In just over a year, Bryn Khoury has turned Our Day into a force in the wedding industry. The platform is home to over 4,000 couples and 850 vendors and has expanded from Charlotte up and down the East Coast. We asked Bryn about her background, inspiration, and advice for aspiring founders.

Where did you attend college? What are some awards or recognitions you received?

I have my degree in economics from Elon University where I was captain of my D1 tennis team my sophomore, junior and senior year. During my time at Elon, I won the John Kappas Economics award given to one student most likely to succeed in the field of economics. I also received the Arthur Ashe leadership award for my college division and Heart and Hustle award given to one student-athlete with the most grit.

What inspired you to create Our Day?

I spent the first 10 years of my career working in investment banking operations.  In 2021, I was planning my wedding and realized there wasn’t a streamlined way to compare wedding vendor proposals so I quit my banking job and Our Day was born!

Who would you most like to thank along this startup journey?

I’d like to acknowledge my family and friends for the unwavering support. I would also like to thank Hyperspace for the incredible holistic mentorship and help bring Our Day from an idea on a napkin to launch and beyond.

What are one or two of your biggest wins as a company since launch?

We recently hit 4,000 couples on Our Day and 850 vendor partners.

What advice do you have for new founders with all that you've learned?

You’ll get rejected - whether an investor or prospective clients, get ready for a lot of “no’s!”  I remember starting to seed fundraise and thinking “my idea is awesome, we have a proof of concept and great traction, we are making revenue, we have a plan, investors will flock.”  It was harder than I thought, but the struggle made successful deals all the more sweet! Shake it off and keep moving forward. 

Your original product/business model will transform, and that’s a good thing - as a founder you should relentlessly listen to the market. Constantly listen to feedback (some helpful, others not - see next point) and adapt your product.  Don’t be stubborn!

You’ll get a lot of opinions…go with your gut - you’ll get tons of feedback from all directions - investors, clients, vendors…parents… guy at the corner store. You and your team are closest to the business and have to pick which advice to take. Getting constructive feedback is a beautiful thing, you just need to take what you need and know what to leave.

Marketing is expensive, get creative - most start-ups won’t have a massive marketing budget from the start. Leverage cost effective ways to spread the word - launch an affiliate program, start your SEO strategy NOW, invest time in your organic socials.

Surround yourself with people you trust - I was a solo founder for the first 18 months and brought on a COO 6 months ago and am SO thankful that I did.  Having a strong team support system is critical for the (many) ups and downs of a start-up.  In addition to our COO, Our Day has a phenomenal development team, socials organizer, and vendor experience team that has helped bring us to the next level.  Don’t be afraid to delegate - it is critical to your success.