How Small Wedding Businesses Go the Extra Mile
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Viana Hotel and Spa's Jacuzzi suite |
Kleinfeld Bridal, the bridal store regularly featured on TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress," knows how to make a bride happy.
"The bride wants to know that someone is truly listening to her and paying attention to her. We follow you until the door opens and you walk down the aisle," said Kleinfeld's co-owner Mara J. Urshel.
[Urshel offers advice on how to break into the wedding business]
BusinessNewsDaily asked several small wedding business owners to tell us how they go the extra mile.
On the day of the wedding, my company typically has five to seven "personal concierges" for the bride, wedding party, parents and guests at no extra. We leave nothing to chance as perfect is just fine with us.
-- Joyce Scardina Becker, Wedding Designer and Planner, Events of Distinction
We create an individual 'dress log' for each client, on their own private dress page. The dress log is updated regularly, in real time, every one to three days. And through it we post photos and notes about exactly what is happening with their gown. In other words, we take our client along with us as we create their perfect dress. There's no question about the status of their gown at any given moment and brides can see their dresses taking shape before their eyes. Our clients are greatly reassured by being kept 'in the loop' and they can let us know if they want any changes in plenty of time before the big day.
-- Lori Del Genis, Director and Designer, Conscious Elegance
I give the exact same service to the mothers of the couple to make them feel like the bride. Most photographers do not do this and actually try to steer clear of them. I do a full portrait session with just the moms. I also give my clients same-day edits of the best 200 shots on an iPad that is theirs to keep.
-- Jen O'Sullivan, JEN O'SULLIVAN Boutique Wedding Photography
For each bride that I work with, I take on not only designing their invitations, but taking care of their guest list, double checking the calligrapher's work and getting them hand canceled at the post office. I feel it takes stress off the bride to not have to worry about getting her invites in the mail on time.
-- Rebecca Ashby, The Pink Orange
Take the mystery out of shopping! By including rich media on our web site, couples planning their wedding can review photos of DJs, listen to and watch their mixing skills, view a video interview focusing on why they love spinning weddings, and read a detailed bio that lists their club residencies, musical festivals they’ve played, recording artists with whom they’ve collaborated, and which corporate clients use them as a DJ.
-- Dave Armon, SCRATCH Weddings
We take the time to find out the favorite cocktails of the bride and groom and their families, and make sure that our servers are trained to cater to them. We package food and cake from the wedding for the bride and groom to take with them after the wedding and we provide them with a bottle of champagne for their wedding night.
-- Angel Powell, Director of Public Relations, Patrick Properties Hospitality Group
We accommodate the brides by offering late evening consultations, provide complete mocks ups with linens, chairs, napkin fold, and as much details as we can muster. And for the floral part since a lot of the design is done months in advance, we try to offer blooms that will be in season for the bride's wedding. This always gets the bride inspired, excited and helps them visualize the actual wedding day and not to mention the saving on floral costs!
-- Kim Foren, Owner, Geranium Lake Flowers
We offer bridal dress hangers to all of our brides to insure that their dress is always in pristine condition prior to their wedding day. From the moment they start working with their sales manager they are given personal cell phone numbers to that direct manager to answer any questions that might come up at any time. I personally meet every bride and groom in ensure they know that if I can be of any assistance, they can always ask for me. We provide each bride and groom a complimentary romance package which includes roses, rose petal turn-down, and champagne in their room upon arrival after their wedding.
-- Michael Papierno, General Manager, Viana Hotel and Spa
Following the couple's wedding day, we will take our favorite image of them, edit it, then email it directly to their cell phone. We use a Gmail account to email them this small image directly to their cell phone numbers. This way, they receive a sneak preview of a stunning image of themselves while on their honeymoon, etc. and can add it as their phone background or even send it to their Facebook account to use as a profile photo.
-- Kimothy Pikor, Owner/Photographer, Love n Joy Photography
My art is all about customization. So if a bride wants to feel the roses from her bouquet, I will incorporate the petals into her painting. If she wants to match the color of her bridesmaids dresses, I will get a swatch from the salon. And if she wants to see the texture of the lace in her dress, I will incorporate the fabric into the piece for her.
-- Bethany Thomas, Owner, Commemory Fine Art
We send samples to multiple locations to assist engaged couples and their parents who live out of state or apart from one another and need to coordinate materials with us.
-- Jill Velez, Co-Owner, Copper Willow Paper Studio
We train all of our associates to never say ‘no’! If a clients needs us to pick up lunch, a bottle of champagne last minute or steam the bridal party pashminas, we do it. We are not only there to make sure everything runs smoothly but also to make sure the Bride feels special and pampered on her special day.
-- Lindsay Longacre, Owner and Lead Wedding Planner, LVL Weddings & Events
As a caterer my job is make sure the food is up to the bride and grooms standards. One time one of my brides forgot her shoes home which was an hour away from where the wedding and reception was taking place. There was no one who could go get them for her, so I grabbed my keys and told her to give me her house keys and where exactly were the shoes and I went on my way to get her shoes. I knew my job was to be the caterer but on that day I went the extra mile for my bride and her day was complete. For a caterer what I did was unheard of.
-- Andrea Correale, President, Elegant Affairs Caterers
Included in some of the before-wedding relationship building is rehearsal attendance. We'll attend the rehearsal to see how the ceremony will progress, introduce ourselves to the officiant to ensure that we know the rules and to meet the couple's parents and wedding party and if there is no planner, we will help run the rehearsal. Even though our brides do not expect us to help manage the logistics of the wedding day, we feel that it is important to show them that we are there to support them in any way we can. We are full-service photography studio, which means so much more than just taking pictures.
-- Natalie & Jung Wi, Allure West Studios