Famed bridal expert says 'Yes' in new inspirational book

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. - “How soon are you going to retire?”

With that one question, business owner and television star Lori Allen says she realized she needed to share an important message with women over the age of 50: “You still matter.”

That message forms the basis of Allen’s new book, Say Yes to What’s Next: How to Age with Elegance and Class While Never Losing Your Beauty and Sass, just released yesterday.  Allen is best known to audiences from the hit TLC show “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta,” which premiered in 2010 — but she’s been in the bridal business far longer than the show’s been on the air.  Opening Bridals by Lori immediately after graduating from South Carolina’s Columbia College, Allen quickly became a sought after expert in bridal couture; her 25,000-square-foot store in Sandy Springs is now one of the largest of its kind in the nation.

Allen says she was inspired to write her new book following a conversation with a customer, during which Allen was asked about retiring; Allen says with the book, she wanted to speak directly to women aged 50 and older, a group she says is often “invisible” in society. Topics covered in the book including parenting, financial literacy, and Allen’s own experiences as a breast cancer survivor.

For more information on Say Yes to What’s Next, click here.  And click the video player in this article to check out our morning exploring Bridals by Lori, and catching up with the author herself!