Brides Increasingly Shop ‘Til They Drop for Gowns
Wedding gown shoppers fall into two camps — the ever-searching and the need it now.
Heading into next week’s pivotal fall bridal market that was the synopsis from a handful of specialists. While some like Becker’s Bridal in Fowler, Mich., and Chic Parisien in Miami have been around since 1934 and 1969 respectively, they are playing up social media and customer service to reel in shoppers. Other resources such as Badgley Mischka and Anne Barge have an array of wholesale bridal offerings and a retail outpost or two. Badgley Mischka has a Beverly Hills boutique and Anne Barge has a store in Atlanta and another one on Madison Avenue in New York City.
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Last year the average retail price of a wedding dress was $2,000, according to the Knot Real Weddings Study, which polled 10,000 brides. While many are adding more personal signatures for their wedding receptions, scaling back the flowers for environmental purposes, and opting for smaller wedding cakes and more desserts, the majority of brides are still wearing dresses. Ninety-eight percent of the survey’s female respondents wore a dress for their nuptials and only 20 percent selected custom ones.
WWD asked bridal specialists about current trends, their business and expectations.
Marissa Rubinetti, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Kleinfeld Bridal
What’s most surprising about how brides are shopping now?
We have seen a growing desire for our VIP shopping experiences, which provide brides with a three-hour time slot, along with additional benefits and extras such as accommodating more guests and complimentary Champagne. We also offer VIP Diamond experiences on Tuesdays, where brides can get the entire salon for just them and their bridal party during their appointments. We also have the all-new Gold Friday appointments which are semi-private. We also continue to welcome brides with shorter lead times. This trend really began a few years ago and spurred the creation of kleinfeldagain.com, an online marketplace for pre-loved or never-worn wedding gowns.
How are you using social media in a way that you haven’t before?
It’s a two-way conversation with our brides. We’ve been testing out a lot of new video content, have had our popular consultants go live on the platforms, and we continually strive to share those happy “Yes” moments as much as possible.
What’s the most popular affordable style and the most popular expensive style?
Kleinfeld’s most popular affordable style is Naomi from Blue Willow by Anne Barge at $2,500 and the most popular expensive one is the 5057 by Pnina Tornai at $12,300.
Where are brides getting their style cues from?
The red carpet remains a key style influencer for bridal fashion, with popular ready-to-wear trends often translating into wedding attire. Brides also draw inspiration from pop culture, social media and celebrity weddings — all of which shape bridal trends for each generation.
Are there any changes that are impacting business?
With the introduction of some new designers into our mix, we’ve successfully captured some higher price points, expanding our market reach. We also have cultivated strong relationships with our partners to ensure we can always offer the most exclusive assortment at competitive prices. This strategy allows us to maintain our position as a premier destination for fashion-conscious consumers while accommodating various budget considerations.
Mark Badgley and James Mischka, cofounders of Badgley Mischka
What’s most surprising about how brides are shopping now?
The most surprising thing for us is how late brides are shopping for their dresses. Even if they are planning the wedding a year out, they are waiting until just a few months before choosing their dresses.
How are you using social media in a way that you haven’t before?
We’re using Instagram more for direct communications with the brides than ever before, and TikTok has been super important for introduction and engagement.
Where are brides getting their style cues from?
Literally everywhere — the challenge (and opportunity) for today’s bride is in editing all of the information that she is overloaded with. The one thing that seems to have less influence than before is the “celebrity” bride. There are so many other visual cues to choose from and make the wedding more personal.
Are there any changes that are impacting business?
With brides making their selections later, and the supply chain issues that we have seen these past few years, it is definitely a challenge. Our major change has been to move our manufacturing to Italy from Asia. It is obviously more expensive, but so much more reliable. Having the confidence that our bride will have her dress on time is priceless.
Shawne Jacobs, creative director and owner of Anne Barge
What’s most surprising about how brides are shopping now?
Brides, who had postponed making purchases in July and August, are returning. This trend stems from brides wanting to be thorough and explore all options before making a decision. We’re also seeing a rise in brides with tight time frames, who require rush orders. For the first time in our company’s history, we have several bestselling styles in multiple sizes available to offer quick rush orders at no charge.
How are you using social media in a way that you haven’t before?
