What a Girl Needs
Doing business with the bride-to-be requires outstanding service and products that please. A retailer's best friend is the happy bride who tells all her friends.
By Bessie Nestoras -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 4/1/2001
Weddings are getting bigger," said Eddie Martinez, the owner of A Wedding Gallery, in Coral Gables, Florida. "Very rarely do we get an order for 75 invitations. Last year, weddings were small, now everybody is having a big wedding-more than 150 guests." April Harden-Barnes, the owner of Wedding Essentials, in Dallas, agreed that over the last year there have been a lot of brides who had large weddings. However, she believes that there are many women still opting for smaller affairs. She has also found that destination weddings, where the bridal party heads off to a resort or some other location for the nuptials, are becoming more popular.
Regardless of the size or the location of the wedding, the events leading up to the big day can be stressful for any bride, no matter how organized she may be. As a bridal retailer, your job is to help make life a little easier for her by offering outstanding service and the latest in gifts, decorations, and favors. In most cases, it's the bride's first wedding, so she'll be expecting your knowledge and experience to guide her.
Getting the Word Out
Unless the bride-to-be already knows about your store, she's not going to find you if don't get the word out about the services and products you offer. Attending bridal shows, hosting special events, and building relationships with other vendors in the bridal market are good ways to promote your store.
"In our town there are companies that put on bridal shows and fairs," explained Harden-Barnes. "We set up a booth and take as many items as we can to give girls a sampling of what we carry."
Martinez organizes special events that include other vendors. Every Thursday he keeps his store open until 7:30 p.m. "We call it Event Planning Thursdays," he said. "We have a DJ who comes in and talks to the brides. We'll also have a cake maker come in. It's a way to attract brides to our shop and guide them a little in terms of planning their wedding. That way we become a one-stop shop." Martinez also pointed out how important it is to choose your vendor partners carefully. "You don't want to be associated with a shop that is known for bad service," he said.
Regular mailings are also important. "We attract brides by constantly sending out postcards," explained Martinez. Harden-Barnes agreed that sending out frequent mailings is very important, but she stresses that the materials have to be appealing and look professional. "I put a lot of money into printing. Presentation is very important. If I'm impressed with the way it looks then I'll go to the shop," said Harden-Barnes.
Keeping Product Current
Once the bride is in your store, one sure way to keep her there is to offer her a wide range of attractive product. Martinez shops three months in advance of each season to make sure he has the product his store needs. "Brides are looking for things that are different. If it's something that's been done before, then they want it done in a different way. Like personalizing product, which is big with brides these days. A popular item for us is handmade paper cones that can be personalized. They are used for holding rose petals to throw instead of rice."
Harden-Barnes buys weekly in an attempt "to keep my product current. Trends come and go pretty quickly," she explained. "The bigger the selection and the more variety, the bigger the sales. Brides won't want to go [to other stores] because they're seeing everything here." According to Harden-Barnes, today's wedding accessory styles "are more sleek-looking. They have a more classic look, not a lot of lace or ruffles anymore. And silver and platinum are very popular colors-from the bridesmaid's dresses to the jewelry."
The Bridal Shower
One of the first pre-wedding day events is the bridal shower, which is usually thrown by the mother of the bride and the bridesmaids. During the planning for the bride's nuptials and other events, this is probably the only occasion in which you will not be dealing with the bride herself.
The bridal shower is changing. "It used to be that they were held in the home," said Harden-Barnes. "Now people are going to country clubs, restaurants, and tearooms. So, decorations are changing because of the locations. People will buy centerpieces to decorate as opposed to lots of decorations. You don't have to do a whole lot anymore."
Not doing a whole lot can be as simple as creating centerpieces by filling teacups with dried flowers. In fact, anything floral is selling. "Flowers are very important when it comes to decorating, especially dried flowers," explained Martinez. "Another popular shower item is sachet bags filled with Jordan almonds," he added.
Attendant Gifts
These days, brides are much more creative when gifting attendants. Gone are the days when the bride bought one generic gift and gave it to the entire bridal party. Now, she's looking at the individual and giving something with a personal touch. Jewelry is what she often chooses for her female attendants. Harden-Barnes noted, "I have learned over the last year that 90 percent of brides buy their attendants jewelry."
If you carry jewelry in your store, be sure to offer a variety of pieces. If your bride is thinking about giving her attendants necklaces, for instance, suggest that she buy pieces with the same colors but set in different styles to match each girl's personality. Another way to present a jewelry gift, according to Harden-Barnes, is to offer jewelry and trinket boxes engraved with the recipient's initials.
It's always more difficult to find appropriate gifts for the male attendants, of course. But for the smokers among the group, cigar accessories-trimmers, holders, etc.-make a very masculine gift. Manicure kits and travel kits are other choices.
The Big Day
With all the gifts, the gowns, and the catering taken care of, the final touches are the decorations at the ceremony itself. The color scheme is crucial. While white and ivory remain the basic colors at most weddings, "brides will add a color to that," said Martinez. "If there's a season coming up, we'll color coordinate. If it's Christmas, we'll incorporate hunter green into the mix." When setting up your displays, mix in seasonal colors to suggest different decorating schemes.
No matter how many weddings you've worked on, every bride wants hers to be special. You can make that happen by letting her know that she is your most important client and by providing outstanding service and a range of interesting products. As Eddie Martinez noted, "If there's anything that brings people to your store, it's the recommendation of a happy bride."
