{"id":2265,"date":"2019-09-12T15:23:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-12T20:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreverbride.com\/inspiration\/wedding-inspiration\/growing-up-in-a-bridal-shop\/"},"modified":"2023-05-12T08:53:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T13:53:28","slug":"growing-bridal-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pearl.davidsbridal.com\/inspiration\/wedding-planning\/vendor-spotlight\/growing-bridal-shop\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing Up in a Bridal Shop"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some of my best childhood memories are of my Mom’s bridal shop, Mary Kay’s Bridal.<\/p>\n

I would spend hours after school with her; cleaning sky-high mirrors to gleaming perfection and vacuuming [what seemed like] acres of mauve-pink carpet.<\/p>\n

I remember hunting for “real” diamonds & pearls on the floor, crawling underneath massive racks of wedding gowns, filling a tiny dixie cup with my treasures.<\/p>\n

All of my friends from school wanted to come “help,” too. My mother always let us play dress-up with the veils & jewelry, as long as we tidied up once our hearts were content.<\/p>\n

I idolized my mother when I was little. She was so beautiful, always well dressed, well accessorized, and her long nails were always painted the perfect shade of red.<\/p>\n

But her beauty was more than sequin blazers and perfect cheekbones; she treated every single<\/i> person with the kindness you would show a loved one. If I ever got lost in a grocery store or somewhere running errands, I would just listen for her loud, bubbly laugh; she was always<\/i> talking & laughing with someone. And every time<\/i> it would rain, she would pick up strangers who were walking to or from the bus stop.<\/p>\n

\"Mary_Kay_Hawks_wedding.png\"<\/a><\/p>\n

People loved being around her, and I wanted to be just like her.<\/b><\/p>\n

As soon as I was old enough, I memorized the store’s hours so I could answer the phones. “Mary Kay’s Bridal, this is Ashley! Yes, our store hours are: Monday through Thursday 10 to 8:30, Fridays & Saturdays 10 to 5, and we are closed on Sundays.”<\/p>\n

*this was long before websites, so about 80% of the incoming calls were people simply asking about the hours. I took such pride in this, I knew this was the FIRST interaction that a customer would have with our business, and I wanted to make sure it was a GREAT one!<\/p>\n

I don’t remember exactly when I started working with brides, it just slowly happened (probably around the age of 13?). I couldn’t keep myself away from the gorgeous gowns and seeing a bride’s face light up when she found “THE One!”<\/p>\n

Without trying, I memorized every single dress in the store, all the designers, every different kind of fabric and style. I knew every part of the process, from manufacturers, to sizing & measuring, to alterations, and how to perfectly steam the wrinkles from different types of fabric.<\/p>\n

I could see how stressful wedding planning was for most women, so I wanted to make sure that our customers knew they were in good hands, with the BEST. We not only had the best gowns & accessories in town, but we wanted to be known for really caring for our brides, taking care of them like family.<\/p>\n

The absolute highlight of my summers growing up was attending<\/i> weddings! I grew up with such a large extended family, and I swear my mother knows EVERYONE. I think we went to a wedding at least once a month!<\/p>\n

My mother & I would always get to the church early to see if anyone needed help; we would steam veils, hem a pant leg, or made sure the groomsmen knew how to put on cufflinks properly. We were the experts, like wedding day super-heros!<\/p>\n

And after sobbing through the ceremony, her and I would help bustle the brides’ dress in the bathroom and get ready to dance the night away!<\/p>\n

I have used everything she gave me & taught me to continue serving others in the wedding industry. I did not, however, take over the bridal shop, as many people thought I would. I always had a bigger vision.<\/p>\n

Today, I am creating programs, systems, & communities for businesses in the wedding industry. I saw first hand how difficult it can be to advertise a small business using traditional methods, & the importance of relationships & brand credibility. Plus, the market was changing dramatically for the 1st time in over 30 years, and I wanted to be on the cusp of that movement.<\/p>\n

\"owners_of_Forever_Bride.JPG\"<\/a><\/p>\n

My business partners and I started building what is known today as Forever Bride in 2010. (I actually met<\/i> my 2 partners through the bridal shop!) It started as a small video-based wedding blog that showcased the incredible talent & passion of local wedding business owners.<\/p>\n

At this time, social media was in its infancy, and if you were one of the few producing quality content at the time, the internet was a free-for-all! Plus, brides were hungry to learn more about the people<\/i> behind the brands, rather than the basic goods or services. The wedding industry was growing & becoming very saturated, meaning businesses needed to do something that would help them stand out.<\/p>\n

Forever Bride is now a national brand, serving over 300 businesses (& growing!), through blogs, videos, events, educational seminars, & community. We are proud to help businesses grow to the next level, whether they are brand new or have 100+ people on staff.<\/p>\n

The program works because we believe in the simple principles I learned from my mother, Mary Kay, Hawks;<\/p>\n

1. make everyone like family, no matter how different they are from you<\/p>\n

2. go out of your way to provide an exceptional experience<\/p>\n

3. Whether you feel<\/i> like it or not, it is your duty to get up everyday, dress beautifully, and serve others the best way you can.<\/p>\n

I am proud to be a female entrepreneur, in the city & the industry I grew up in, serving & helping hundreds of business owners, just like my mom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How did Ashley Hawks get started in the wedding industry? 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