As many small businesses begin to reopen throughout Germany and many parts of Europe, the positive and encouraging phrases of “Shop Local” and “Support Your Local Businesses” carries more weight than ever before.
As we are all finding ways to give back to our communities and various small businesses in times of hardship, Bridal Times is pleased to share a few tips on how “brides to be”, former clients, family and friends can support their local bridal shop.
The Experience
It’s fair to say that the first thing a newly engaged “Millennial” or “Generation Z” bride does once she has a ring on her finger, is look for her dream dress online. She may even be looking for the “too good to be true” online deal to cut down on wedding day costs. The risks of landing on a fraudulent website, receiving a lower quality gown than expected or even getting the measurements wrong, are unfortunately quite high.
Even if a bride manages to avoid all of these pitfalls, then she would definitely be missing out on the special experience and services offered at a professional bridal shop. Bridal Shops strive to make the bridal shopping experience extra special, listen to the brides needs or concerns and help them find the dress of their dreams all while prosecco in hand. A bride may be paying more for her gown, but she can be sure that she will be receiving a quality gown to match the quality service.
Book Your Appointment
If you are already engaged and plan to wed in 2021. Many 2020 brides have postponed their weddings until 2021, including their bridal gown appointments and this has definitely had an effect on the industry as a whole.
Rule of thumb is to start looking for your wedding gown 6-9 months before the wedding date to calculate order, production, delivery times and fittings. If a bride is looking for a custom-made gown the process can sometimes be longer or last almost up to a year. If brides are unsure or concerned about weight fluctuation issues, she can always get in touch with her local bridal shop for consultation and further information.
Brides will also now have to consider that the “entourage” will no longer be allowed. Some bridals shops are allowing up to 1 special person in a bride’s life while following the regulations in their region to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Retailers may even continue to keep the numbers of guests down in the coming months to avoid the risk of infection.
Social Media Support
Who doesn’t like more followers to their Instagram and Facebook account? Many bridal retailers are thrilled to receive a “Thank You” card in the mail but a positive online review works wonders. “Word of Mouth” goes a long way, so if you’ve had an amazing and memorable experience shopping for your dress, get online…write about it.
Small Gifts and Services
Many bridal retailers carry not only wedding gowns but also meaningful wedding gifts such as jewlery, small wedding day purses, hair accessories, personalized gift box sets, gift cards or “something blue”. If someone special you know is getting married, it wouldn’t hurt to find out what your local bridal shop has to offer.
And the “Shop Local” Wedding chain doesn’t stop there. Your local bridal retailers may even be able to provide names of recommend local services such as dry cleaning, flower shops and decoration, confectionery, venues or even music to help make the wedding day extra super special and local.
Rethink your Refund
Wedding Dress Regret is real. We get it. A bride falls in love with a wedding dress, decides to purchase the gown and doesn’t see the dress for months until the next fitting. Then she starts to think, “I think I might not like the dress anymore.” Brides have even attempted to get a refund using the corona pandemic cancellations as an opportunity to look for something else later.
We have all heard the saying, “Postponed is not Canceled” and if a bride has walked into a bridal shop, was provided a service and appointment, fell in love with the dress and signed the stores “Terms and Conditions”, she is likely to not get a refund.
It’s normal to feel unsure, but once the bride sees the wedding gown again, all the excitement will come rushing back. Once the hair, makeup are all done along with accessoires, most brides remember why they fell in love with the dress in the first place.
All of our hearts go out to those were not able to celebrate their wedding this year.