From Madison Avenue to Military Highway to North Main Street, Maya Holihan has come a long way in the bridal business.

She worked her way up from working for Vera Wang’s New York store to owning her own location in Norfolk. This week, her ultimate goal of owning a small-town boutique comes true with the opening of Maya Couture on Main.

“The first time I came to downtown, I was pretty much sold,” she said Tuesday after cutting a ribbon in front of racks full of white and ivory gowns.

The new boutique at 147 N. Main St., sandwiched between a bakery and fitness studio, is a far cry from Holihan’s inaugural job in the bridal industry. After working for renowned designer Vera Wang, Holihan moved to Norfolk in 2003 with “big dreams to open a bridal salon and no money,” she said.

She started working for Tiffany’s Bridal in Norfolk, and within six months had an offer from the owners to buy the store. Tiffany’s by Maya was born on Oct. 1, 2004, and the name of the Military Highway store changed to Maya Couture in 2007.

It stocks hundreds of gowns from several labels, but Holihan’s dream of owning a small boutique still hadn’t come true. Her manager, Suffolk resident Misty Prewitt, had a suggestion. She wrote up a 17-page business plan for the new location, but all it took was a trip downtown for Holihan.

“The more I come here, the more I love it,” she said. The new location had a long run as an antiques store, then a short stint as a hobby shop, before Holihan saw it.

The new boutique will sell store models of designs that have been discontinued that brides can buy off the rack. Previously, Maya Couture worked with consignment shops to sell these dresses, but there were some problems with that, Holihan said.

“You don’t have price control, and they donate everything that doesn’t sell,” she said.

The new boutique will also cater to brides who want a more intimate setting than the Norfolk store but still want the service.

“There are a lot of brides, for whatever reason — whether it’s time, budget or convenience — they just want to buy a gown and call it a day,” Holihan said.

Ideally the two Maya Couture stores will work together and feed off each other, Holihan said.

“Our goal is that there’s synergy between the two stores,” she said.

Both Holihan and Prewitt will split their time between the Suffolk and Norfolk locations. The Suffolk boutique is open Tuesday through Saturday.

Holihan said she has Prewitt to thank for helping her complete her goal.

“She was brilliant,” she said. “She brought us into a market where we had almost zero visibility, and she works like she owns the business. People like me who actually own businesses die for people like her.”