“Who is Elle James? Elle is my grandmother. Thoughtful, inspiring, and extremely beautiful, she embodies the essence of Elle James. And James? I pray that the person you meet at the alter is just as amazing as James, my dad.”
— Kristin Panetta, Owner
— Kristin Panetta, Owner
Kristin Miller Panetta knew she wanted to help others, but owning a bridal salon or even a store was never on her radar! After moving home from New York, she began working for Kendall Poole Event Planning and that is where she discovered her love for the wedding industry, specifically working one on one with brides and their families. Eventually, her friends began getting engaged and that is when she saw the need for a bridal boutique like Elle James in Mississippi! “It is truly the perfect marriage (no pun intended) of everything I wanted in a career, and I couldn't be happier to help make brides' lifelong dreams of finding their wedding dress come true every day,” smiles Kristin. We had the privilege of interviewing Kristin to learn more about Elle James Bridal.
{What is Elle James and when did you open?}
Elle James Bridal is a modern bridal boutique in Ridgeland, Mississippi. We opened our doors in June of 2016 and have had the time of our lives ever since!!
{What does Elle James offer to their clients/customers?}
At Elle James, we are by appointment only and only take one appointment at a time to ensure all eyes are on the bride. This is an experience girls think about their entire lives and we want to make sure it is the absolute best it can possibly be! Our collection of gowns is truly unique because the majority of gowns we carry are exclusive to us throughout the state of Mississippi. We also strive to always keep up with the latest bridal trends. We meet with our designers in New York twice a year to bring the latest and greatest to our brides! Along with wedding dresses, we offer an exclusive collection of veils, jewelry, garters, shoes, and paper products. We have a very close relationship with all of our accessory designers and are happy to work with them to have custom pieces made!
{Describe your style in one sentence or less.}
Classic with an edge.
{What sets your bridal boutique apart?}
Before a bride ever steps foot into our boutique, she will notice a difference. We do a phone consultation (or email if that's more convenient!) with every bride before their appointment. This helps us get to know the bride so that we can have a dressing room full of perfect options for her as soon as she walks through our doors! During their two hour appointment, the bride and her crew will have our entire boutique to themselves. This not only creates a more intimate, laid-back setting but it also allows their bridal stylist to give them her undivided attention!
As I've touched on above, our collection of gowns and accessories are exclusive to us. 90% of our dresses cannot be found at any other bridal shop in the state of Mississippi. The other 10% are only found in shops that are over two hours away from the Jackson Metro area.
{Are there any memorable experiences you have had since you opened you might want to share with our readers?}
Oh my, there are so many wonderful memories that have been made over the past year! I will never forget having my first bride that wasn't excited to try on wedding dresses because she wasn't happy with where her body was at. She was terrified she wouldn't fit into the dresses and kept telling herself she was not going to look good in anything. I put the first dress on her and not only did it fit but she looked fabulous! Her eyes filled with happy tears and our heart burst into a million pieces. Helping brides find their confidence is a part of the job that I never really considered until that moment, but I will hold it close to my heart and ensure it is the top priority for every bride that steps into Elle James Bridal forever.
I encourage future and current brides to follow us on Instagram @ElleJamesBridal because we are always getting new dresses and designers in! This is the best way to keep up with our everyday!
For more information about Elle James Bridal, click here.
{What is Elle James and when did you open?}
Elle James Bridal is a modern bridal boutique in Ridgeland, Mississippi. We opened our doors in June of 2016 and have had the time of our lives ever since!!
{What does Elle James offer to their clients/customers?}
At Elle James, we are by appointment only and only take one appointment at a time to ensure all eyes are on the bride. This is an experience girls think about their entire lives and we want to make sure it is the absolute best it can possibly be! Our collection of gowns is truly unique because the majority of gowns we carry are exclusive to us throughout the state of Mississippi. We also strive to always keep up with the latest bridal trends. We meet with our designers in New York twice a year to bring the latest and greatest to our brides! Along with wedding dresses, we offer an exclusive collection of veils, jewelry, garters, shoes, and paper products. We have a very close relationship with all of our accessory designers and are happy to work with them to have custom pieces made!
{Describe your style in one sentence or less.}
Classic with an edge.
{What sets your bridal boutique apart?}
Before a bride ever steps foot into our boutique, she will notice a difference. We do a phone consultation (or email if that's more convenient!) with every bride before their appointment. This helps us get to know the bride so that we can have a dressing room full of perfect options for her as soon as she walks through our doors! During their two hour appointment, the bride and her crew will have our entire boutique to themselves. This not only creates a more intimate, laid-back setting but it also allows their bridal stylist to give them her undivided attention!
As I've touched on above, our collection of gowns and accessories are exclusive to us. 90% of our dresses cannot be found at any other bridal shop in the state of Mississippi. The other 10% are only found in shops that are over two hours away from the Jackson Metro area.
{Are there any memorable experiences you have had since you opened you might want to share with our readers?}
Oh my, there are so many wonderful memories that have been made over the past year! I will never forget having my first bride that wasn't excited to try on wedding dresses because she wasn't happy with where her body was at. She was terrified she wouldn't fit into the dresses and kept telling herself she was not going to look good in anything. I put the first dress on her and not only did it fit but she looked fabulous! Her eyes filled with happy tears and our heart burst into a million pieces. Helping brides find their confidence is a part of the job that I never really considered until that moment, but I will hold it close to my heart and ensure it is the top priority for every bride that steps into Elle James Bridal forever.
I encourage future and current brides to follow us on Instagram @ElleJamesBridal because we are always getting new dresses and designers in! This is the best way to keep up with our everyday!
For more information about Elle James Bridal, click here.
{Blog post by Jill Dale}
RSS Feed