The White Room

Call for an appointment: 205.970.6767

The White Room is a bridal salon located in Birmingham, Alabama founded by a mother daughter duo: Carolyn and Cathy Kelley. They have been serving brides all over the southeast for 15 years, and offer a private, appointment only dress shopping experience. Their boutique truly celebrates that special moment in each bride's life by offering the finest designer dresses with exceptional Southern hospitality.

At a time when most women can feel intimidated or overwhelmed with choices, Carolyn and Cathy use their expertise to simplify the process of finding the perfect dress. With over 50 years of seamstress and tailoring experience, Carolyn also provides in-house alterations for any dress.

Carolyn & Cathy Kelley, mother daughter duo of The White Room, Birmingham, Alabama

How did you get into the bridal business and why did you open The White Room?

My mother, Carolyn, has been in the alterations business for the majority of her life. She started learning from her mother when she was young. In fact, she had been doing alterations for a bridal salon in town for about 10 years, when she noticed a need for more options in the local bridal business. In August of 2004, she called me and asked to look into a property – she wanted to open her own bridal boutique.

The White Room opened in January of 2005. It was difficult at first. Carolyn had to do everything from scheduling appointments and assisting brides, to finding beautiful dresses for inventory. She would often stay up late at night to do any alterations. I had a full time job in the printing industry, but would help out after work or on weekends and take care of the bookkeeping at night.

I eventually came on as a full time staff member about two years later. In fact, Carolyn and I work so well together, that we bought a home and have lived together for the last 10 years!

What do you believe makes you different from other boutiques and what do your customers value the most about your services?

We offer appointment only services so that we can give our undivided attention and assistance to each bride that comes into our store. That allows us to best serve each individual need or request and it makes your dress shopping experience truly special. Once we have an idea of the specific style dress that a bride is interested in, we are often able to suggest multiple options that best compliment their style or shape.

Not only do we carry the top designers in the bridal industry, we offer in-house alterations to create an easy, flawless process of both finding a dress and ensuring a perfect fit.

What I think our customers value the most, though, is our honesty. We aren't going to sell you on a dress that costs more if the less expensive alternative actually fits you better or is more flattering. We are here to make sure that your dress is the best dress for you. Our suggestions are genuine and not motivated by a price tag. We put our customer first, and I think they can sense that.

What's the biggest challenge or obstacle you've encountered being a small business owner?

For us, our biggest challenge is separating ourselves from other bridal boutiques in the area. It used to be that there were only a handful out there and now there are literally dozens of other shops within a two to three hour drive.

That's one reason we like to carry exclusive designers, and we focus so much on our customer experience. The fact that we have in-house alterations is another perk. Not only is it convenient for our brides, but it's something not everyone can offer.

What is your current marketing strategy or the best way you've gained new customers?

A few years ago I noticed how much we were spending on specialty magazine or newspaper ads, and wondered if it was really worth it. So, I created a survey all of our brides completed when they came in for their appointment. The survey revealed that 97% of the brides credited “word of mouth” as the reason they came to us.

From that point on, I focused on figuring out how to grow referrals and that powerful “word of mouth” testimony. Believe it or not, we get a lot of new business from siblings! Sisters of former White Room brides are very likely to come back to us when they need their own wedding dress!

What's one piece of advice you'd give to someone interested in starting their own business?

I would suggest that you really think through what you're getting into. I think a lot of people jump into their own business because they enjoy something or are particularly good at something, and they don't think about the other challenges they'll have to face.

Obviously, you need to enjoy what you do, but as a business owner, you often juggle a lot of different responsibilities or jobs. It's important to think that through and to find someone who can help you with those practical, every day challenges that come with owning a business.  

Jordan pictured above in her wedding dress from The White Room.

"They made the entire process seamless and enjoyable.
​Every dress they suggested looked beautiful -- they really knew what necklines and shapes flattered my figure!
If you are looking for the perfect wedding dress, I  highly recommend you start with The White Room!" 

​-Jordan