Today we’d like to introduce you to Janice Lee.
Hi Janice, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I didn’t grow up with a lot of money and was not allowed to waste anything. I was fascinated by the fashion world and how one could repurpose garments to make them fresh and exciting again. I became a professional fashion designer and spent over ten years working for other companies and couture houses in bridal design. Although I love the craft of designing, it always bothered me that traditional bridal companies want to sell the “princess lifestyle” in order to attract a prince charming to come save the bride. Women feel so pressured to spend thousands of dollars on an extravagant gown that they’ll only wear for a few hours and never wear it again. These outdated ideals never resonated with me. The pressure, waste, and expectations were due for a change. I want to spark positive change in a segment of the Fashion Industry that has historically been very unsustainable — so I created Beyond The Ceremony: a brand that creates re-wearable bridal designs that fit back into your life instead of becoming a long-lost & deteriorating heirloom. After your big day, you send it back to us to dye & re-work into a more versatile garment for you to rewear.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a young, self-funded female solopreneur— running this company has definitely been the most challenging but rewarding creative endeavor that has tested every ounce of my capabilities as a human being. I was a one-woman show for the first year & half of starting my business. Besides just creating the designs, I also executed every step there is to do production, operations, website, graphic design, packaging design, marketing, shipping+ receiving, sourcing, tech design, data analytics, and accounting…. all while working 2 freelance design jobs and picking up modeling gigs to purchase materials & create more samples— but no matter how turbulent the problems I’ve faced, I always trusted that I’d find a solution. I put in extraordinary effort and went the extra mile, and what kept me going was my mission for this brand and my unshakable faith in acheiving my goals.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve started my journey in the 6th grade when I discovered a burning fire in my belly for making beautiful clothes….and over my life’s worth of experience in designing professionally for every sort of bridal company & artisan lace maker, I’ve discovered the women of the world were still celebrating their wedding day in boring old-fashioned dresses that look totally outdated. So I took myself down this path: to make sure that each woman may feel as modern as the present-day woman she is. Here at Beyond the Ceremony, we are way above just boring old-fashioned dresses. Beyond The Ceremony is about sustainability & originality in empowering women with more options to celebrate their marriage in their way and on their terms.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Buying a “traditional” wedding gown can cost thousands of dollars for what a bride would wear for only a few hours and it then creates a storage burden by taking up space in a house to never be seen again. Most women store their gown in a bag to sit in their closet forever unless she decides to resell it online for a fraction of what she paid for it. The age of women who are getting married in cosmopolitan cities right now are also predominantly in their mid to late 30s, and they’re not interested in buying the extremely large princess-style dresses that most bridal shops are still eager to sell. Brides are now looking for more sustainable, modern and chic options, but no one is fulfilling their needs. We are about the choices and the looks that truly express the 21st century woman. In allowing for her more options to customize her wedding look, but not just stopping there…. we take it one step further, as we say in our name: beyond. By customizing that dress for the second use, they get to wear their special piece again in a different form— and relive that magical moment in their lives.
Pricing:
- The core of our main bridal looks ranges from $1600-$4500. Shapewear pairings are offered with each individual style and range between $90-$150. All items are available for pre-order only (“made-to-order” / created after your order is placed.) Rush orders are available for an additional fee. Deposit is required at the time of purchase to secure your order. Dye-back offer is an additional $450 and can redeemed at any time after delivery. The dye-back process can be redeemed at any time after purchase is made & lead time may take up to 1 month from date of receipt in facilities until ship-out date. Any additional questions, please email [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: www.beyondtheceremony.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/beyondtheceremony_
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/beyondtheceremonybridal
Image Credits
Carlo Alberto Orecchia Armani J Smith – LA Love Weddings Indie Design Studio
