When Stella Jones was only 21 years old, she was approved for $25,000 on a Discover credit card and promptly maxed it out to make a dream come true: opening her own bridal shop.
Her shop first opened its doors in the town of Leroy, followed by a second location in Pittsford, which she opened in the thick of COVID. For three months, the new store brought in zero sales, and Jones went unpaid to make sure her team was taken care of first. "I really took a big risk, but it definitely paid off." Two summers ago, she merged the Leroy location into Pittsford, and this past May, she celebrated 15 years in business.
For Jones, chasing that dream, despite every risk along the way, is a testament to what women can do when they’re determined.
Where the Fire Started
As a child, Jones struggled with her self-esteem and body image, which ingrained in her the desire to uplift and empower other women. “I always wanted to give back and have other women feel seen and heard,” she says. “I had that fire in my belly at a young age.”
Fashion caught her interest, since it’s “such a large part of being a woman in our society.” Jones was determined to carve out her own trajectory within the industry, particularly around sizing. It’s not just about body positivity, she notes, but about embodying all of it. “So much focus is on the body. I like to look at brides as an overall person, a human being.”
Jones ended up in one of the fashion capitals of the world—the big apple, attending LIM College and initially found her footing in men’s fashion. But she felt swallowed by the city and moved back home, landing a position that would bring the trajectory of her fashion focus back to its origins: working with women. She ended up in a bridal styling position at Alfred Angelo. “I absolutely fell in love with it the moment I styled a bride,” she says.
Within six months, she was given the opportunity to open and manage the brand’s Buffalo location. But after a while, she realized the corporate dynamic wasn’t making her happy. So, when her father, an entrepreneur himself, told her she should go out on her own, she did just that.
The Business Behind the Business
Today, Stella’s Bridal is a bridal couture boutique. But Jones is passionate about ensuring that brides of all backgrounds can find affordable bridal wear at her store, so she’s built a diverse portfolio of designers—from commercial bridal looks (high-volume and lower end), to medium-risk designers and high-end couture. It can be a cutthroat business, she notes, so being tactical and having a strong portfolio has helped her find success.
With her desire to help other business owners still a fire in her belly, Jones now speaks on stage across the country at large wedding conferences and launched a mentorship program within the last two years. “A lot of the stores that come to these conventions are there to find answers,” she says. Because she had a unique experience opening her second location at the height of the pandemic, and has dealt with seasons of uncertainty as she built her business, she provides guidance to other business owners. It’s especially gratifying to her that other women-owned businesses across the country have been able to use experiences as a roadmap.
Say Yes With Stella
That philosophy is at the heart of Say Yes With Stella, the mentorship program Jones launched to pass along what she's learned. One store owner cried when they saw her in Vegas, and with Jones’s help, they were hitting six figures in 90 days. “My specialty is looking at the numbers and seeing how we can improve, clearing out the inventory and making the business more of a niche that they can serve to their brides."
For Jones, the real reward comes when a woman rediscovers her own worth. "I think when you can remind women of their worth that's not dependent on their appearance but on the overall integrity of their story,” that's the moment that matters most to her.
Over 15 years, Jones estimates she's heard tens of thousands of love stories, proposal moments, and family histories, and not all of them arrive wrapped in the cheerful "say yes" energy people expect. She's fitted brides with scars covering their bodies, burns from childhood, medical devices attached to them from chronic illness. Some are leaving toxic relationships. Some are starting their first business after being told for years they weren't good enough, that it wouldn't work.
"It's standing up for women," Jones says, "and reminding them you have the capacity, and the answers are already within you."
For her, it's rarely about the dollar amount on the receipt. "It's the human connection—the light going on in them again, reigniting that passion, reigniting that fire, and seeing them realize they can do this," she says.
A Sisterhood
One of the biggest mistakes a bridal shop owner can make, Jones says, is to stop working the showroom. When she's on the floor herself, it reignites her creativity and lets her build the kind of bond with a bride that carries all the way through to the wedding day. Jones often attends those weddings in person, flying across the country to be there. Whether it's her or a member of her team, they'll fluff the train, help the bride into her dress, steam out any wrinkles, and touch up hair and makeup—and making sure she's photo shoot ready.
Jones believes women are a sisterhood, and that trying on a wedding dress in front of someone you've just met puts anyone in a vulnerable position. For her, nurturing a relationship is one of the most important parts of her work.
"What I really pride myself on is the experience. That is the human connection that we are able to honor and create for our bride," she says. "At the end of the day, this is a business built on love—what we do is raw emotion. It's an emotional purchase. We're selling an heirloom piece that will be passed down. We're selling a garment that's a physical representation of your love and beauty. It's a rite of passage."