From trying on wedding gowns, to choreographing engaging dance sequences, we asked these bridal stylists to tell us how they decided to promote their bridal shops on Instagram in a fun way and exciting way, and the many reactions they have received.
Bridal Shop Owner, Marie Bernal from “Marie Bernal Fashion” in Wetzlar, Hessen
Marie Bernal (left) with daughter Sara Pardo
Why Instagram?
My lovely bridal consultants actually put on wedding dresses while I was not in the store. I was very surprised to discover this on my return, but in a short amount of time later, I was also wearing a dress. That day my daughter Sara saw me in a wedding dress for the first time and said enthusiastically to me, “Mom, please do this more often”. Since then, I’ve been putting on gowns almost every day. It costs me a lot of time, but I always look forward to exchanging ideas with the followers who are looking at the photos, videos and stories.
Reactions:
The many positive messages and comments about me really surprised me! I did not expect that. Especially in the beginning, the kind words encouraged me to put on wedding dresses regularly and to show them online. I can’t say for sure whether my presentation of the gowns contributed to the increased interaction with Instagram users. I think it was and still is the mix of different content that makes people want to reach out to us.
Social media in times of the pandemic:
Even before the pandemic, I was active in various networks. During the first lockdown, my smartphone screen time increased significantly. That was also because the fashion store “Marie Bernal Fashion”, which we took over in January 2020, an Instagram account was added. Still, I’m not online 24 hours a day since there are of course other things in life that I want to take time for.
Personal favorite:
I don’t have any because I love them all! For me it is only important that the style of dress harmonizes with the person wearing it. I wore a princess model to my wedding when I was 23 years old. At that time, it matched my personality. Today I would choose a different style that is more consistent with who I am now.
Bridal Shop Owner, Henning Jürgensen from “Laue Festgarderobe” in Tellingstedt, Schleswig-Holstein
Why Instagram?
We felt that after a while, many people became tired of the daily, mostly negative news and coverage of the pandemic. That’s why we wanted to spread more joy and confidence with our videos. Giving up was never an option for us, so instead we looked for new ways to stay active and present to our customers. Even before the crisis, we were well on our way in the online sector and regularly used various channels successfully. The creation of the dance sequences was so much fun within the team that everything was filmed smoothly and in a short amount of time.
Reactions:
Fortunately, the reactions of our followers were consistently positive and we were amazed that the response from TikTok and Instagram was so great in relation to our reach at the time.
Social media in times of the pandemic:
We were also very active in the social media area before the pandemic, so that we were actually less present during the shop closure than before. But we tried out new formats such as home shopping in the form of live videos, which was also very well received. We also used the channels to inform our customers quickly and that also worked well. For example, when it was announced that we would be allowed to reopen, we were able to make many appointments very quickly and were booked out in the bridal department on the first Saturday after reopening.
Personal favorite:
My personal favorite style has been the Boho style for a few years now. I love nature weddings in the open air, and this style goes best with that.
Bridal Shop Owner, Mareike Seifert from “donna-fashion Fritzlar” in Fritzlar, Hessen
Why Instagram?
When starting with Instagram stories, I had in no way thought about slipping into the wedding dresses myself since I am not the type who likes to be the center of attention or even be in front of the camera. I felt very uncomfortable with the first attempts. And since I am a perfectionist, I wanted to bring this perfection into the videos. However, this was a good idea.
Over time, I became more aware that it is not about perfection but rather emotion, and you can present yourself as you are for the photos or videos. Authenticity is always best. This has been very positively reflected towards me and my co-worker through Instagram.
These positive reactions from our followers have totally strengthened me and gradually relieved me of the fear of being in front of the camera myself. Now I’m really looking forward to filming and we have so much fun with it. We never run out of ideas and keep coming up with something funny every time. Maybe there will be a post with all the blooper outtakes soon.
Reactions:
The reactions of our followers have been totally positive. Over time, we received more and more inquiries about the dresses presented! Many of the followers came to the shop during the pandemic for consultation appointments in order to try on these dresses exactly, and a large part of them we were able to turn them into happy brides.
In the meantime, our followers are increasingly asking for ideas about individual dress styles and advice.
