Just as many conventional wedding traditions have fallen out of popularity (does anyone still do garter tosses?), so has the tradition surrounding shopping for wedding dresses, whether for the bride or their family members. Rather than trying on gown after gown, and standing on a pedestal for their friends to gawk at, today’s brides are more likely to host an online event or in-home party, encouraging attendants and family members to vote on digital options for fabulous dresses while they themselves stay in their pajamas.

Several factors underlie this shift. Couples getting married today tend to be older and more established, such that they may be less influenced by the opinions of their parents and more likely to be paying for the dress themselves. Generationally, these couples also tend to prioritize experiences rather than objects. A great band during the reception or more funds for the honeymoon often are more critical to couples than having an expensive dress they will wear just once.

In response, companies like Azazie (founded by a man who observed his now-wife’s long, frustrating, and time-consuming search for a wedding dress before they got married) offer substantial convenience and personalization. The retailer’s website posts approximately 500 styles of wedding and bridesmaid dresses, available in more than 70 colors, at price points of around $200. The dresses come in a wide range of sizes too, from 0 to 30. On the site, a bride and other interested parties can gather virtually, pick out various options that seem appealing, and vote for favorites. Azazie even provides an at-home try-on party platform with appropriate music and suggestions for party games to allow local brides to interact at home with attendants in trying the dresses. Buyers can either choose a standard size or send in their measurements, to receive a custom fit, and the wait times average around four weeks (compared with three or months at traditional bridal boutiques).

Another outcome of these trends is evident in the struggles of conventional bridal retailers such as David’s Bridal. Entering bankruptcy for the second time since 2019, the chain struggles to appeal to customers who seek less expensive, more convenient options. Although after its last Chapter 11 filing, David’s Bridal sought to reestablish itself by expanding into markets for quinceanera and prom dresses, the efforts have not been sufficient.

Such a simple comparison might imply that the overall bridal market is moving completely online, though some exceptions challenge this oversimplification. In particular, a newly recognized niche market involves the mothers of wedding couples and their search for appropriate formal wear for themselves. The Queen’s Lace, a Cincinnati-area boutique, specializes solely in dresses for mothers and grandmothers of the brides and grooms. The owner, previously a senior vice president of Procter & Gamble, explains that for these mothers and grandmothers, finding something fashionable and attractive has long been a problem, and just like in a corporate setting, the goal is “problem-solving.”

Discussion Questions

1. What other unconventional channels might join the competition for the bridal wear market? Could social media–linked retailers play a part, for example?
2. What other service providers (e.g., caterers, flower arrangers) could use the trends described in this abstract to (re)define their marketing efforts, and how?

 

Sources: Jeena Sharma, “David’s Bridal May Have Lost to the Experiential Economy,” Retail Brew, May 12, 2023; Katie Kapusta, “Bridal Shop Focuses on Mothers, Grandmothers,” Spectrum News (Cincinnati), April 4, 2023; Nicole Silberstein, “As Legacy Bridal Retailers Flounder, DTC Brand Azazie Is Selling 5,000 Dresses a Day,” Retail Touchpoints, May 19, 2023