As a mum of three and owner of multi-award winning, The Little Pearl Bridal Boutique, I am super passionate about sharing my learnings of owning a bridal boutique and 10 years of building a brand whilst being a mum. I support fellow ambitious wedding business owners and mum-preneurs to build a strong and engaging marketing presence with a customer experience that creates lasting memories. I work on a 1:1 basis in a variety of bespoke formats; which is why I was thrilled to be invited to speak at Bridal Week, where I had the chance to connect with industry peers, share insights, and delve into the unique journey of balancing business ownership with motherhood. Here are some of the key questions brought up:

Q: How can I attract more brides?

A: The million dollar question! There are so many elements to this and it’s often thought that it’s just down to how good your social media is. Yes social media plays a part, but there are lots of other elements from a marketing point of view to consider. In the marketing world, we like to call it a multi-channel strategy, which means communicating your messaging across several media channels. The best place to start is by giving your business an audit.

Review what activities you do already, what is working, what isn’t? Identify where you are not present and ask yourself why? Where should you be in order to reach your ideal bride?

Here’s a quick checklist of the main areas you want to be focusing on to ensure you are maximising your potential reach:

Email marketing – build your database with lead magnets and keep them in your community with regular communication.

Social media – which platforms does your ideal bride use? Be present on them all. Don’t forget LinkedIn to help build your personal brand.

PR – how are you building your authority as a brand? Do you communicate regularly with your local contacts. What social responsibility policies are you communicating?

Podcasts – how are you getting your voice out there in different ways? Could you collaborate with others?

Website – is it fully optimised? Does it match your ideal brides needs?

Plus, when it comes to content, the one big thing your potential brides want to see is YOU! Who are they buying from? Who are they investing in to share this important journey with? Why are you different to everyone else?Showcase you and your values in everything you put out there and you’ll continue to attract more brides.

Q: Where should I focus my time when I have so many different roles in the business?

A: The first place to start is being super clear on your goals for your business. Look at the month, quarter and year. What do you want to achieve and where do you see your business heading? This allows you to then start focusing on the tasks that are going to help you achieve these goals. Anything that is not going to help you achieve these goals is probably not worth spending time on, or could be outsourced.

Look at tasks that take up a lot of your time on a daily basis, like admin, content planning or accounting tasks. Can you get help with any of them? Ask yourself if you enjoy them too! If you don’t, you probably procrastinate over them meaning they never actually get done. There may be initial costs with outsourcing, but the time you gain back to actually work ON your business, driving activities that reach your goals, will be instrumental.

Planning. has helped how productive my days are. I plan by the hour and it makes such a difference in identifying how much time you actually have. Be realistic, from the time it takes you to drop the kids at school, to the time it takes to answer your emails. Building in three ’must do, non-negotiable’ tasks a day will help to bring some focus.

Q: How do run a successful business when you have a family?

A: The first question to ask yourself is, what does successful mean to you? For some it may mean owning a number of boutiques, for others it may just be to have the flexibility of working your own hours, able to collect your kids from school. Your measure of success may change over time - I know mine definitely has and that’s ok.

Being clear on what success looks like for you can help guide your decision-making. If success for you means being able to take weekends off to spend time with your children, you’ll prioritise building a strong, dependable team. If it’s about financial growth, your efforts might focus on high-impact marketing campaigns and customer acquisition strategies. Knowing your definition of success will help you stay grounded when life gets hectic, and keep you from falling into the trap of "doing it all."

When you’re wearing multiple hats, the ability to adapt is crucial. Sometimes, the kids will be sick when you have a jam packed diary, or a last-minute bride will need a fitting. It’s okay to have imperfect days—self-compassion goes a long way. We are all human and remember our customers are too. Success is not about doing everything flawlessly; it’s about finding a rhythm that allows you to thrive both as a business owner and a parent.