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Life and Work with Amanda Chapline

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Chapline.

Amanda, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey into the bridal world dates back to college for me. I worked my way through college in Norman, Oklahoma, and at times worked up to three jobs at a time to support my college career. I was approached by a friend of a friend who thought I would be a good fit for a sales consultant role at a local bridal boutique. I immediately jumped all over the opportunity! I was hired on the spot and I can honestly say this was the birthplace of my love for all things bridal. I worked as a stylist up until I graduated and was eager to learn the ins and outs of the business. This is where I gained such valuable experience, from ordering/processing, participating in bridal shows, attending bridal markets with the owner, & learning the art of customer service. I tried to absorb as much as possible during my time there. My dream to one day open my own store cultivated throughout many years, and deep down I always knew I’d find the right time and place, I just had to have patience and work as hard as possible to one day make it a reality.

After I graduated college, I moved back to Houston where I was born and raised and started my first job in Corporate America. I was a trade show coordinator traveling all around the world putting on multi-million dollar trade shows, working with international vendors, event planning, etc. During this time, I tried to keep my hand in bridal in one way or another, whether it was planning and assisting in family/friend’s weddings, working on weekends at bridal boutiques, or even studying and learning about different cultures’ bridal fashion while abroad. Running international trade shows is also where I found my passion for European bridal couture and decided definitively that I could never fully give up the bridal world. As years went on and I continued to advance my career in the corporate world, I never truly felt fulfilled or like I was pursuing my life’s purpose. It wasn’t until 2017, my partner Jonathan and I decided to take the plunge and move to Colorado. Even though I was leaving behind my friends, family, and career to take a chance on a new way of life, it felt right. As we started to build a home in the Avon/Beavercreek area, I was itching to find my next career/adventure. Through networking and meeting new people, I was pleasantly surprised to see how robust the wedding industry is here in the Vail Valley. My wheels instantly started turning, and it was as if the right people, situations and circumstances came at the right time to show me that without a doubt, this was where I needed to open my first bridal store. I took the time to invest in market research, whether that be talking to professionals in the industry, locals to Vail, business owners, and even the surrounding area bridal market (specifically Denver), I was obsessed with trying to understand who the Vail bride was and how I could help her. I knew if I was going to do this that it had to be done right. After many many months, trials, struggles, and setbacks, we opened La Vallee Bridal in July of 2018. We just hit our one-year anniversary last month and I am beyond humbled, honored and immensely grateful to have made what feels like a lifelong dream, a reality in such a surreal destination. We now have brides traveling from all over the country to visit our one-of-a-kind boutique, where we truly offer an experience unlike anything else.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not! One of my favorite quotes by Theodore Roosevelt states – “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” This could not ring truer for anyone trying to start a business from the ground up. I can honestly say I have thought and continue to think about giving up more times than I would like to admit. I will never forget as we were in the beginning stages of the build-out of our space on bridge street, and I was hustling to build vendor relationships and network like crazy, a person in the industry came in to check it out. Within minutes, this person literally told me I was crazy and I would be out of business within a year. She advised I sell t-shirts and “cheap knick-knacks” to try and sustain some sort of revenue because brides would never travel here to buy a dress. I remember I couldn’t even get words out of my mouth to stand up for myself and my vision because I was doing everything I could to hold back the tears. To say that was the last person to tell me I was crazy, would be crazy!! I knew from that point on I wasn’t just doing this to prove to myself that I could, but I was going to do it to prove to all of those who told me I would fail.

