SPOTLIGHT I grew up dreaming of my wedding and specifically the dress, but I never would have imagined working in the bridal industry and having a collective of 15 stores across the country. I began my career in accounting, a very structured job where my day in and day out was monotonous—nothing remotely like the world I’m in now. Bridal was not a dream of mine; I didn’t even have it in the cards. What propelled me in this direction was something so personal that I hadn’t even foreseen would change my entire life. It began with my own wedding dress appointment. I remember walking excitedly, cheerfully and admittedly, a little naive. Afterall, it was a really important day, right?! I’m marrying the love of my life, planning the wedding of my dreams and picking out the most important dress I will ever wear. I expected a fairytale-like experience where I tried on the most beautiful dresses, said yes with my family and friends by my side and celebrated finding the one. The reality was very different. I checked in, was rushed to pick out dresses, stood alongside other brides and their families all going through the same process, checked out and paid thousands for my dream dress delivered via a mediocre experience. I felt like I had just checked the box on a chore list. Ruminating on my experience I thought, “Is it just me or is this how all brides feel?” There wasn’t immediate action, especially given I was head down in wedding planning, but it was more of a quiet tug that wouldn’t pull away. Eventually, the tug won. I opened a Jacksonville bridal boutique in 2010 called The White Magnolia. No formal retail background, no fashion resume to brag about, just a numbers girl with a passion. I wanted to give brides their dream dress with their dream experience. Providing a moment of fun amid wedding planning stress, a meaningful “Yes!” alongside the most important people in my life (besides my husband of course) and a celebration of finding the perfect dress for each bride – not a task and transaction. We did this by offering personalized appointments, private rooms and expert stylists. Those early days were scrappy. I was steaming dresses, responding to emails, meeting brides, managing inventory, covering overdue bills, paying out of pocket to go to markets and doing whatever else needed to be done. In those days, I wasn’t planning to expand to multiple stores, but brides told their friends, mothers told coworkers, stylists told their networks, and slowly the demand began to grow. That’s when the Tampa store opened. Shortly after, I met my now business partner Mallory Thorburn. Coincidentally enough, she was also a CPA. At the time, she was also wedding dress shopping and had a disappointing experience. I invited her to my shop Karrie Hileman White Magnolia Bridal Collection 15 years, 15 stores, and many happy brides By Karrie Hileman I wanted to give brides their dream dress with their dream experience. Providing a moment of fun amid wedding planning stress, a meaningful “Yes!” alongside the most important people in my life (besides my husband of course) and a celebration of finding the perfect dress for each bride – not a task and transaction. 80 enterprising Women
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