Splurge or Purge? Bridal Companies Adjust to a Changing Market
Replace the flower girl with a labradoodle. Slash the guest list by 100. Book the venue for a weekday. Roll in food trucks in lieu of a multicourse sit-down meal. Ditch the designer heels for customized Converses or well-worn cowboy boots.
These are just some of the wedding day cost-cutters that brides-to-be are making, according to Kelly Cook, chief marketing officer and IT officer at David’s Bridal, which has 300 stores in North America and the U.K.
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The major change underfoot is how brides are feeling a lot of economic pressure right now and are revising their plans. But no matter what, the wedding dress and the honeymoon are not being sacrificed, based on consumer surveys.
“Everything else is completely on the table,” said Cook, adding that $700 is the right price for a wedding dress for many shoppers.
With 2.6 million weddings expected to take place this year nationwide, some of those couples are among the ones who had to postpone their nuptials due to the pandemic. In 2020, 63 percent of engaged couples had to temporarily shelve their plans.
Just as millions of people have become more comfortable attending weddings, the bridal industry is revved up for this week’s market in New York. Numerous resources are planning presentations and shows including Reem Acra, who will debut her “Sweet Dreams” collection atop the Instagram-friendly Summit One Vanderbilt — New York City’s fourth-tallest skyscraper at 1,401 feet. The ever-hospitable designer Lela Rose will present her latest bridal collection at a cocktail party. Acknowledging small businesses’ struggles and community-building of the past two years and inspired by “The Wizard of Oz,” The Knot’s annual gala Monday night was expected to attract 1,000 people and played up such themes as courage, love and the wicked.
Weddings are back “in a major way” and “fabulous” outfits are needed for the multiple events such as the welcome party, rehearsal dinner, ceremony and after party, according to Rose. Shoppers can peruse her bridal collection at her New York atelier that opened this year and at the company’s Dallas flagship bridal boutique. The fall 2023 collection will feature “several new festive looks” that the company “will be working toward making available without the constraints of a traditional longer lead time,” Rose said.
One noticeable absence during the bridal market will be a Carolina Herrera collection. The fashion house has decided to exit the bridal business — 45 years after it first offered a bridal collection. Going forward, the company will continue to offer a bridal cocktail collection as part of its ready-to-wear offerings.
Of course, there will be new resources, too. With many brides demanding more options and new labels, One Fine Day Bridal Market will showcase collections from Tuesday through Friday at 450 West 31st Street for buyers. Besa, Bo & Luca, Colby John, Dora Sasu, Helena Kolan, House of Matching Colours, Kate McDonald, Lotus Threads, Maria Farbinni, Sarah Alouache, Sébastien Luke, Divine Atelier, Studio Serravalle, Suzanne Ceremony, Jack Sullivan Bridal, Tara Lauren, Temple by Bo & Luca and Trish Peng are among the collections that will be showcased.
The Ukrainian brand Milla Nova will unveil its 28-style Milla by Lorenzo Rossi collection from Tuesday through Friday at Gary’s Loft. Doing so gives the company the distinction of being the first Ukrainian brand to participate in New York’s bridal market. Founded 20 years ago by sisters Zoryana and Iryna Senyshyn, the company has distribution in 50 countries and has more than 1,000 employees. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Milla Nova started creating protective gear to help the Ukrainian forces and medical workers.
In addition, Sally LaPointe will introduce a 75-piece bridal collection — a first for the New York-based company. Twelve retailers are already scheduled to check out the assortment that is geared for more stylish of-the-moment brides than once-upon-a-time ones. Nicole + Felicia will be showing its bridal collection for the first time in North America. With custom clients globally, flagships in Taipei and Shanghai and distribution in Qatar, China, Singapore, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Macao and Hong Kong, the U.S. is a new territory. Brides-to-be seeking experiential shopping can visit the new Kelly Faetanini flagship collection at 41 Wooster Street.
