Wed Altered Issue 1

ISSUE 01
find your voice
The Business of Bridal Done Differently.
EMPLOYEES
Pull them into your
brand and big vision
HOW TO CREATE
A COMPELLING BRAND
that showcases your
in-store experience
5 Reasons Why
Encore Brides Have it Good
MARCH 2018

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
3
5
13
17
21
29
33
35
37
41
43
Letter from the Editor
Sound of the Silent Voice
Meet Erin - Owner of Luna Boutique in PA
TRENDS REPORT: The New Vintage
How to Create a Compelling Brand that Showcases Your In-store Experience
5 Reasons hy Encore Brides Have it Good
Employees - Pull Them into Your Brand And Big Vision
TRENDS REPORT: Embroider and Embellish
Meet Alyson - Designer of Alyson Nicole
Let’s Talk: Serving and Styling Plus Size Brides
Out of the Office - Block Time to Step Away and Work on Big Thinking Projects
On The Cover...
Dress by Pure Magnolia

EDITOR
Christen Schneider
CONTRIBUTORS AND FEATURES
Wendy Rivera
Erin Szymanski
Sophie Newman
Natalie Harris
Alyson Melhus
Keneshia Raymond
Dress by Suzanne Anderson Couture

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to Wed Altered Magazine!
We're all about bringing the focus to the amazing individuals and companies and building a
genuine community. It's really the only way to do business in our book. This is our first issue, but
we've been on the move in the industry since 2013...bringing together independent designers and
stores who take a stand for their vision and dreams.
I believe (I know) that the industry has seen an unbelievable amount of change in the last 5 to 10
years. I'm also very sure that we're just getting started. Things are shifting faster than ever and
retailers are feeling the push and pull. But it's all what you make of it and we're ready to do the work
to keep the industry strong, welcoming, creative, and fun. It's all about being true to your brides and
your brand.
I spend my day watching small business owners do amazing things, take leaps, and create the
reality they are dreaming of...I'm beyond lucky. You have something pretty amazing to offer your
ideal brides. Which is great, because no one can or should serve everyone. It's a recipe for disaster
and just general blah-ness in your daily work. But if you can nail down your soul match clients and
find a team of designers, staff, and community that will help you serve them like never before, you
will be amazed at what's ahead.
When you know who you're meant to serve and what you believe in, you can be crystal clear in your
message. That means you have the kind of authentic marketing and service that creates raving fans
and work days that fill you up instead of running you down.
You're just speaking your truth. And you are happy because you're allowing your vision to shine and
trusting that it's going to take you and your business where you want to go.
We talk all the time about couples looking for connection to their wedding day, their choices, and
their loved ones. Your brides want the same with you. Many of the pieces in this issue are about
checking in on that message that you put out there and really making sure it delivers that
meaningful connection with your perfect client.
The path of our group and the industry over the last 5 years has been a wild, joyful, fantastic one and
this magazine has been a dream for a while now. Since I've been hearing more and more from
buyers about how they know they need to make changes, it felt like the time to launch it had finally
arrived. I'm so excited that you're here with us and I'm looking forward to what's ahead.
To the unique you that you are and the special light only you can shine in life and in business. We
are all the better for it.
Christen
www.wedaltered.com

