F Cubed Entrepreneur Series: Kellee Khalil, Founder and CEO of Lover.ly
When Kellee Khalil attempted to help plan her sister’s wedding a few years ago, she was blown away by the inefficiency of the $50 billion wedding industry that hadn’t kept up with the digital age. It was one thing to be her sister’s maid of honor; quite another to make sense of all the vendors, retailers and design options with no one-stop-shop resource. That’s when Lover.ly, the first bridal search engine, was born. Kellee, an LA native, moved to New York City, invested every dime she had ever saved, and launched the company in February 2012. Lover.ly users now view over 40 million images each month and have “loved and bundled” over 400 million wedding details and counting.
Many VCs indicate that management is the most important factor taken into consideration when making investment decisions. There is no better example of this than Kellee, who came to F Cubed with just an idea, but whose passion and infectious personality attracted the financial backing of many. Kellee’s vision and perseverance, combined with her innate business and operational intelligence, are the key factors driving her company’s success. Lover.ly was the first company that Female Founders Fund invested in, and now Kellee is the first entrepreneur to open up in the F Cubed Entrepreneur Series.
How did you come up with the idea for Lover.ly?
While working in the bridal industry and simultaneously helping my sister plan her wedding in 2010, I experienced firsthand the difficulty of making a wedding come to life. Scouring hundreds of retailers, blogs and vendor sites, I became frustrated by the inability to search wedding ideas, shop products and hire vendors in one place. After moving to New York City and immersing myself in the NY tech community, I fully committed to solving the bridal search problem.
Who ultimately pushed you to make the leap to pursue your idea?
[Angel Investor] Joanne Wilson. I persistently reached out to her as a networking opportunity. The day she decided to invest was the day I knew I was building something great.
What do you consider your “big break”?
Mashable covering Lover.ly the week after we launched. That was huge! Another big break, which provided confirmation of our concept and success, was our $3.5 million Series A funding in November 2014 from Great Oaks Venture Capital, 645 Ventures, SoftBank Capital, Montage Ventures, Female Founders Fund, and angel investors, including Joanne Wilson, mentioned above.
What’s been your biggest obstacle in growing the company?
Initially, it was getting the “no” from investors. If you’re not passionate and totally clear on your vision, the “no”s can deter you, but I never gave up on my dream and on the my belief in the viability of this company.
What differentiates Lover.ly from the competition?
Lover.ly is the wedding planning one-stop-shop where couples can find and save inspirations, potential contractors/planners and items to purchase. Today, Lover.ly has a combined reach of 3.5 million across its site, blogger network, mobile and social platforms; users view approximately 40 million images a month and can shop over 250,000 products from 2,500+ brands and retailers.
Additionally, we recently entered the ecommerce space via the launch of “The Loverly Collection.” We saw an opportunity in leveraging the proprietary search data we collected as it provided insight into our brides’ preferences. We were not only intrigued by what our users were searching for, but also by what they weren’t finding. Additionally, we realized that as part of our goal to streamline and invigorate the wedding planning process, Lover.ly became recognized as a brand that brides love and trust. We drew on these two factors — our search and discovery data and brand equity — in the creation of our collection. Our exclusive line of products, which includes bridesmaids dresses, floral arrangements and décor, is meant to fulfill the needs of the millennial bride who isn’t available to find what she wants anywhere else. Eva Franco designed our first line of bridesmaids and little white dresses, and other partners include H. Bloom, Morgann Hill and Wedding Paper Divas. We are so excited by this new avenue of growth and brand extension.
What’s your favorite part of being an entrepreneur?
Working with my team to build a powerful platform that has forever changed, and will continue to change, the wedding planning landscape.
What’s the most important trait you look for in an employee?
They need to have drive and the ability to wear multiple hats at the same time. In the startup world, everyone has to contribute, and sometimes that means taking on more than one role in the company.
How do you define your company culture?
Casual, yet passionate and focused. We’re laid back office but we’re very clear on our vision. Everyone on our 17-person team is dedicated to building and bettering Lover.ly.
Editor note: As a testament to Kellee and her team’s commitment to Lover.ly’s growth and to Lover.ly’s company culture, Kellee vowed to get a tattoo of the Lover.ly logo once they reached 1 million unique views. A few days later, in the fall of 2014, Kellee and four of her team members went to the tattoo parlor.
F Cubed Entrepreneur Series’ 9 Personal Insights
Which 3 apps can’t you live without?
Hotel Tonight, Houzz and Lover.ly, of course!
What’s your favorite NYC power lunch spot?
Freeman’s.
What do you do to stay mentally and physically fit?
Yoga! It’s relaxing and is great exercise.
How do you start your day?
If I can, I try to get in a quick yoga session. Then I grab a cup of coffee and head into the office.
What other start-up are you excited about?
I love ClassPass. I get to attend discounted exercise classes in any neighborhood all over the city. It’s the best way to test out a pilates or yoga studio without the commitment.
What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken?
Investing all of my savings to start Lover.ly.
Who’s on your dream invite list for a dinner party?
Angela Ahrendts.
Guilty pleasure?
Burrata cheese from Eataly.
What’s the best advice you’ve gotten?
“Never give up.”
Contribution by: Claire Burke