The interactions increased significantly, which we can evaluate from the statistics. Furthermore, our sales radius has expanded even further.
Social media in times of the pandemic:
Since the first lockdown, we have stepped up our own personalized advertising activity in order to present to our followers and potential customers, and to show that we are here, and are going through this difficult time together. We made a conscious decision to introduce gowns to our followers personally instead of posting pictures or videos from our labels. To show our presence, convey emotions and excitement was our goal! That has worked wonderfully to this day. We are happy and grateful that we were able to generate so many appointments with it.
Personal favorite:
I don’t have this “ONE” favorite style. Every style has its charms. The right bride in the right dress. It still gives me goose bumps up until today!
Bridal Shop Owner, Tatjana Schlössl from “GANZ IN WEISS” in Kaufering, Bavaria
Why Instagram?
I’m always looking for something new. Due to my previous jobs as a model and for bridal wear, at some point I thought I would actually try the gowns out on myself.
Reactions:
The reactions from the followers were very positive. I had a lot of fun doing it too. I think every girl has fun trying out beautiful clothes. It was clear to see that stories and feeds were rewarded with “Like” much more often than in the past.
Social media in times of the pandemic:
We were very well represented on social media channels right from the start. Due to COVID, we also had to close our shop at times. In order to keep our customers’ attention, we used videos to present dresses to keep the conversation going.
Personal favorite:
My personal favorite styles are of course, boho and glamorous mermaid dresses. Two very different styles but still very beautiful variants.
Bridal Shop Owner, Elena Wolf from “Bridal Studio Karben by Elena” in Karben, Hessen
Elena Wolf (left) with future bride
Why Instagram?
I wanted more authenticity on Instagram. Hardly any women fit into the typical model measurements, which is why it was all the more important for me to present the gowns on myself or on my employees. I want to come across as authentic by posting pictures and videos without much image editing.
At the same time, trying on the gowns helps us to sell. We know every dress and can therefore perfectly assess which dress is suitable for which woman. So it’s a win-win situation.
Of course, we don’t miss out on having fun with it either. What woman does not dream of her perfect dress? And we have the opportunity to wear the gowns every day. Producing content often takes some time, and it is not uncommon for us to laugh out tears until the video is perfect. It’s important to not only to show beauty in pictures or videos, but the videos should make the followers smile as well. So our new commercial in cooperation with a men’s ballet, it is also very entertaining.
Reactions:
The reactions and feedback from the followers are consistently positive. We receive a lot of nice messages from followers almost every day. We often receive requests and suggestions for new content.
Our funny videos reflect the atmosphere in my shop. It should be like a “try-on” amongst friends. Often times we get feedback through Instagram that our customers have the feeling they already know us. As a result, the ice is already broken when you try on a gown and a feel-good atmosphere is automatically created.
Since I almost exclusively post pictures and videos of myself and my team from the start, I have no comparison of how the interactions with other photos would be. For me it is the right way to go, even if the manufacturer’s pictures often look more professional. But who is perfect, customers should identify with our pictures.
Social media in times of the pandemic:
My activity on social media has definitely increased due to the pandemic. It gave me the opportunity to make my business better known and reach out to my target group in a targeted manner. Our hands were tied in a lot of things, but social media gave me the opportunity to stay in the minds of potential customers.
Our target group is out and about on social media every day, including when searching for a wedding dress. Followers are inspired and in the best case scenario, you can identify with our bridal shop’s message. The many lovely comments from the followers encouraged me to keep coming up with something new.
In addition to the regular contributions, reels and stories, we organized an online fashion show and Insta-Live Shopping. New situations require new actions. Shooting the videos helped me through the difficult time of lockdown. Distraction from the many worries and bad thoughts. I was able to forget everything for a short time. Laughter is simply the best medicine.
Personal favorite:
My favorite style is the fit and flare style. The style ingeniously flatters the curves of a woman. The dresses look elegant and at the same time a little seductive. In combination with a deep back and a breathtaking train, the WOW factor is guaranteed.
Elena Wolf Image Sources: www.amw-photography.de, www.linda-roth-fotografie.de
We’d like to thank everyone who shared their views and experiences with Bridal Times!