Bride Guide

By Anna Grace Moore

Growing up in Mountain Brook, Mary Glenn McElveen woke up every morning ready to conquer the day in style. From strutting her high school’s hallways to making statements at social activities, Mary Glenn’s time spent curating her own style has contributed to her reputation as a stylist and tastemaker in her hometown.

“I remember as a little girl playing dress up,” she explains. “It was my creative outlet. Honestly, that hasn’t stopped in my life. Now, everyday style really is a part of who I am today. I feel like this is where I thrive.”

Being fashion forward, she says, has evolved in meaning to her over time. Now, it’s about accentuating her clients’ confidence by helping them feel the most like themselves in what they wear. Why? Because when one feels like a more “elevated” version of herself, she stands a little taller, walks more confidently and acts with purpose.

After graduating from Mountain Brook High School, Mary Glenn attended the University of Alabama, eventually earning a degree in marketing. Through her classes she learned the importance of selling her talents, whether this was through social media or the way she presented herself in fashion and design. This prompted her to spend the next few years styling houses and curating her taste inside the closet and throughout the home.

Around this time, girls that Mary Glenn had been helping style since they were high schoolers started getting engaged and needing Mary Glenn’s help for life’s more memorable moments. This sparked the realization that her clients and community had styling needs that she could meet more full-time.

“With my background being in the design world, [I formed] a lot of client-based relationships,” she says. “I’ve always been able to connect with people, really understanding their needs.”

This simple request soon snowballed into what is now Mary Glenn’s own business, M.G. Style. Boasting more than 35,000 Instagram followers, M.G. Style is one of Birmingham and the greater area’s premier styling companies. Mary Glenn focuses on dressing clients for travels, galas, everyday “looks” and more.

Here, with wedding fever in the air, Mary Glenn offers her expertise in how to dress a bride for her anticipated wedding festivities.