Spring 2009

Working Wedding Wonders By Heather Johnson Durocher

Value Proposition

You knew it was only a matter of time: The popular monogramming trend has been making inroads into wedding accessories as well. Carolyn Siderys will attest to this.

At Marilyn’s Keepsakes, the Indianapolis store where she works as e-business manager, monogrammed cake toppers have been a huge seller. This topper is personalized with the bride and groom’s first name initials in smaller letters and their shared surname initial in a larger center letter. Among the vendors who sell this popular item is Cathy’s Concepts, a wholesaler who is also based in Indianapolis, IN.

Considering that weddings are one of life’s celebratory events that easily lend themselves to personalization, it comes as no surprise that personalization trends such as monogramming would work well in the category.

Industry experts point out that while the old watchwords—personalized, unique, elegant—have always been necessary ingredients for success with wedding day accessories, there is one added buzzword to keep an eye out for these days: value. Read that as cost.

As in other areas, the economy is having more people pay attention to price points. “Brides will be extremely cautious with their budgets in 2009 and thereafter,” says bridal expert Claudia Copquin, a former editor of Newsday’s Long Island Weddings. “A recent David’s Bridal survey shows that as many as 75 percent of the brides they spoke with will significantly cut their wedding budgets due to the economy,” says Copquin, of Northport, NY.

What does this mean for you? While couples are spending less on their weddings than in years past—the average cost of a wedding dropped to $21,814 in 2008, a 24 percent decrease from 2007, according to Tucson research firm, The Wedding Report—they still want a memorable experience for everyone involved and seek products that help them achieve just that, Copquin says.

But while lower budgets may mean a greater number of backyard receptions, quality does not have to suffer if the bride is savvy, Copquin points out. The kinds of wedding day accessories you carry in your store will need to deliver on value: they will need to be reasonably priced and be good quality, she says.

Products that deliver

While the lion’s share of a wedding budget tends to be fashions and reception, gifts and accessories are “the icing on the cake, those little things that turn an event into something very special and personalized,” says Patricia MacArthur, executive creative director of Weddingstar, a wholesaler of wedding accessories and decorations in Dunmore, Alberta, Canada. From shower favors, gifts and decorations to guest books, ring bearer pillows, flower baskets and card boxes for the ceremony and reception, wedding-related accessories are integral products for those tying the knot.

In keeping with the current demand, the good news is that vendors recognize the need for well-made, personalized wedding items at reasonable price points. Cathy’s Concepts offers a range of products, including three-piece terry-cloth cosmetic bags for $26 that may be embroidered with a script name or script monogram in colors such as light pink, lavender or apple green. Another popular item: monogrammed satin jewelry pouches, retailing at about $18 a piece.

“Our niche has always been affordably-priced, beautiful favors with attention-getting packaging,” says Donna Laurent, director of marketing and sales for the Aspen Brands Company, a wholesale favor company based in Duluth, GA. “It’s ideal for this economy. We have more than 300 favors in the 2009 Kate Aspen Collection, the majority of which are at price points under $2.99.”

Pretty and personalized

Creating a magical day that’s exquisitely their own is typically the goal of all brides and grooms-to be, and that may be truer now than ever before, says Carolyn Siderys. Personalized and unique works best for both bridal showers and the big day, she says. And not only are these items personalized for the happy couple, they’re also created with bridesmaids and groomsmen in mind, she says.

Consider offering items that bridal parties will use well beyond the wedding festivities. It could be a tote bag a bridesmaid could take to yoga or to the gym, and for men, barware with a personal monogram or personalized messages, says Tonya Copley, marketing director for Cathy’s Concepts.

“We’re seeing a lot of things come through with nicknames or inside jokes that only those friends would know about,” Copley says. “These custom lines make no sense to us at all, but it means something to the person buying it.”

Mud Pie, whose corporate offices are based in Stone Mountain, GA, is a popular vendor at Uptown Bridal & Boutique in Chandler, AZ. Tonia Tinker who co-owns the store with her mother and sister, reports that the company’s “Eat Drink & Be Marry,” “Something Blue” and “I Do,” lines sell well at the store. Even items embroidered with simply “bridesmaid” or mother of the bride” are selling well, Tinker says.

Color and form

Along with incorporating personalization, shower and wedding day gifts are taking on a more modern look and feel, thanks in part to hip color pairings (think chocolate brown and hues of blue) that trickle down from bridal fashion trends. One of Beverly Clark’s bridal shower gifts is a 14-inch by 12-inch by 5.5-inch woven bag featuring three colored flowers and round bamboo handles.

“I think color is big right now—teal and brown together, brown and champagne together, pearl and crystal seem to be very hot right now,” says Shel Leshner, director of sales and marketing for North Chicago-based wholesaler Beverly Clark Collection.

