We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Veatrice Conley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Veatrice, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

As a bride planning my wedding back in 2018, I was blown away by my wedding gown shopping experience and “all eyes on me” attention I received during my own appointment. I always wanted to be a boutique owner but after that experience I knew I wanted to bring a bridal studio to my area with all the same appointment luxuries. It made me emotional to understand that there was not a bridal boutique in my area where women of color could go and really feel fully inclusive while shopping for their dream gown. Unveiled Bridal Studio exclusively carries unique and electric bridal gowns, small collection of bridesmaid dresses and various bridal accessories for women of all cultures, shapes and sizes.

Veatrice, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have been an active member of Chattanooga’s fashion and beauty industry since 2012. I made my big fashion debut at the 2012 Chattanooga Fashion Week (presented by Gage Model and Talent Models) with the creation of a women’s apparel line Regina James Fashion and has since hosted several local fashion shows and launched 5 ready-to-wear private label collections over the past 3 years. With the grand opening of the bridal studio in January 2021, I knew I wanted to continue to share my fashion experience and sense of exquisite fashion to both the Chattanooga bridal and fashion communities. As the first black owned bridal boutique in the area, I strive to go above and beyond what other local bridal boutiques offer brides as well as offer extraordinary niche bridal services such as vow writing sessions, wine tastings and simple wedding vendor planning services.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

Outside of wedding gowns and bridal accessories, my best selling product in studio is a custom soy based scented candle! I launched the candle as a extra stream of revenue after a client suggested I sell it while smelling the aroma during a private appointment. One of the best decisions I made since opening the business!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As a new start up, finding funding was a struggle. Due to COVID, several banks immediately told me NO because I was a new business providing a niche service. I did start to get discouraged until a mentor reminded me that there is often a long road of no’s that lead to a yes! This was the motivation I needed to jump back out there and keep asking for help! I was finally fortunate to find a local credit union to loan the initial investment needed to open my studio.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.unveiledbridalstudio.com
• Instagram: www.instragram.com/unveiledbridalstudio
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/unveiledbridalstudio

Image Credits
Hacker Medias