today, but how one of my country star crushes, Thomas Rhett, puts it, isn’t it funny how life changes? I am so grateful for everyone I have worked with to learn so much and grow so much. If you were to ask my a few years ago that I would be a boss to over 7 gals, I would have told you that you were crazy. My staff is the heart of the Boutiques and they absolutely love working with our clients. Being apart of this adventure is so rewarding and I cannot wait to see what the next couple of years hold for us! Join us with following our Blog, shopping with us or loving on our Social Media! We can’t wait!