Why Do Some Bridal Shops Charge for Appointments

A question we see in our Facebook group quite a lot is why do some Bridal Shops charge for appointments and some don’t. A Bride recently asked this in our group and was confused and upset at the logic behind the charge. 

Our Facebook group has many wedding experts and often Brides and Grooms do not understand the business reasons behind some decisions like this. So it was great to hear our Bridal experts respond with an explanation that helped this Bride understand and maybe help others understand also, who may find themselves confused and upset when coming across charges like this. 

Rebecca Bryson from Curvy Chic Bridal Shop commented

“Hello! Bridal store owner here. Here are some the reasons we charge for our appointments (we offer free walk in appointments on weekdays)

*Our staff are highly trained, that means we pay bridal experts thousands of pounds to train our staff in various different areas, so you are paying for an expert consultant who can not only help you find your dress but could also help you with any customisations you would like.

* you’re trying dresses that are worth thousands of pounds, they require constant upkeep, dry cleaning alone costs are £100 per dress, any fixes required by a seamstress are also added to this. I’m also not sure brides know this, but we have to buy all our samples and since Covid the prices of dresses has sky rocketed.

* Think of it more as a bridal shopping experience with a personal stylist. We aren’t like other normal high street clothing shops etc. where you are just trying on everyday clothes, this dress needs to be perfect for you. Around 85% of our brides end up purchasing a dress one of our consultants has picked out for them.

* Our time is valuable, just as you would pay for a private shopping experience at Chanel, Flannels, HOF etc. remember that we are providing a luxury service, weddings are a luxury event.

* No shows, we see 5 brides on a Saturday, before we started charging for appointments, we had Saturdays where 3/4 brides wouldn’t show up and didn’t even call to let us know. This has a huge financial impact on a small business, some places have hundreds of stores so don’t need to worry about their overheads as much as we do.

* Fun day out ‘brides’ – I can’t tell you how often we got a group of girls in for a fun day out trying dresses when none of them where even engaged or planning a wedding.

* We include a lot more in your purchase, for example, your hanger and dress bag are complimentary along with a gift bag (reusable tote as we want to make sure we are keeping our environment footprint tight). We also provide constant email and phone support as well as free additional appointments if you want to show friends and family or try accessories.

* All in all, it allows us to provide brides with the highest quality service, dresses and experience. My recommendation for bridal shopping so you’re not spending on lots of appointments – look at the boutiques website, if you don’t see 5 dresses you like, then don’t go there (unless there is 1 you’re dying to try and think might be the one!) If you’re unsure, give the store a call or pop them an email, I can only speak for us but we are always on hand to help brides with any questions they may have. Please remember that we are running a business post Covid during a recession/financial crisis. The wholesale cost of dresses has shot through the roof, if stores don’t charge they may not be able to remain open and eventually you would have very few options when shopping for your dress. It is also worth noting that boutiques on the mainland and down south often charge £\€50 per appointment and have done for much longer than stores in the north. I hope this helps”

Donna O’Hare from Sew Handy also commented 

“A few reasons they do it (charge for appointments)… Overheads… if every appointment on the day was free, and no purchases completed, they’re down the business running costs as well as wages (and both have increased since covid). No-shows … it is less likely for no-shows to occur if a charge is in place .. especially if the appointment fee can be off-set against a purchase and/or professional advice… you’ll have the advice and assistance of a bridal consultant for the duration of the appointment on a 1-1 basis. Cleaning services… the dresses hanging in store get tried on many many times and cleaning them so they are presentable to a buying bride costs money. The sample dresses…. they cost .. they’re not given them for free.. Bottom line.. bridal shops are businesses and they need to pay bills as well as be profitable to stay in business .. It’s also why a planning bride is advised not to make loads of appointments in different shops just in case they find The One in the first or second shop they go to”

We hope this helps explain the small charge that some bridal shops will ask for when booking appointments to try on wedding dresses. Wedding Dress shops are a highly competitive part of the wedding industry. In our 10 years in weddings we have seen so many open and close. If you can, we would ask that you support them and help them stay afloat so they can continue to provide their excellent, personal service for Northern Ireland Brides.