Bridal Service of the nation offers a wide variety of wedding planning services. From coordinating vendors to creating timelines, they work hard to make the process as stress-free and easy as possible for soon-to-be-weds.

On a busy week-end afternoon at the Bridal Mall in Hartford, Connecticut, brides-to-be and their friends and family members coo over tulle. The keep appears more like a petting zoo. The retailer also sells engraved offers, multitiered cakes and floral arrangements, tuxedo-rental apparel for bridesmaids and groomsmen in their selection of colors and tuxedo sizes, and other supplies necessary to organize wedding events.

The store’s owners have been able to fend off a few threats, such as those from online retailers, but their biggest issue is a chain called David’s Bridal, which has about 200 stores nationwide and has been greeted by independent bridal retailers with all the enthusiasm that small booksellers have shown them toward Barnes & Noble or general stores toward Wal-mart. David’s is the largest retailer of bridal and formal wear in the united states, and accounts for twenty per cent of all American bridal gown sales.

Some bridal shops are having a hard time putting up a fight with the bigger names, especially in terms of prices. According to a poll conducted by the national Retail Federation, which found that women spend on their gowns on typical$ 650, the regular cost of a bridal gown has increased by 30 percentage over the past ten years. The average cost of a dress at a full-service department store was$ 350, while a dress at a discount store was$ 250.

Offering more solutions and better customer service, which is one of the most common ways to compete, can be difficult in a highly competitive industry. Numerous bridal shops website now provide a complimentary consultation where the consultant discusses the princess’s goals for the big evening and takes a close look at her closet. Some lehenga shops have actually embraced technology by offering simulated fittings so that brides-to-be can see themselves in the gown before making their final purchase.

With more than 20 years of experience in the bridal sector, Pat Mahoney has. She is the author of” Wedding Notes,” four newspaper sections with advice for brides-to-be, a contributing editor for” One Perfect Day,” a collection of wedding planning guides, and a speech at American gift and miniatures trade shows. Additionally, she has taught thousands of affiliates in the ceremony industry weddings courses.