Wayburn, who’s originally from the Philippines, says she’s now in her tenth year of living on the Cape and business is doing amazing.

Wayburn says she’s had to expand her location in October because she’s the only full service bridal shop on the Cape.

Now residing in Marstons Mills, she stresses the importance of perseverance even during uncertainty. “Just don’t give up”.

AMPLIFY:
Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Wayburn:
I am Filipina originally from the Philippines. I've been here on the Cape for ten years now. I have been working in the garment industry for many years. I’ve worked in the Philippines, South Korea, as well as Guatemala and not until I moved to the Cape, where I met my husband, did I begin working in retail.

AMPLIFY:
How did you come up with the name of your business, Seaside Bridal Couture?

Wayburn:
While in the EforAll Business Accelerator Program, l was thinking of a name. Everything here is named after Cape Cod. I think if you want to have your own brand, you can’t use ‘Cape Cod’, so one of my really good mentors came up with a lot of names. I still like ‘Cape Cod’ but when we used ‘Seaside’ it's still kind of “Capey”.

AMPLIFY:
What inspired you to get into this business?

Wayburn:
In 2020, during the pandemic, the owner of the bridal shop I worked for decided to close her business and retire early. She asked me if I’d thought of opening a bridal shop of my own and the possibility of taking care of some of the clients that she had left. I told her that I would think about it. During the process of closing the shop we sold so many dresses because we were having sales and so eventually I just said it’s time to make the decision. Many of the customers who bought the dresses on sale were coming back to me for alterations. So me and one of my coworkers decided we'll work together and so that's how Seaside Bridal is here now.

AMPLIFY:
What steps did you take to get your business started? What was the process like for you?

Wayburn:
I first bought some inventory left from the old bridal shop and I had some money on hand. I thought “this is not enough but it's good enough to start”. Then, I knew I needed to find a location that was not too big so I could afford the rent. We were also still in the middle of the pandemic so I thought either I’m gonna make it or I’m not. It was a scary time.

I had some clients from the old bridal shop that I could start with which was great. Then I was chosen to participate in the EforAll Business Accelerator Program. I learned a lot from EforAll and they gave me all the tools I needed to get started.

AMPLIFY:
What struggles did you face when you first started your business?

Wayburn:
At the previous bridal shop I could perform all duties with the exception of handling the money, so I really focused on accounting and making my books on time when I first started my business. If you know how to handle your money and how to do your cash flow it makes starting the business easier for you. Knowing what to spend, what not to spend, what you can afford and what you cannot is very important. One of my mentors from S.C.O.R..E. is an accountant. So he's the one that taught me a lot about accounting.

AMPLIFY:
What mistakes did you learn from when starting your business?

Wayburn:
I wanted to help everybody. In business you have a customer and everything has a price. Every once in a while you can help people, but not to the point that you're hurting yourself and your business.

AMPLIFY:
Where do you see your business in five years?

Wayburn:
In five years, business will just keep on climbing. Business has already more than doubled going into my second year. I think what helps is that we are the only full service bridal shop on the Cape.

Most of the bridal shops sell only wedding dresses. Here we offer everything including the wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses, mother’s dresses as well. We do prom and homecoming and we just started to include tuxedos for the guys as well as accessories. We offer jewelry, shoes and handbags. So we pretty much cover the whole wedding party and any formal occasion.

AMPLIFY:
What are some words of inspiration you would give to an aspiring entrepreneur?

Wayburn: Don't be afraid. Understand that everything takes time because you're just starting. And so just don't give up. Just accept the fact that it's normal to be scared and work on your dreams.

For more information, contact Melane below:

Melane Wayburn, Owner
Seaside Bridal Couture
187 West Main Street, Unit B
Hyannis, MA 02601
Main: (508) 534-9127
Cell: (508) 360-7445
seasidebridalcouture@gmail.com
FB: @SeaideBridalCoutureCapeCod
IG: @seasidebridalcouture.capecod
www.seasidebridalcouture.com