MemberNot including dresses or shoes, please! What was it that you were looking for and couldn’t find in person & had to order online – a garter? a “Bride” bedazzled sweatshirt? A “MRS & MR” sign for your head table?
Please let me know!! I would really appreciate it, I’m working on a business plan and could really use your input. 🙂
Membercomplete bridal party shirts in a flattering styles (not just your standard unisex shirts) including mothers, flowergirls, maybe even the men Id like to have them its matter if the men will do it lol…. might be out of range for what your asking but, customizable photo ablums ( you mentioned wooden signs I would love a carved wooden photo album)…. cheezy groom gifts like cutsom socks with the date or deisgn embroidered for “cold feet” or just cutesy gifts for anyone that are just for fun. … backdrops to theme …. if I think of more ill be back..
MemberLadyPeacockk: This is exactly the type of stuff I am looking for, thank you!!!
My mom & I are looking at potentially opening a small boutique shop in our area that sells more of the “hard to find” wedding items. Most places in our area sell dresses & shoes, and that’s about it…we’re thinking more cutesy stuff for the entire bridal party & hard to find stuff for the bride (I could not for the life of me find a “To My Mom on My Wedding Day” card, for example…had to order one online, and when I got it…it was teeny and I couldn’t fit my letter in it.
We have several ideas but would really like to hear what brides would want to see there (I’m only one person so my opinion doesn’t matter much)! We’d be looking to partner with local artists/craftspeople. Kind of loving the idea and have been working on it for a while but am just now sitting down to do the business plan! 🙂
MemberI don’t think this is what you had in mind, but I was just saying the other day that I wish there was a bridal mall of sorts — somewhere where I could get it all and more importantly, compare the things I am getting. For example, if I want flowers or jewelry that match the bridesmaids’ dresses accurately, wouldn’t it be great if I could see it all together? Even going from one shop to the next would be fine if they are near enough that the items from the last shop are still fresh in your mind.
Short of that, I HATE bridal retail junk. I don’t need my name printed on anything or “I do” stuck on in fake rhinestones. To me, that’s tacky and impractical. I know other women might like that; my point is be sure of whom you want to cater to. If it is a practical bride, she will hate any store with too much “junk.” If you’d like to cater to brides of different types, I might suggest keeping the store organized so that the practical section is divided from the frivolous items, in addition to organizing by the items’ use and style.
Things that I will be shopping for are bubbles, favors that don’t suck, interesting objects I can turn into center pieces, jewelry and hair things, items for a care basket to place in the bathroom at the reception, thank you cards, and supplies for making invitations. I also may end up purchasing some cake platters, disposable cameras, board games for a lounge area at the reception, umbrellas, and a water pitcher.
MemberAstronautBarbie: This is really good advice. I totally agree, we don’t want it to seem overwhelming or full of “junk”. It would be more upscale (but not so expensive that people are being charged $80+ a sweatshirt…). We definitely wouldn’t want too much stuff, but we would want quality and enough items so that it was worth a bride’s trip and she could compare different options. I like your idea of keeping the store organized & divided…maybe by theme..romantic vs rustic, etc…hmm..
We’re also looking into making it a multi-functional space so it’s not just a retail shop (adding a meeting space for wedding vendors) so that they could meet with potential brides there – I know a lot of people work out of their home and this might give them a more convenient meeting space. It’s really just a bunch of ideas right now, but I’m really excited about what we’ve been talking about so far! Again, it’s just a plan so I’m sure things will change around a lot. But I really appreciate your help!
MemberThings we’ve had trouble buying/bought online:
Actually, come to think of it, I’ve bought 9%% of my wedding stuff online. But the items above are the things I bought online because I couldn’t get them elsewhere (not just because they were cheaper).
Hope that helps!
MemberMemberDefinitely a good range of NICE garters – not just ones that come in wrapped in plastic and look cheap. That was one thing i had to order online and it’s now ended up being slightly too small, but there’s no time to get another one!
Also cake toppers would be good!
MemberHere are some more ideas (although some have been suggested already!)
Table numbers
table number holders
print-your-own labels (for favors)
flip flop baskets
out of town bags
handkerchiefs
bridal purses
kate spade bridal accessories (loveeee them!)
garters
Guest books and alternative guest books (frames, thumb print tree)
Card boxes
chair signs for sweetheart table
Memberinvitations!
MemberThe topic ‘Brides – need your help! (Research)! What would you want in a "wedding" shop?’ is closed to new replies.