'Great Expectations - Enhance your in-store offering by expanding into maternity bridal, a sector that's currently taking the market by storm'. Attire Bridal
There's no denying that the 'typical' bride getting married today is very different from the 'typical' bride getting married forty years ago. For a start she's older - figures released in 2003 confirmed that the average age at first marriage in England and Wales was 31 for men and 29 for women, although this may have risen further in the last four years. Back in 1961, the average age was five to six years younger: 26 for men and 23 for women.
In addition, couples now generally live together before getting married, so are often financially independent, sometimes paying for the wedding themselves. Furthermore, with the relationship firmly established, the question of the marital home already solved and a wedding on the horizon; many couples see no reason to delay the next natural step - starting a family.
Changing Times
Today's expectant brides have no need to compromise on glamour, as designers are now creating wonderful bespoke maternity gowns to flatter all figures, whatever stage of pregnancy. But it hasn't always been this way, as Natalie Gladman, Director of Madeline Isaac-James explains:
"We know from the feedback we've received directly from pregnant brides that they have historically struggled to find high quality maternity wedding dresses, and their experiences have ranged from either having to purchase a wedding dress in a much larger size and then having to have considerable alterations made (very demoralising and often costly), or 'making do' with a maternity dress which may (or may not) be suitable."
As an established supplier of maternity bridal wear, providing gowns to pregnant brides and bridesmaids since 2003, Natalie has seen significant changes in the market for maternity bridal gowns over the past few years: "Increases in the number of couples living together before marriage, generally more relaxed social attitudes, and numerous pregnant celebrity weddings, have been instrumental in changing perceptions about brides walking down the aisle with a bump," Natalie asserts. "We have seen that not only have general attitudes towards pregnant brides changed, the bride herself has changed. A few years ago, we used to see brides who would (initially) self-consciously talk about their pregnancy - almost as if they were worried about the reaction they would receive - of course once they understood that we shared their joy and excitement, their self-consciousness disappeared. Being pregnant on the wedding day is more acceptable now than ever, and with this, pregnant brides' attitudes have also changed - they are no longer prepared to accept second best, know that they need not make any apologies for being pregnant, and they will purchase their wedding gown from wedding professionals that understand their unique needs. Pregnant brides are confident, self-assured stylish women who are not only comfortable with who they are, but are also very pleased and excited about showing off their gorgeous pregnancy curves."
New launches
Natalie Gladman launched the Madeline Isaac-James maternity bridal collection to retailers at the British Bridal Exhibition (BBEH) September 2007, following numerous requests directly from pregnant brides to make the collection available locally. The current collection has something for everyone - from floaty, elegant chiffon gowns through to structured, sexy gowns. The collection is designed to accentuate the pregnant bride's silhouette and is aimed at the discerning, stylish, confident bride who is proud of her bump. "We received a fantastic response to the collection both at the BBEH and subsequently - with many positive comments from retailers and numerous enquiries to stock our collection. With recent figures indicating that up to 20% of brides are pregnant on their wedding day, forward-thinking retailers understand the advantages of being able to provide a stylish, affordable maternity wedding dress collection. Mainstream bridal shops will benefit by being able to provide these specialist gowns to pregnant brides in a timely manner, increasing their reputation as a modern retailer that truly understands the changing needs of their customers in today's market" adds Natalie Gladman. "In our experience, maternity bridalwear sales are not as seasonal as mainstream bridalwear and retailers can enjoy consistent year round demand for maternity wedding dresses, helping provide them with a steady and sustainable revenue stream throughout their financial year."
Supporting the retailer
Most maternity bridal suppliers will be able to provide an accurate measurement chart, based on the bride's pre-pregnant size, which reveals average growth rates during pregnancy. This takes the guesswork out of selecting and altering a dress that would be most suitable to any particular client, dependant on the stage of pregnancy. It is also worth asking any supplier about their delivery times, exchange policy and whether they supply to e-tailers. "We understand that retailers who run a 'bricks and mortar' shop have higher costs than companies that operate [solely] on the internet', declares Natalie Gladman. "We, therefore, have a policy that our stockists must be able to provide a full-service environment to pregnant brides, including additional services such as alterations, and we will not offer our gowns to internet only selllers or 'ebay' sellers. We feel that we have a duty to not only provide a stylish, marketable maternity bridalwear collection, but also to look after our stockists and their revenue."
In conclusion
With such excellent growth in the market, maternity bridal, is a sector that shows no sign of slowing, and no wonder. As Natalie Gladman so eloquently puts is: "Being pregnant and getting married is, in fact, a double celebration and pregnant brides are proud to show off their love, excitement and joy at experiencing two of the happiest moments in their lives within a few short months of each other. They demand stylish, elegant maternity wedding gowns that fit and flatter the pregnant form, refusing to compromise on their wedding gown just because they're pregnant."