“Every single traditional bank told me no when I scheduled meetings and presented my business plan,” Cleary said. “SNAP was really the only financial institution locally that took me seriously.”
CASSIE CLEARY, Owner – Honest & Ivory Bridal Shop & SNAP Client
CASSIE CLEARY’S JOURNEY TO SUCCESSFUL BRIDAL SHOP OWNER
SPOKANE, Wash. — Cassie Cleary didn’t always dream of opening a bridal boutique. But when she and her friends had to travel to Seattle to find modern, unique wedding gowns, she saw an opportunity—one that Spokane was missing.
“I started being really interested in the idea of a small, women-focused boutique when I was in grad school,” Cleary said. “I worked at a prom dress store, and they started dabbling in wedding dresses. Then, when I was 26, all my friends were getting married, and we were traveling to Seattle for the kind of dresses and experience we just couldn’t find in Spokane. I had so many ideas, and I didn’t even know I had those types of ideas. I just felt like I could create something so specific that didn’t exist here yet.”
With a vision for a modern, welcoming bridal boutique, Cleary started researching and writing a business plan. But when she approached traditional banks for funding, she kept hearing “no.”
““Every single traditional bank told me no when I scheduled meetings and presented my business plan,” Cleary said. “SNAP was really the only financial institution locally that took me seriously. They understood that yes, I was a very young, first-time entrepreneur, but I had an extremely solid idea, and I had really put in the work to prove that.”
With a small business loan and mentorship from SNAP Financial Access, Cleary opened Honest in Ivory in 2018. Today, the boutique is one of the most sought-after bridal destinations in Spokane, winning accolades like The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame, WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards, and Inlander’s Best Bridal Shop
Cleary grew up in Spokane’s Five Mile Neighborhood and attended Mead High School before heading to Washington State University for college. “Go Cougs!” she said, laughing.
She pursued a career in speech-language pathology, later earning a graduate degree in the field. But while working in that profession, she couldn’t ignore her growing passion for the bridal industry.
While Cassie Cleary helps Spokane brides find their dream dresses, she has her own love story, too.
She met her husband, Thomas, while working as a summer camp counselor at Camp Reed. Their friendship grew into something more, and they started dating in college.
“We were together all through grad school, and then when I opened Honest in Ivory, we got married on the business’s first anniversary,” she said.
While Cleary has built a thriving bridal business, her husband has an entirely different career.
“He is a patent agent. So, he writes patents. And he’s very nerdy,” she said with a smile. “When he walks in here, he thinks it’s one big locker room that men aren’t allowed in. He gets very nervous, grabs a mimosa, and heads straight to the back room.”
She takes pride in the fact that her business is entirely her own.
“He is 0% involved in the business, which I’m very proud of,” she said. “I’ve done this completely independently.”
Together, they are raising two children in Spokane, with their third baby due in May.
Located in a converted warehouse at 123 E. Sprague Ave., Honest in Ivory is anything but a traditional bridal shop. The industrial-chic space contrasts beautifully with the delicate laces and flowing tulle of the dresses inside, offering a shopping experience that feels intimate, modern, and personal.
“Wedding dress shopping is unlike any other type of shopping because it’s not just about the product,” Cleary explained. “It’s largely about the experience. It’s a core memory. And when somebody says yes and finds their dream dress, it is honestly unlike any other moment.”
Just two years after opening Honest in Ivory, Cleary saw another gap in the market—this time, in affordable bridal wear.
“2020 hit, and that’s when we started seeing the impact of COVID on the wedding industry,” she said. “We were seeing a lot of canceled weddings, or brides completely pivoting from massive ceremonies to smaller ones. That’s when we started getting calls—brides asking if they could consign their dresses, or looking for a second, more affordable dress.”
That’s when Cleary launched Dearly Consignment, Spokane’s first dedicated bridal consignment boutique.
“In my first location, there was a little 900-square-foot spot that opened up,” she said. “So, I turned it into what I branded like the funky little sister store—great prices, funkier styles, and a way for brides to find something beautiful without the long wait times.”
Now, Dearly Consignment has grown into an equally large part of her business, giving brides more options and making sustainable shopping a bigger part of Spokane’s bridal industry.
Over the years, hundreds of brides have said “yes” to the dress at Honest in Ivory and Dearly Consignment. While Cleary doesn’t work one-on-one with customers as much as she used to, she still remembers her first 200 brides vividly.
“I was in the trenches doing the appointments and doing the ordering,” she said. “Even when they come to our anniversary parties in the summer, I can perfectly remember them and their dress.”
Some stories stand out more than others, the emotional ones.
“We just recently had a bride who had purchased with us in my first year of business. Then, her partner was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away,” Cleary shared. “Four years later, she met someone new—her best friend—and was getting married again. She invited her late husband’s mom and sister to the appointment, and they had this beautiful new experience together.”
Even after life changes, some brides return to Honest in Ivory for their second wedding gown, a testament to the boutique’s welcoming environment.
“You’d think they’d want a different experience, but that has happened more than once,” Cleary said. “That’s been really cool.”
Running two successful bridal boutiques is no small feat, but Cleary also balances her personal life and another career.
“Well, what’s funny is that this bridal shop is actually my side hustle,” she joked. “I’m also a part-time speech and language pathologist. I still work at a clinic every week—although I just started maternity leave for that part of my life.”
Cleary credits much of her success to investing in her employees.
“The number one thing I have learned over the years is to build a really strong team,” she said. “I’ve hired and trained other staff to run the business just as I would. A lot of my managers have expressed interest in this being a career for them, so I love growing their roles—offering management training, buying trips, and bigger opportunities.”
Honest in Ivory’s success has been recognized throughout the industry, but Cleary is still processing it all.
“These are milestones that I didn’t think I would hit until my 10th or 15th year of business,” she said. “So, yeah, it’s just kind of unbelievable. I don’t know if that will ever really sink in.”
Despite her success, Cleary has no interest in expanding beyond Spokane.
“I am really obsessed with wanting to make sure this business always feels small and authentic,” she said.
Cleary encourages aspiring entrepreneurs—especially women—to put in the work before making their business public.
“People think business looks flashy and exciting, but you’re not seeing the hundreds of hours of prep and planning,” she said. “Doing all that work in the dark before you announce anything is huge.” And for those seeking funding, she highly recommends SNAP Financial Access.
“SNAP didn’t just give me a loan,” she said. “They believed in me. And that belief made all the difference.”
We would appreciate your support as we provide opportunities to people in need.