In 2023, the average wedding cost was $35K in the US, $23K in Italy, the UK, and Spain, and $19K in France and Canada. India has a $51 billion opportunity in the wedding sector, with consumers spending increasingly on clothing, gold, services, and home appliances. 28% of the recorded Indian couples are using eco-friendly elements in their weddings. The global destination wedding market is expected to touch $103,5 billion in 2033.

People are looking to create memorable wedding experiences as society is running behind escapism and funflation (a term used to describe the increased pricing of the events as the consumers are paying more for the experience that they lost in the period of Covid-19. This paves the way for new opportunities for brands and retailers to provide more engaging and meaningful experiences.

Here are the retail opportunities for the brands and retailers to target the wedding customers.

Build an Entire Wedding Wardrobe

Wedding fashion moments are not limited to the wedding day only. Millennial and Gen Z brides are expanding their wedding wardrobes for the adjacent events of their nuptials. Here, brands have to cater to the consumers who are looking for different wedding outfits and styles.

Providing consumers with services and products that spotlight their personal tastes is ideal. Brands and retailers have to offer customers a curated selection of wardrobes that suit their wedding aspects well, i.e., resort weddings, themed parties, etc.

Labels have to design outfits that are adaptable to several different events rather than one event. They can also provide a how-to tutorial to pair up the existing collection for a multifunctional wardrobe.

Anthropologie relaunched its Anthropologie Weddings line with a focus on the changing minds of wedding brides and guests. The outfits are created to be used for more than one event. Abercrombie & Fitch released a wedding shop online with more than 100 items for several wedding-based occasions with prices ranging from $29 to $200. Chinese bridal brand Vivian Chan is reimagining the bridal collection with multi-occasion-wearing pieces.

Retailers and brands have to encourage their customers to consider renting out or buying preloved clothes for their one day. Kleinfeld introduced the online site KleinfeldAgain for brides to buy and sell their pre-owned wedding items in June 2024. The brides are provided a commission-free market space with a $9,95 monthly fee only. Galia Lahav opened a reselling space Re:Galia, offering archive pieces, promotions, celebrity looks, and unreleased styles.

Bring in Exclusivity

With wedding spending increasing year-on-year, brands have to think about providing personalized experiences, products, and services for their customers. The regular ready-to-wear items won’t suffice now. In the case of very important clients, the brands can work on offering bespoke services such as an intimate wardrobe session with their lead designer.

They have to be ready for customisation and allow for made-to-order services that will cater to different occasions in a wedding like receptions, bachelor parties, and more. With the IRL retail experience getting into normal traffic, flagship stores will be acting as the hubs for the business in bridal wear. Therefore, the labels and retailers should encourage in-store appointments and elite services.

Retailers and brands have to identify the ideal wedding hotspots and build their outlets there. For instance, in October 2023, Loeffler Randall opened a store in Charleston, South Carolina, a top wedding venue.

Farfetch is working on a fashion concierge service for its important clients, offering an exclusive service that includes working closely with the head designer. Danielle Frankel, the bridal retail company, is available on other e-commerce sites such as Net-a-Porter and also operates a flagship in the Garment District of New York to offer bespoke designing and customization.

Ease up the Anxiety

Planning a wedding and paying for it is a stressful process for the couple and their families. This is an important issue that can be addressed by retailers and brands. They have to give the customers a personal touch with affordable choices and multipurpose usage. It is also crucial to think about the pain points for the wedding guests. Rakuten’s US survey recorded around 60% of Gen Z women and 40% of Millennial women saying that they are looking for a temporary job to afford to attend a wedding.

The brands and retailers have to introduce a cost-saving process online and in-store. Rakuten also recorded 42% of US women finding TikTok and other social media assisting and helping them to make their wedding affordable.

The strategies have to focus on providing care and equity in mind to make the consumers comfortable. After finding that only 28% of bridesmaids said they feel confident in financial aspects, David's Bridal decreased the price of its bridesmaid dresses to range from $99 to $130.

Pronovias, a bridal retailer, has launched a fast-track delivery for the dresses that would reach the customers in three weeks. US’ Mark Ingram Atelier sent newsletters to amp up the mood and build confidence with brides.

Thinking Out of the Traditional Attitude

The Gen Zs are getting into their marrying ages now. They have the mind of going out of the traditional aesthetics. They have their own personalized styles, priorities, and traditions. The brands and retailers have to understand this and help the young couple find their ideal outfits that are unique and reflect them.

This new generation of brides and grooms are looking for shopping outfits that are not generally coming under the contemporary bridal market. It is also ideal to provide a pressure-free zone for the customers - showcasing a low-key, minimal, casual experience in-store.

The stores can act as the medium to build a closer relationship with the friends and family of the couple. With this, there will be a chance to create a positive and unforgettable memory with the brand.

SSENSE launched an anti-bridal collection followed by another anti-bridal capsule in May 2024, featuring over 100 items from 17 designers, that fills an invisible gap in the bridal market. Danielle Frankel caters to the Millennials and Gen Z customers with its gender-fluid and avant-garde creations. Vaquera created a collection of bridalwear wardrobes for runaway brides.

Cover Image: A bridal loungewear from Abercrombie & Fitch, a bride wearing Anthropologie Weddings and bridesmaids in Anthropologie Weddings dress, courtesy Anthropologie Weddings and Abercrombie & Fitch official websites.