We have started to add more short-form video content to TikTok and Instagram Reels to connect with our audience in a more bite-sized, engaging way. We are also focusing on building a stronger community by having a community manager to respond and engage on all social channels.
What’s the most popular affordable style and the most popular expensive style?
Our most popular affordable style is the Blue Willow by Anne Barge bridal gown, specifically the Naomi design, which retails in the mid-$2,000 price range. Our most expensive style, which has consistently ranked in the top five for several seasons, is the Dream Weaver that retails in the mid-$8,000 price range, especially when paired with the matching bow. (Both styles are offered for immediate deliveries.)
Where are brides getting their style cues?
Brides are increasingly drawing inspiration from social media platforms, particularly TikTok and Instagram influencers for the latest trends and styles. Additionally, many are tuning into ready-to-wear fashion weeks to discover innovative ways to personalize their wedding gowns and wardrobes. There is also a notable rise in brides hiring bridal fashion stylists to help curate their outfits, ensuring a unique and cohesive look for their special day.
Are there any changes that are impacting business?
Pricing has increased, due to the rising costs associated with importing and exporting fabrics, as well as the fabrics themselves. Retailers value our Blue Willow [by Anne Barge] and Anne Barge lines for their quality and consistent price points. However, maintaining these successful price points has become more challenging. I’ve decided to feature one collection per year. The October bridal market will serve as the primary venue for launching our new collection, while the April market will be an opportunity to address any emerging trends and to discuss with retailers which bestselling carryover styles they may need. I also believe our bridal industry can make significant strides in reducing waste associated with producing two collections annually, particularly since many of our retail partners lack the space and budget to accommodate purchases from two bridal markets each year.
Cayla Johnson, brand manager at Becker’s Bridal
What’s most surprising about how brides are shopping now?
They have a desire to keep shopping at several shops to extend the experience. We hear from brides about how special and exciting this process is, despite having fallen in love with a gown on their initial visit. The bridal entourage size is growing too, as many brides want to “event-ize” each and every moment of the engagement period.
How are you using social media in a way that you haven’t before?
We are posting consistently, using current trends to fit our brand, and treating social media as a tool to help our brides feel comfortable with our staff even before stepping foot in the door. Becker’s Bridal is a family-owned business and we strive to make all brides feel part of the family.
What is the most popular affordable style, and the most popular expensive style?
Justin Alexander’s “Lillian West” at $1,999 has the perfect blend of detail, fit and comfort. The most popular expensive style has to be the Haven style from Elizabeth Lee Bridal’s “Haven” style at $5,250. The silhouette is stunning and the hand-painted puff sparkle is a truly one of-a-kind look.
Where are brides getting their style cues from?
Brides are inspired by social media, including popular bridal influencers and celebrity wedding dress styling.
Are there any changes that are impacting business?
It’s unavoidable that wholesale cost of goods, overall business expenses and domestic transportation costs are up, due to global inflation. This means we need to adjust our business budget to accommodate both for wages to match the cost of living, and ways to balance the end price to the consumer. We provide price transparency for our brides through our website and social media channels.
Catherine Fox Milian, owner of Chic Parisien
What’s most surprising about how brides are shopping?
Basically, they are willing to travel anywhere for anything. Obviously, with social media they will see something and chase it until the end of the earth. There is a big trend for second and third looks — their main dress, a party dress and sometimes an after-party dress.
How are you using social media differently?
[Patricia Azze, who handles branding and marketing for the store, said] people connect on social media with much less edited, filtered and uber stylized content. We’ve found that very raw, organic, naturalist content is what people connect with. We’ve been working on a lot more of that in video content. Our salesgirls often try on the dresses so that the brides can see them on the [average] body [versus on a model’s body].
Are there any changes that are impacting business?
The prices for on-site alterations have gone up a little bit just because the cost of living and wages have gone up.
What is the most popular affordable style and the most popular expensive style?
One collection could have 50 styles so it would be more designer-based. Chosen by Kyha has a very stylish, great look for the price. At the higher-end, we do very well with Monique Lhuillier and Mira Zwillinger. The trends come and go. Right now we’re seeing a lot of interest in bows, traditional lace and dropped-waist silhouettes. We also have 40 to 45 styles of minidresses for after parties. I think they like to change for a different look for their pictures. So the fairy tale has the whole story.
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