As a business owner, there are struggles daily, and constant set-backs, but you just have to push through it because there are a greater goal and greater purpose. To be able to walk into this store every day and truly love what I do is a feeling so many in this world will never have the chance or opportunity to feel. I am grateful and thankful I have these struggles and trials as a business owner because it is only shaping me and molding me into the person and professional I was destined to be. To the young women and anyone out there just starting your journey, YOU CAN DO IT AND YOU WILL DO IT and don’t let anyone ever take that fire away from you. Push through the no’s, push through the rejections, and find a way. If you have to start over, start over. If you have to change your direction, change it. Your dream is meant to be fulfilled and you will be doing yourself the biggest disservice if you let your dream die. I encourage you to seek out other business owners and walk through this journey together because at the end of the day we are all facing the same struggles one way or another and are all in this together. Most importantly, trust in yourself and trust in your vision, just taking the plunge and the risk alone is something to be proud of! And always remember, no one will invest in your vision, invest in your business and invest in its success more than you will. Be at peace knowing you are in control of the destiny and outcome and channel all of the effort, pain, and difficulty that comes your way into making your business exactly what you want it to be! The sky really is the limit, believe in yourself!

Please tell us about La Vallée Bridal.
La Vallée Bridal is a full-service bridal boutique, catering to brides-to-be who are looking for a unique destination try-on experience in the heart of our luxurious mountain town. We are honored to be the first and only bridal studio in Vail. La Vallée is located on Bridge Street, right in the heart of the historic alpine village. I have personally hand-selected curation of luxury gowns from six of the world’s top couture bridal designers — all of which are exclusive to us in the state of Colorado. We try to have a little something for everyone but are definitely known for our more unique fashion-forward pieces. The comment we hear most from our brides is we have a selection they’ve never seen anywhere else before. We strive to give our brides an experience they truly won’t get anywhere else. From the moment the bride walks in, she has the entire studio to herself during her appointment and a designated stylist who she will be in touch with well before her appointment date and well after. We invest in getting to know our bride’s true essence and individual style and take pride in building those relationships. We provide complimentary champagne and goodies for our brides through-out the appointment as well as offer concierge services such as booking dining reservations, suggestions and help with accommodations, activities, etc to make their stay here as easy and enjoyable as possible. There really isn’t anything we won’t do to make our brides have the best experience.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources that help you do your best in life (at work or otherwise)?
One of the daily tasks that I schedule for myself is to take thoughtful time to research. The bridal industry is always evolving and especially with the influence social media has taken on fashion specifically, it’s important to take time to understand what brides are searching for, what drives them to buy, and keep up with trends. I also follow leaders in the industry and make sure to spend time learning about my designers, as well as other up and coming designers as much as possible. Ultimately, I am the expert in what I sell and that standard is important for me to maintain.

I also think success is found through self-care and it is important to spend time growing personally. As a business owner you are pulled in a million different directions so practicing mindfulness is very important to me as it makes me a better salesperson, owner, and boss.

I LOVE Rachel Hollis – “girl wash your face”, “girl stop apologizing” – I admire her philosophy that women can change the world because we can!! We have to get past and get over our fears and insecurities and embrace them (easier said than done). We have to stop identifying ourselves by the perception of other people and start having confidence in ourselves. It’s time to start chasing our dreams and stop talking ourselves out of them! Books like these keep me motivated and keep me going, and I strongly support and try to live by the quote – empowered women to empower women.

Guilty pleasure confession – I was a huge America’s next top model fan back in the day, and love the way Tyra Banks unapologetically made her mark in the fashion industry but didn’t stop at a supermodel. She shattered glass ceilings and went on to be an actress, model, businesswoman, TV producer, author, and she did it with a strut and a loud voice that was heard across the world. So, the next book on my list is hers – “Perfect is boring – 10 things my fierce mama taught me about beauty, booty and being a boss” Yas girl!

Pricing:

  • Our appointment bookings are complimentary, we do not charge to make an appointment, or charge to bring additional guests to your appointment. We also offer complimentary champagne, as well as light bites upon request.
  • Our gowns range in price from $4,000 to $12,000 with the majority ranging from$5-8k, however, between our store and our sister store in Houston, I am confident we can accommodate any bride with any budget.
  • We offer a large selection of veils, accessories and bridal related gifts – gifts start as low as $10 in our git shop, and our veils range between $200 and $1500.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Dani Cowan Photography, Nate and Jenny Weddings

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