Behind the Veil Brides, grooms and their wedding parties are frantically busy and need help fast . . . hey, that's your cue.
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Ah, the flowers. the dresses. the menu. The cake. The registry.So many things to think about when planning a wedding. Withtoday's brides and grooms so often overwhelmed by all that goesinto saying "I do," smart entrepreneurs willing to stepin and relieve the stress are poised to gather some well-earnedprofits.
Entrepreneurs are busting out of the wedding-consultant role(although that's still a big industry) and moving into lesstraditional businesses. These entrepreneurs have recognized whichneeds aren't being met . . . and are stepping right in,starting everything from a Web site for bridesmaids to a weddingchapel in a Minnesota mall.
MaryAnne London found a need when she saw a wedding chapel in astrip mall in Detroit in 1994. "It just caught myimagination," she says. "I figured someone was going todo it in Minneapolis, and I wanted to be that somebody." Shetook the idea for an elegant wedding chapel to the Mall of America,which has a program to help new retailers get their businesses offthe ground. They loaned her fixtures for the store, and, as shesays, "they've been a real partner in the chapel-I couldnot have done it without the right landlord."
New to retailing, London, 54, is a full-time marketingcommunications consultant-she runs the Chapel of Love on the side.But when sales started flattening out two years ago, London wasready for her next challenge: She started selling accessories andapparel for bridesmaids and flower girls-sending sales to more than$500,000 annually for the past two years.
Add-ons are an important component of any bridal business, saysBrian Lawrence, author of the self-published The WeddingExpert's Guide to Sales & Marketing and vice presidentof sales and marketing for Encore Studios, an invitationmanufacturer in Clifton, New Jersey. "[Entrepreneurs] have tothink about the constant pursuit of add-ons," Lawrence says."Contact your existing customers and sell them more."Bridal gifts for bridesmaids and ushers are often last-minutepurchases, as are unique touches for the reception, like icecarvings and little trinkets. "People want something uniqueand different," he continues. "If they get exposed to [acool product], they just [might] go for it."
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Finding a Niche
"Unique" was in the plans of Joanna Dreifus and EllenHorowitz when they founded BridesmaidAid.com in 2000. The idea wasbirthed out of the many experiences Dreifus, 29, and Horowitz, 28,had as bridesmaids. "We realized there were all these weddingWeb sites and there were [virtually] no information sources forbridesmaids," says Dreifus. "And there are so many morebridesmaids [than brides]."
The pair created a Web site with advice for bridesmaids, a listof duties, suggestions for bachelorette parties, wedding cityspotlights, links to wedding stores and a horror story section.Both full-time graduate students, the pair focused on generatingcontent and building a user base. The business side--i.e., themoney to be made from a site that gets over 10,000 hitsdaily--didn't come until recently. Now, says Dreifus,they're crafting a business plan to capitalize on the site andget revenues flowing. A segment on The Today Show and beingpicked as a Yahoo! site of the day have helped to generateexposure. "People want really specific information," saysDreifus. "[Wedding sites often] get caught up in the formal,flowery, syrupy side of things-[people] want specifics."
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More couples are turning to the Web for wedding research andpurchases, according to Lawrence. Other trends in weddings: Peopleare marrying later in life, and wedding consultants are becomingmore common among middle-class couples-not just a luxury for richfolk anymore.
Vincent S. Lipe, owner of Acquisitions Event Management Inc. inSeattle, happened upon another wedding trend: He plans weddings andcommitment ceremonies for same-sex couples, in addition totraditional ceremonies. Finding most of his business throughword-of-mouth, Lipe, 46, happened upon this opportunity at amillennium party he had put together for a client. "A numberof the guests approached me and said, 'We understand you putthis all together--do you do commitment ceremonies and same-sexwedding planning?'" recalls Lipe. "I hadn't doneone, but planning a wedding is planning a wedding."
The best lesson to take away? Whatever type of wedding biz youwant to commit to, serve customers the best way you know how. Asentrepreneurs like Lipe can attest, referrals can make all thedifference.
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Contact Sources
- Acquisitions Event Management Inc.
(206) 622-2317, www.acqevents.com - Chapel of Love Wedding Chapel & BridalBoutique
(952) 854-4656, www.chapeloflove.com
