We had the pleasure of interviewing Co-Founder and CEO of Unbox the Dress, Grace Lightner, and Marketing Coordinator, Kellie Doran, to learn about the unique company. Unbox the Dress turns your vintage (and modern!) wedding dresses into priceless family heirlooms, ranging from Getting Ready Bridal Robes to Christening Outfits. Keep reading to find out about the “why” behind the brand, the distinct process, read touching stories from customers, and get all of your pertinent questions answered!
Let’s get to know our interviewees!
What are your backgrounds?
Grace studied communication media and integrated marketing. After graduating, she went on to work for Entertainment Cruises where she expanded her photography and social media skills. “Telling the story of a joyful company translated well into my business because I wanted to share the joy and stories of our clients!” She’s always been a fashion-loving girly girl who was always taking part in her friends’ weddings, so she couldn’t have picked a better industry to work in!
Kellie received her degree in art history. “I love design and picking apart design, and being at Unbox the Dress, I get to be surrounded and involved in that daily.” She began working in an administrative role at Unbox the Dress after graduating and has since been promoted to marketing and PR. She always dreamed about her wedding as a little girl, so being able to be a part of this “sentimental and emotional” industry has been a perfect fit for her.
How did you come up with the idea for Unbox the Dress?
With every great business lies an inspirational origin story. “I always wanted to start my own business. I was just kind of waiting for the right idea,” Grace told us. As our best ideas usually do, the idea for Unbox the Dress came to be when she least expected it. Grace and Co-Founder, Lorraine (her mom!), were cleaning out Grace’s grandmother’s house when they found a bunch of old family wedding dresses in storage. When she saw her mom and aunts’ faces light up with joy, Grace knew that she needed to find a practical use for these dresses, so they could be enjoyed and admired every day. That’s when she decided to combine her sewing skills, love of fashion, and business acumen into one to realize her dream. You know we love a girl boss!
Grace and Lorraine
Interested in how it all works? We were too! Take a look below at the 5-step process.
What’s the process like from start to finish?
Step 1: Clients have the option to take a quiz, answering questions about their dress and its fabric to help them figure out which product will work best. If they already know what they want, they can skip the quiz and make their purchase or speak to a consultant for guidance.
Step 2: This is when clients have the option of sending in their dress as-is or purchasing a secure DressBox, which they can use to safely transport their garments to the customer care department.
Step 3: The consultation! This is when you get to have a video chat with one of Unbox the Dress’s design consultants. Discuss your dress and any additional fabric purchases, and tell them about your unique story. You’re encouraged to share any ideas you may have, so feel free to express everything you envision for the transformation! The consultant will never proceed in the process until the client is completely comfortable, so no worries if another consultation is needed.
The consultant conveys notes from the consultation to the Graceful Sewer assigned to your project. After creating a design from the notes, the product goes into production. Since there are no sketches or muslin samplings involved, trust is at their core and is something Unbox the Dress takes great pride in with their clients at every phase. To ensure you’re getting the best of the best, the finished product undergoes an extensive quality check system.
Step 4: Get your tissue box ready because it’s unboxing time! After a couple of months, your creation will be waiting at your doorstep. Be sure to snap a video! Trust us, you’ll want to savor that precious moment forever.
Step 5: Didn’t use the whole dress? No worries! Unbox the Dress will save the extra fabric for you in their DressVault should you want more products in the future. If not, they’ll return it to you, or you can donate it to help make other clients’ transformations a reality!
How did you decide which products to offer?
Originally, the company started as a way to repurpose a mother’s old wedding dress into a new item for her bride-to-be daughter to wear on her own wedding day. As more clients shared their stories, Grace realized that there was a greater need. Customers not only wanted items for themselves but for family members to use on special occasions and treasure for a lifetime. Thus, items like the Christening Gown and Dressy Clutch were born! Once Unbox the Dress began working with contemporary dresses, new styles emerged as well. “Modern dresses lend themselves to different designs. So, dress designs sometimes inspire product designs.” Check out their new luxe collection to see what she means! When asked if they plan to add any new products, she responded, “We’ve always got something in the works!” Sounds like we should all keep our eyes peeled!
