We were lucky to catch up with Chanae Pitts recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chanae, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I love sharing the story of how Teak & Ivory Bridal began. I had always heard that the best businesses are built at the intersection of passion and problem-solving — and that really stuck with me. I’ve been in the wedding industry for over a decade, specifically in the bridal attire space. My journey started as a weekend stylist and eventually led me to roles like Operations Manager and Shop Leader for a tailoring service. I’ve also experienced the process from the other side, as a bride myself.

Through all of these experiences, I noticed a recurring frustration among brides: they often lacked a dedicated expert to guide them through their full bridal vision — not just the dress, but the entire look, right up through their wedding day. From steaming the gown, helping them get dressed, bustling the gown, to handling last-minute emergencies — they needed more comprehensive support.

I’ve always loved styling brides during their appointments, but I started to see a bigger opportunity: what if I could help them with all the elements of their wedding-day look, well before they even found the dress? And what if I could be there on the big day to bring that vision to life? That’s how Teak & Ivory Bridal was born.

Teak & Ivory Bridal is more than just a styling service. I offer a range of packages — some clients need support during their dress shopping journey, others want help choosing accessories or reception outfits, and some want full, hands-on styling right through to the wedding day.

I also provide the same services for grooms. The wedding day is about the full visual story, and the groom deserves to feel just as seen and supported. It’s time for grooms to experience a high-level, personalized service too.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi, I’m Chanae — a coffee enthusiast (ask me about my Nespresso obsession!), fashion lover, and bridal stylist with over a decade of experience in the wedding industry. I’ve always believed style should be intentional, so a fun personal rule I live by is: If I can’t wear an item three different ways, I don’t buy it!

Outside of styling, I’m married to my best friend Sean — we’ve been married for six years, and he’s truly my biggest cheerleader. When I’m not working with brides or making coffee, you’ll find me spending time with family and friends. This summer, I’m excited to get into tennis and take more pilates classes. And if we ever meet in person, just know I love to smile, laugh, and bring good energy wherever I go.

Professionally, I’m the founder of Teak & Ivory Bridal, a luxury bridal styling service that helps brides (and grooms!) feel confident, supported, and completely themselves on their wedding day. I offer a range of services — from shopping support, accessory curation, and reception looks, all the way to on-the-day styling and emergency gown care. My clients often tell me I help them feel safe, heard, and truly seen. That’s the part of my work I’m most proud of.

What sets me apart is my deep industry knowledge, personal experience as a bride, and my passion for helping people tell their unique style story on one of the most important days of their lives. Teak & Ivory is not just about clothes — it’s about confidence, clarity, and creating a calm space for my clients to feel beautiful and understood.

If you’re a bride (or groom!) struggling to figure out how you want to feel on your wedding day — not just what you want to wear — I’d love to support you. That’s what I’m here for.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Honestly, networking has been one of the biggest contributors to building my reputation. I’ve found that attending smaller, local business events — especially those that align with my industry — have been the most effective for me. I’m not naturally drawn to big, traditional networking events, so I really focus on connecting more intimately.

At these smaller gatherings, I love hearing other business owners’ stories — why they started, what inspires them — and then connecting over things beyond just work. I’ve found that when I can have real, meaningful conversations, it leads to deeper relationships and genuine referrals. For me, it’s not just about pitching what I do — it’s about showing up as myself, being curious about others, and letting the connection build naturally.

That’s helped me build a strong, trusted reputation — not just as a stylist, but as someone people enjoy working with and recommending.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My reputation is built on and has also been built on referrals from clients I have worked with in the past and from vendors I have worked with or would love to work with in the future. All of my clients so far have been from referrals! I’m a huge advocate for treating everyone with respect and how you would want to be treated.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.teakandivorybridal.com/
• Instagram: @teakandivorybridal.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teakandivorybirdal/
• Youtube: @teakandivorybridal

Image Credits

First two images are from Krysta Holden @krystaholdenphoto
The third, fourth and fifth images are from Wild Love Pursuit @wildlovepursuit
Seventh photo is from Lisa Young @lisayoungphotos