So this week was one of the more difficult weeks for me at Bridal House of Nashville, and it feed into one of the reasons I started this place.
A typical week at a bridal boutique has new appointments made, brides picking up their gowns, a possible appointment reschedule or a now show (those are rare, thankfully). You can see, this has the potential for emotional rollercoasters- joy and disapointment. Bridal parties come in exhausted because they are doing a marathon shopping day and fitting in as many appointments as possible. Dresses begin to get blurred. Budgets that seamed really big when the shopping started now seem inadequate. This is a lot for anyone to process on top of feeling like beside getting engaged, the dress will be their most important life decision. The gown may not be the biggest budget item of the wedding, but it definitely is not the smallest budget item either.
A little background perspective to this. The “bridal industry” is about making stunning wedding gowns and selling to brides so they can in turn, look amazing. So many positives about the industry- especially providing something beautiful for someone to wear. To be able to make so many wedding gowns at somewhat reasonable prices, there are standardizations in place; standard sizing (which is waaaaayyyy smaller than regular sizing), standard colors (ivory, white, blush), few to no customizations (a seamstress could add sleeves), and new styles released on set schedules. The bridal industry must make sales. No sales means no dresses for any bride. Sometimes that means that bridal stores are under pressure to make the sale over the needs of the bride. We know, if a bridal party walks out the door with no commitment, we will probably not hear from them again.
At Bridal House of Nashville, I look beyond the sale. Yes, I would love to sell you gown that I think is one of the most beautiful on the planet, but that is not all. One of the reasons I opened Bridal House of Nashville and offer inclusive sample sizes (size 6-22) and orderable sizes (size 0-32) is to give a place where brides can feel at ease and build confidence. Some brides worry they are too small to “fill out” a dress. Other brides worry they are too big to have beautiful style. These appointments are emotional roller coasters for all involved. Heartache when you discover the dress in your mind is not in your budget. Disappointment when the bridal gown sample sizes are not the same size and shape as your body. Irritation when someone with you (sometimes a child, sometimes not) is getting restless and the bride is playing cheerleader for someone else.
Eye popping bridal gown train.
This week, there were more than a couple of these appointments. Maybe with the unique situation we are all in, emotions are starting to wear thin. Maybe these brides just felt comfortable enough to let me see their emotions. I don’t know. I do know that I could help. These brides didn’t need to be sold a dress; these brides needed to be supported and encouraged. They need to hear that they can be beautiful and find a dress in their budget— even if they haven’t found it yet. Sometimes as a bride, you need to try on dresses, take a step back, and come back on a day where you are feeling confident about your body— not necessarily a day where 5 other people are in town. Sometimes a bride needs to realize that there are sooo many great choices, that any of them will be a great pick. This week, multiple brides needed me to be their encourager, and I am honored to have been able to offer the support.
Our vision at Bridal House of Nashville is to have every bride feel more beautiful and confident at the end of her appointment than when she came through the door. It is really that straightforward. I hope, that is because they are leaving with their wedding gown. If not that, then a bride should leave knowing that she is beautiful, she is strong, and a dress does not define that. I will gladly tell a bride repeatedly, the dress she chooses for her wedding ceremony is a dress- not a life altering decision.