learn more about becoming a lovely
Are You Interested In Owning A Lovely Shop?
You’ve read about us online. You’ve likely been in a shop. You may have even been a real bride! There are many ways that our franchisees have discovered Lovely, but they all share two things: a love of bridal and a business-first mindset.
At Lovely, we’ve been thoughtful about growth. Our approach isn’t about rapid expansion—it’s about nurturing a community of owners to thrive as small business leaders with confidence and purpose.
We’ll be honest with you, owning a franchise takes dedication and a lot of hard work. This isn’t just an investment; it’s a lifestyle shift. Bridal requries a whole lot of heart, commitment, and the drive to become a wedding dress expert in your community, building lasting relationships within the industry.
Does this commitment sound like something you’d like to say “I Do” to? Read on!
Pssst… We Have Ready-To-Buy Locations Available
Interested In a Turn-Key Opportunity?
This is your chance to own a Lovely Bride in your city without starting from scratch. We have shops ready to pass the franchisee torch in Bay Area, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix.
Ready to dive right in? If one of these cities interests you, reach out at biz@lovelybride.com to learn more.
Dreaming of a different location? Keep scrolling to discover how to open a new Lovely Bride in your city.
5 Reasons To Choose Lovely
Over our 13 years in business, we have grown to a 20-store strong collective. Throughout this time, we have had the luck of learning on the job FOR you. From opening our first franchise store, to working on transitioning stores between owners, we have learned firsthand how to tackle business obstacles big and small. The wisdom of our collective helps keep you a step ahead of the game. Speaking of game, there is a new one to learn every month with new social media platforms, bridal designers, and competitors entering the marketplace. Our HQ team is your go-to resource to ensure your shop is promoted and equipped to the max with anything new that emerges. While you concentrate on the day-to-day business of serving brides, we focus on the following initiatives and more.
01
OUr Collective
approach
With 9 current franchisees and 11 years franchising, we have a wealth of perspective and wisdom within our collective. You can take comfort in knowing someone else has likely gone through what you will go through. We take pride in the camaraderie we have built to uplift and support each other.
02
Training &
techNology
Our operations manual and one-on-one support streamline your store opening, from site selection to grand opening prep. With our ‘Lovely Bridal Bestie’ training guide and expert resources, you and your team are fully equipped to deliver exceptional service, backed by proprietary tools.
03
FINANCIAL PLANNING
ASSISTANCE
As a self-identified data geek, Lanie thrives on the numbers. She’s available to help you get your initial plans set up in Quickbooks, create 5-year plans, or work with your bookkeeper to ensure you capture the finer points of bridal finance. Her core philosophy is that nothing should come as a surprise, so she is available on-demand to help you in your planning processes.
04
PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT
Guided by both our brides’ needs and a focus on the bottom line, Lovely launched Louvienne in 2015 — a chic, exclusive gown collection that perfectly complements our curated designer lineup. Building on this, Lovely will introduce this philosophy into accessories in 2025, offering brides stylish exclusive options ready to purchase in-store and online.
05
MARKETING
EXPERTISE
At Lovely Bride, we deliver top-tier bridal marketing, spotting trends and opportunities to keep our brand ahead. From global strategies to local franchise support, we ensure our marketing resonates with brides now and in the future. Some of the key initiatives that support our franchisees’ success include: website design & updates, social media, paid advertising, brand assets and email communications.
Lovely Bride ceo & founder
Meet Lanie List
I created Lovely Bride in 2010 to give brides an inspiring place to buy their wedding dress. I set out to stock up-and-coming designers, staff the shop with friendly and inclusive staff, and merchandise the store to look like the coolest stylist’s closet. It’s music to my ears when I hear a bride say “I want to live here”. We’ve achieved our goal of creating a store that feels more like a lifestyle.
Our cool way of doing business spread by word-of-mouth and we had many brides traveling to us in NYC or asking us “Can you bring Lovely to our town?”. The answer was YES, because I knew about Franchising and how the model would work so well for bridal. Franchising ensures that there is an owner close to each shop, who cares intimately about their customers and their needs geographically. It also allows us to build a community of peers, to support and cheerlead each other through thick and thin. Lastly, it allowed me to do what I love best, and that is mentoring and supporting other entrepreneurs.
I am extremely proud of the team I’ve built to support our franchisees. Our Marketing is top notch, with our growth outpacing even big box bridal stores. Having a team focus on the Lovely brand, while you focus on your local store, is the best way to ensure longevity. Lovely for-eva!
FRanchisee testimony
Hear It From Our Franchisees
“I opened Lovely Bride Philly in August of 2013. Thanks to the Lovely name and amazing group of designers I had the support of, we opened with a fully booked weekend. Throughout my time as a Lovely I have loved being able to use my retail operations background to run my business, while having the backing of strong marketing from the HQ team. For my strength set, this combination has been the right fit for me and my business. Additionally, being surrounded by a network of business-focused women owners has been highly valuable to bounce ideas off of, lean on in challenging times, and celebrate with when there are big successes.”
Ivy, Owner of Lovely Bride Philadelphia
What It Takes
We know you love wedding dresses – it’s at the heart of everything we do! Business ownership takes so much more than a love of the game. As a collective with over 10 years of experience, franchise renewals, and transitions, we know what is needed to make a successful, long-term franchisee. That is why we screen for the best of the best to join our Lovely journey.
Resources
To open a Lovely Bride store, you need to have a minimum of $300,000 in cash assets to open and support the business. In addition to inventory, store build-out, and marketing, you will want a prudent reserve for payroll and rent while your business is ramping up.
SUPPORT
In addition to the guidance and coaching from the HQ team, you need a legal representative and an accountant who can help you get the business registered correctly and set up for routine bookkeeping. It is also helpful to have someone to advise you on the financial plans you will build for your store.
COMMitment
Lovely Bride stores are more than a monetary investment. The stores thrive when an owner has both a physical and mental presence in the business. Being an entrepreneur is rewarding, but also all-encompassing. You have to be ready for both the challenge and rewards of small business ownership.
Business acumen
We all love the product in this industry, but you must also be willing to become a pro at the other aspects of business ownership, namely hiring, training, time management, financial management, problem solving, and conflict resolution. Lovely is a support to teach you in the areas you may need assistance, but a business-first mindset is critical to owning a store.
positivity
While the bridal world might seem like all joy from the outside, it can sometimes be a stressful experience. Emotions run high during wedding planning, and a good disposition is essential to your own day-to-day happiness. A positive attitude benefits, you, your team, and our collective. We strive to lift each other up and celebrate our progress.
Opportunity
We want to set you up for success. Therefore, we only move forward with locations that have a growing demographic of brides. Also, availability of our best selling designers is critical. Therefore, we only explore markets that are not too saturated. Lastly, your personal experience and interests matter. We evaluate each potential franchisee with an open mind, but strict criteria.
Lovely Franchise Questionnaire
Ready To Take The Next Step?
Thank you for your interest in joining the Lovely Bride collective as a franchise owner! Now that you’ve had a chance to learn about us and our business, we’d love to learn more about you and your vision.
Think Lovely is a perfect fit for you? If so, please click the link below to complete our Lovely Franchise Questionnaire so that we can learn more about you!
Cheers,
Team Lovely
