Bridal Service of America offers a wide variety of wedding planning services. From coordinating vendors to creating timelines, they work hard to make the process as stress-free and easy as possible for soon-to-be-weds.
On a busy week-end noon at the Bridal Mall in Hartford, Connecticut, brides-to-be and their friends and family members coo over tulle. The business appears more like a petting zoo. The store also sells engraved offers, multitiered sweets and floral arrangements, tuxedo-rental outfits for bridesmaids and groomsmen in their choice of colors and tuxedo sizes, and other supplies necessary to organize weddings.
The store’s owners have been able to fend off a few threats, such as those from online retailers, but their biggest issue is a chain called David’s Bridal, which has about 200 stores nationwide and has been greeted by independent bridal retailers with all the enthusiasm that small booksellers have shown them mail order bride toward Barnes & Noble or general stores toward Wal-mart. David’s is the largest retailer of bridal and formal wear in the united states, and accounts for twenty per cent of all American bridal gown sales.
Several bridal shops are having a difficult time putting up a fight with the bigger names, especially in terms of pricing. According to a survey conducted by the national Retail Federation, which found that women spend on their dresses on average$ 650, the average cost of a bridal gown has increased by 30 % over the past ten years. The average cost of a dress at a full-service department store was$ 350, while a dress at a discount store was$ 250.
Offering more solutions and better customer service, which is one of the most popular methods to engage, can be difficult in a highly competitive industry. Numerous bridal shops now provide a complimentary consultation where the consultant discusses the couple’s goals for the big time and takes a close look at her outfits. Some lehenga shops have even embraced technology by offering virtual fittings so brides-to-be may see themselves in the gown before making a ultimate purchase.
In the bridal sector, Pat Mahoney has over 20 years of experience. She is the author of” Wedding Information,” four newspaper sections with advice for brides-to-be, a contributing editor for” One Perfect Day,” a collection of wedding planning guides, and a speaker at American donation and tabletop trade shows. Additionally, she has taught thousands of affiliates in the marriage industry bride courses.
