Monte Durham is the owner of Salon Monte located in historic Old Town Alexandria. He may be best known as the fashion director on the TLC hit show Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta.
Monte also has hosted TLC Say Yes to The Prom initiative for the past 15 years, traveling across the country making prom more accessible for students with mentorship, dresses, tuxes, and styling dedicated to providing a once in a lifetime experience.
A native of a small-town in West Virgina, Monte describes his ascension from a one-room schoolhouse to the fashion industry an unlikely story. Before he found his way to bridal, Monte worked in the fashion merchandising and hair styling, making a name for himself as a Washington, DC based bridal image consultant. His work appeared in the pages of The Washingtonian, Gladys, Martha Stewart Living, Brides Magazine, and several other publications. Monte's no-nonsense fashion commentary and sense of humor have made him a favorite and regular guest on Fox and CNN.
Monte's Current project is building the M.O.N.T.E brand with a line of wedding gowns and a hair care, a collection of five essential hair products simplifies styling so everyone can achieve salon-quality results at home or while traveling.
He resides in Alexandria, Virginia where he devotes his free time to volunteering with Hospice, The Welsh Terrier cares Rescues, The USO and The First Ladies Museum.
You can follow Monte on Instagram, TheRealMonteDurham
Anna Kelly is a political communicator, rescue dog “mom,” and fourth-generation DC resident. Anna has been involved with the Miss America Opportunity for 20 years, including two years as a Miss DC contestant, placing first runner-up in 2024. The skills she obtained through the program have been critical to her professional development, including her current role as Deputy Press Secretary at the White House. She was formerly Communications Director for a Wisconsin gubernatorial campaign, Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), and the Republican Party of Wisconsin. Anna holds a Master of Professional Studies in Political Management from George Washington University and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Auburn University.