Anniversary Nightgown
The Rosie Dress
On whether or not they take custom product requests, Grace informed us that that’s actually how the business got underway! Their very first client, Grace’s aunt, gave them the idea for their Guardian Angel Ornaments, which include fabric from the wedding dress of a family member who passed away. They’re a lovely way to pay tribute to loved ones and have become a customer favorite. So, while taking requests isn’t customary now, it’s how they got their start, and “We’re always happy to do it when we can!” Grace beamed.
Heirloom Angel Ornament
What’s your most popular product?
“Our Signature Getting Ready Robe!” This robe is perfect for brides who have their own dress but still want to wear a piece of a loved one’s. Brides will often choose their mother’s dress to repurpose, making for beautiful mother-daughter photos when getting hair and makeup done. Some brides like to include all of the most important women in their lives too! “I love when they combine multiple generations of dresses into one robe because I know it’s a piece that’ll be passed down.” Who knows, maybe new pieces will be added to it in the future! The possibilities are endless.
Signature Getting Ready Robe
How have you been able to expand your brand?
With any new business, spreading the word can be a challenge. So, how did Grace and her team do it? “When you’re just sharing these positive experiences and special stories, the marketing doesn’t feel so salesy,” she told us. “It’s great storytelling built into our marketing program.” That’s the key, folks! I mean, who doesn’t love to see a heartfelt post on their timeline?
Why do you do what you do?
When asked what she loves most about her job, Grace couldn’t pick just one thing! “Oh my gosh, so much about it!” she gushed. “Celebrating family stories and the connection between women across generations” was a major one. Celebrating women? We can definitely get behind that! She also loves how the nature of the company stems from sustainability and aligns with her values. Her biggest motivator, though? “When we get sweet and sentimental photos back from clients and just seeing our products out there in the world.” As a fellow bridal company, we can attest to that. There’s no greater feeling!
Grace also couldn’t forget to credit her amazing team, including Kellie, who help make the magic happen. Of course, we wanted to hear from Kellie too! “I have the unique perspective of getting to see the dresses when they come in and then photographing them after the transformation. The work put in by our designers is incredible, and just to see the talent they have is unreal.” The sincerity and admiration in their voices were both palpable and commendable. A brand that cares equally about its employees’ and customers’ happiness is a brand we can surely support!
Do you accept non-wedding dresses too?
“It’s not as common, but sometimes people ask us to transform a prom dress or mother-of-the-bride dress, etc.” In fact, they recently received a special request to transform a prom dress for a bride. But not just any prom dress. The gorgeous dress was worn by the bride’s sister, who sadly passed away a few years ago. It was important to her that even though her sister couldn’t physically be there, her presence would surround their entire family. She tasked Unbox the Dress with making a couple of small mementos for her parents, siblings, and herself. We love that Unbox the Dress was able to help make this tribute happen and create an everlasting memory. To the bride, we’re certain your sister is so proud of you and will be watching your big day from Above!
Is there a story that particularly touched your heart?
One customer came to the company with a gorgeous satin, lace dress and a heartfelt story. She and her husband had been trying to conceive for several years, but after going through their fertility journey, they decided to adopt a little girl. As they were going through the procedure to officially make her a part of their family, they discovered that she had two brothers. In an instant, their family of three blossomed into a fabulous family of five! The client had her wedding gown made into a baptism dress for the daughter and two vests for the sons. And if that didn’t pull at your heartstrings enough, they were all baptized on Mother’s Day! We can’t think of a more beautiful way to celebrate becoming a family.
All in all, it’s clear that these ladies have put a unique spin on the bridal industry and have truly made their mark while loving what they do. There are many reasons to honor matrimony, but as Grace eloquently put it, “Weddings give you a chance to connect to the women in your life, your family, and celebrate your marriage beginning,” and we think that’s something all of us can appreciate!
