About wed2b

The Story of Todd and Jenny Cassidy

From a Personal Frustration to a National Bridal Revolution

Todd and Jenny Cassidy didn't begin their journey in bridalwear - they began, like many couples, with a wedding of their own. But their experience in 2004 left them wondering why finding the dress had to be so difficult, so expensive, and so unnecessarily exclusive. Both had already built successful corporate careers, yet they shared a quiet conviction that they could build something more meaningful, and better, together.

In 2005, that conviction led them to purchase a small, traditional bridal wholesale business, operating two long-established brands supplying wedding dresses to boutiques across the UK and Ireland. Over the next three years, they learned the intricacies and frustrations of the wholesale-to-boutique model. They saw firsthand how layers of cost and inefficiency pushed up prices for brides while limiting choice and accessibility.

From this experience, a new idea began to form: what if beautiful, well-made wedding dresses could be offered directly to brides, without the boutique markup?

When the financial crash of 2008 hit, the timing was far from ideal, but Todd and Jenny saw opportunity in constraint. In early 2009, with little capital but a strong sense of purpose, they launched Wedding Dress Factory Outlet: a simple, bold concept offering off-the-peg designer-quality dresses for at least 50% less than traditional boutiques. With a very small Google advertising budget (money they barely had), they opened a small store in Burbage, Leicestershire, trading just five hours every Saturday.

To their delight (and relief), brides came from all over the country - and word spread quickly that affordable could still mean beautiful.

Over the next few years, Todd and Jenny built a loyal following and a growing reputation for exceptional value and service. They introduced their first designer label, Anna Sorrano, offering timeless, classic styles, followed by Viva Bride, a brand inspired by fairytale glamour. Expansion followed naturally: a second store opened in Bromley, Kent in 2012, and a third in Bolton, Greater Manchester in 2013.

By 2014, what began as a single-store experiment born of frustration and faith had evolved into a thriving multi-site retail brand - one that had proven a deep market appetite for change in bridal retail. That year, private equity investment was secured to accelerate the next stage of growth, marking the beginning of a new chapter for Todd and Jenny and the business that would soon become wed2b.