Here are a few tips to help you win the bridal market:
- Bridal shows are huge.
- Turn your store into a wedding destination.
- Offer more than just boutonnieres and bouquets.
Why is the Bridal Market a Big Opportunity?
- Weddings are expensive, and the average wedding costs are increasing.
- According to The Knot’s 2019 report, the average wedding in Austin is $27,000.
- If advertising campaigns target brides that have recently become engaged and are planning weddings in the Central Texas area, there is a lot of potential for economic growth both locally and statewide. After all, weddings every year support employment and boost state and local economies.
How to Find Customers (Where They Are Looking)
Finding customers is the most important part of winning the bridal market. This is always true in business, but it’s especially true with wedding vendors because they only have one chance to get the attention of their potential client. They may have a few months to find you through word-of-mouth and social media, or maybe just one day at a trade show. Either way, if you don’t grab them when they’re looking for you, you’ve lost that customer for good.
A good rule of thumb is to think about where your customers are searching for you online and offline. Are they looking on Google? On Pinterest? On WeddingWire and The Knot? Are they asking friends and family who got married recently? Do they look at wedding magazines or go to tradeshows? You should be focusing on those areas first before moving on to other methods.
Now that you’ve developed your brand, it’s time to figure out how to get your product in the hands of customers. However, there are many routes to reach brides, depending on your business and budget. Thanks to wedding websites, such as TheKnot.com and WeddingWire.com, and social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it has never been easier for brides (and vendors) to connect. In addition, there are plenty of traditional avenues you can explore as well—from word-of-mouth referrals from past clients and other vendors alike; print advertising in wedding magazines like Martha Stewart Weddings or Brides magazine; or exhibiting at local bridal shows or events (like The Knot Couture Show).
As a savvy business owner who wants to grow their business successfully by reaching the right customers efficiently, you must be able to focus in on where your market is looking for products like yours.
Weddings are big business, and the Central Texas bridal market is rapidly growing.
By catering to brides and their guests, you can grow your customer base and profits without fail. The wedding industry is booming in Central Texas, as it is throughout the U.S., because of our culture’s changing demographics: Americans are marrying later in life when they have more income to spend on weddings. When a bride visits your store or hires your service, she brings her friends, family members and entire wedding party along for the ride.
Weddings are a big business. It is estimated that the average wedding costs $40,000 or more. According to the Texas Wedding Guide, the average bride will spend $4,000 just on her dress.
In Central Texas, venues like Dripping Springs and Wimberley are becoming wedding central with numerous Airbnb rentals and businesses catering to brides and their families popping up every day. This is great news for small local business owners as more than most people realize.
Think beyond traditional wedding flowers and be creative with offerings
The go-to for brides is boutonnieres, corsages, and bouquets. Not all bridal customers are the same, and thinking of clever uses to utilize their floral spend can go a long way. By thinking beyond this framework, you can open your clients to new possibilities of floral design. Think: ceremony nests and flower walls for taking photos, Smilax hung sweetly around chandeliers, Ruscus lining tables and weaving in between candles. How about these ice sculptures with flowers inside?
The bridal industry helps the economy, and your floral business is a great part of that. To learn how to get started in the wedding floral industry, reach out to austin.info@pikespeakfloral.com.