Also in demand is a more functional twist on traditional products. For example, items like the guest book are being replaced with products such as a signature mat or canvas, which serves as a photo frame—a more functional use. The mat allows guests to sign their names as well as offer sentiments for the bride and groom. The Beverly Clark Collection has such a product—a 14-inch by 18-inch silver “signature frame” that can hold a 5×7 picture. It retails for about $39.95, Leshner says. “People are really liking those guest book alternatives,” Copley says. “It becomes an accessory for their home. We’re really seeing a trend toward [function].”

Fun favors

Another wedding day staple is getting a new twist: Favors are packaged in more interesting ways. “You still may see the same almonds, but they are put in a bird’s nest,” says MacArthur of Weddingstar. “People are becoming much more creative in their wrappings.”

Italian-made six-inch high cone-shaped wrappings to hold candy or other goodies are a popular product from the Beverly Clark Collection. “They’re really sharp-looking,” Leshner says of the cones that come half-dozen per box. “It has a different, fun look to it. You can get the different colors and mix and match. They definitely can be used for weddings, but these are a big thing for showers.”

Other popular favors: wine stoppers, chocolate candy bars and water bottles, the latter two of which can have personalized labels. For showers, even bachelorette parties, hand-painted wine glasses are a great gift option, says Tinker, of Uptown Bridal & Boutique. “That’s a fun gift we hadn’t seen before,” she says of the large red wine glasses she sells that are embellished with cute designs and sayings such as “Bridesmaids are like diamonds: precious and rare.”

Humor is a hit

Humor also is making its way into shower and wedding gifts and accessories. Consider the cake toppers from Weddingstar that range from modern to comical to whimsical. One standout: a hand-painted porcelain cake or cupcake tower top that depicts a relaxed, barefoot couple.

“It’s a cute and romantic pose,” says MacArthur, Weddingstar’s executive creative director. “People were really excited to see something different and that had a little personality. Now cake tops have become one of our largest categories. Now we are doing things that are little more fun, definitely more unconventional.” Another example? A popular take on a fairy tale—the bride kissing a frog. If these products push the envelope with regards to the proper tone for a wedding, they are often used as light-hearted accessories for bridal showers, MacArthur says.

Bridal shower games and kits are also fun products to consider stocking. For example, the Anna Griffin Bachelorette Party Kit has 12 invitations with matching lined envelopes, 10 self-adhesive name tags, 10 beverage tags, “Bride-To-Be Scavenger Hunt” shower “gift list” and many other accessories. The adhesive nametags have clever titles, such as “Dated the Groom,” “Serial Dater,” “Always the Bridesmaid,” “Next in Line,” and more. Anna Griffin is an Atlanta-based wholesaler.

The bridal shower game from Los Angeles-based, The Box Girls, includes conversation starters like: What are the best and worst kept secrets about married life? Who will be the worst influence on the groom at the bachelor party? What three things make the groom the luckiest man in the world?

Staying connected

To stay on top of wedding trends, consider taking advantage of your vendors’ outreach efforts. Weddingstar publishes a “magalog,” a mix between a magazine and catalog to help you learn more about their products as well as what’s new in the wedding industry. This is accomplished through editorial features and photos, MacArthur says. The idea is for you to not only absorb the information yourself, but also share it with your customers. This is a great way to showcase what you can offer customers, particularly if you are limited in your amount of display space, MacArthur says.

Cathy’s Concepts also sends out a newsletter that helps retailers stay abreast of trends. Blogs are also gaining momentum with vendors, who not only post trends and traditions, but also provide how-to videos for maximizing sales. Encourage your customers to shop in ways that they feel more comfortable doing. “When you look at the demographics of today’s brides, this is a generation that has grown up with the Internet. They are very comfortable and spend a lot of time on the Internet, either researching or actually buying online,” MacArthur says. Weddingstar offers retailers an online shopping partnership—for a cost—to help boost sales.

Laurent, of the Aspen Brands Company, partners with retailers on a drop ship program. It helps sell products without being tied down by too much inventory. An in-store point of purchase display gives customers a peek at the collection—the look, quality and feel. Customers can place the order on the retailer’s website, Laurent says. The company then takes care of details including customer service and shipping, she says.

Maximizing your shop’s online presence like Marilyn’s Keepsakes does, will also help—the store plans on a blog launch. Don’t worry if your shop is a bit slower in embracing web tools; simply carrying must-have bridal gifts and accessories will go a long way in ensuring repeat customers and increasing sales, Tinker says. “We have people who come back for friends who are getting married,” she says. “They say they were here when they got married and now want to get the same things for their friends. It’s giving them something extra to spend their money on. Everyone wants that extra special touch.”

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Heather Johnson Durocher

Durocher is a northern Michigan-based journalist who writes frequently about business for newspapers and magazines. She has contributed to USA Weekend, Woman's Day, Parents and American Baby. Visit her website at HeatherDurocher.com