Other companies, including nonbridal ones, are entering the wedding business tangentially. Olympic figure skater Tara Lipiniski is trying a new gig as host of “Wedding Talk,” which will premiere on Thursday on Chicken Soup for the Soul. She will discuss all things nuptials, including fashion with wedding planner José Rolón and wedding designer Jove Meyer. As a sponsor of the show, Men’s Wearhouse will be featured in three episodes, including one where a same-sex couple sports the label for their destination wedding in Thailand.
Last month Bridal by Eloquii launched and a fall capsule collection will soon debut with seasonal collections to follow. The direct-to-consumer brand offers a wedding wardrobe including bachelorette party and bridal shower attire, something that shoppers had requested in focus groups, according to chief executive officer Mariah Chase.
Despite consumer concerns over inflation and recession, many continue to splurge or maintain their wedding dress budgets. Last year the average wedding dress cost $1,800, based on a survey of 15,000 couples, who married in 2021, by The Knot. Although any remote workers still favor leggings, hoodies and other relaxed styles, brides aren’t abandoning gowns. Ninety-nine percent of respondents, who identify as female, wore a dress for their nuptials. While some brides are opting for vintage styles or resale finds, The Knot’s survey determined that the majority — 93 percent — are investing in new frocks.
Once Peter Langner takes part in the bridal market, the company will be unveiling its soon-to-be modernized showroom on Via Bigil in Milan next month. The company has been gaining ground for its bridal, couture and eveningwear collections. Langner, founder and owner, said via e-mail Friday: “We are remodeling the entire showroom. The palace [the showroom] is from the 17th century and we want to give it a modern look. Our courtyard will stay the same, but the walls, the lights and the windows will all be remodeled.”
Incorporating more sustainable practices continues to be a priority in the company’s design and manufacturing, a company spokesperson said. Upcycling leftover fabrics and using solar power in the workroom are two examples of that.
Anne Barge is also reworking its production. With the opening of an 8,000-square-foot factory in Atlanta, Georgia, Anne Barge is transferring all of the brand’s sampling and some of its production from overseas to its headquarters. The switch will give president and creative director Shawne Jacobs more hands-on oversight of the manufacturing process as well an experienced local staff.
While bridal designers and manufacturers experienced a boom after pandemic safety protocols and travel restrictions loosened last year, the shaky domestic economy is impacting wedding plans for some. In 2019, wedding budgets were in the $19,000 range and that increased to upward of $23,000 as the pandemic improved last year, but now future brides’ financial confidence is waning as wedding costs are hiking up by double-digit percentages each month. “She is telling us that every single vendor for her wedding” has increased their prices with some as much as 20 or 25 percent, well beyond the inflation rate, Cook said.
However beleaguered that might seem, David’s Bridal is optimistic about the months ahead and not just because 40 percent of all engagements typically happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day. Through monthly surveys of 7,000 venues internationally, executives have learned that 52 percent have indicated they have little to no availability for 2023.
“We don’t see the economic conditions improving in the short term. We see her budget pressures and concerns probably staying there. But she will also be building more creative ways to have the dream wedding in the time and the place that she wants,” Cook said.
Targeting underserved markets, modernizing and digitalizing stores, Sandals Resort honeymoon giveaways and lowering opening wedding gown price points to $175 from about $300 are some of the ways David’s Bridal plans to boost sales in the year ahead.
Accessories are another way that some companies are building sales. Pnina Tornai has teamed with Naturalizer to create a limited-run capsule collection that will debut in March. Another alliance is between sustainable fine jewelry and engagement rings brand Vrai and the 88-year-old media resource Brides. The parties linked up for a 14-piece assortment of engagement rings, wedding bands, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings with lab-grown diamonds.
And social media-loving designer Cheval, who was formerly known by her birth name Hayley Paige, will be debuting a shoe line called She Is Cheval on Thursday at the South Street Seaport. For the past few years she has been embroiled in a legal battle with her former employer JLM Couture, the parent company of Hayley Paige Bridal. That dispute inhibits her from designing bridal, but the timing of her footwear debut is noteworthy.
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