Wendy’s pic
Sound of the
Silent Voice
by Wendy Rivera

A
ll over the world, there is a
sound I hear when I speak
with bridal boutique owners.
Whether I am in Detroit,
Atlanta, Las Vegas, or London, the
same sound fills my ears as I listen to
many of these passionate, powerful
women (mostly) who own bridal
businesses. We talk about
important issues like booking more
appointments, closing more sales,
handling objections and customer
service issues, etc. But for all of the
prescriptions I could give to help a
bridal boutique better its business,
there is one piece of advice above all
that is difficult for owners to receive.
Ironically, it is probably the most
important piece of advice I could
ever give as well.
My advice is this: find your voice, let
it be heard in your community, and
build your brand based on all that
you are. When you do this, you will
not only be identifiable, but
unshakable in your market. That is
when I hear it — the sound of the
silent voice. I hear replies to my
advice that outline in spectacular
form all the reasons why the voice of
this intelligent, accomplished
woman standing in front of me
should not be heard. She should
not share her story with the world
around her, because she is
uninteresting or undeserving, and
after all, it’s not about her anyway. I
hear the voice that no one else will
get to hear, because the woman
who possesses it has convinced
herself to stay silent. For a thousand
different reasons, these people with
compelling stories and engaging
personalities decide they are more
valuable to themselves as muted
bystanders to the success they hope
to somehow manufacture.
By some process or principle, there
is a significant contingent of
retailers out there that have come to
see themselves as an insignificant
part of their potential success. They
can only contribute via their desk
behind the office door. That may
have been true at some point in the
past, but the message I want to
sound throughout the bridal
industry is that retailers are their
own best representatives. Yes, you
should carry strong designers, but
there is a difference between
partnering with quality designers
and relying on them for the
marketing and branding we ought
to be doing ourselves as retailers.
My store is called, Ava Laurénne
Bride, after my daughter, who was
only 2 years old when we opened.
She heard us say the store name so
much in the first few years of her life
that she thought her name was Ava
Laurénne Bride, and we had to
convince her that she was actually
named, Ava Laurénne Rivera. From
our very beginning, we wanted our
brand to mean something in our
community. It was so personal. Our
daughter’s name should mean
www.wedaltered.com 6

something special for girls who find
a special piece of their family history
with us. Our shoppe is the point at
which their family meets our’s, so
we determined to define what it
would mean for a newly engaged
girl to walk into our store and
become an Ava Laurénne Bride.
My husband and I have a shared
background in dramatic
production, and our bridal shoppe is
in an old theater, opened in 1929, so
for us, it was all about events. We
threw parties, fashion shows, and
exclusive vendor showcases for our
brides. “Your dress is your ticket,”
was our tag line. If you bought your
dress at Ava Laurénne Bride, you
became a part of a special sorority
in our town. You got to do things
that other
brides didn’t
get to do,
which made
you even more
celebrated
than you had
been before.
On any
Saturday of the
year, whenever
a girl finds her
dress at our
shoppe, we sit
her down with
her family, and
I share a special message with them
— nothing less than the secret to
having the perfect wedding day.
The secret is that their wedding day
is already perfect, because after that
day, this bride and her love will
spend the rest of their lives
together. That fact is what makes
their day perfect, so if the napkins
are wrong and the cake falls, it’s all a
part of an already perfect day that
nothing could ever ruin. After this
short word to the bride, my
husband and I stand on the spiral
staircase overlooking the main floor
and celebrate this moment by
singing, “The Prayer,” to the bride
and her family.
We have created a brand that
means something to the brides in
our area, before they ever step foot
in our boutique. When you’re
working so hard to build something
intangible, like a brand, it can be
difficult from within the project, to
detect if all of this work is
amounting to everything you hope
it will. So, it is extremely helpful
when a bit of feedback makes its
way back to you to let you know all
has not been in vain.
About two and a half years after we
opened, I was on Facebook and
noticed a post with a photo of a girl
and her
boyfriend in
front of our
boutique.
H o w e v e r ,
something was
strange about it.
It was dark in the
photo, and the
store was closed.
They had
stopped and taken a photo in front
of our shoppe at night. Finally,
when I read her post, I realized what
had happened. She said, “my
boyfriend wasn’t sure what to do to
propose to me, but he knew I
wanted to be an Ava Laurénne
Bride. So, as we were walking
downtown tonight, he stopped in
front of Ava Laurénne and
proposed!” This newly engaged girl
told us volumes about what our
branding had accomplished in our
community. She had such a clearly
defined idea of what it would mean
to become an Ava Laurénne Bride,
that she had told everyone
including her fiancé that this was a
goal of hers. So strong was the
impression she made on her fiancé
when relaying her desire, that he
thought his best course of action in
proposing would be to surprise her
in front of our little shoppe. How
unbelievable! We were absolutely
blown away by this story!
What does all of this mean? That
when we put ourselves out there, let
our voices be heard, and make
ourselves a little vulnerable (it feels
very vulnerable to get up and sing
to 4 brides who just found their
wedding dresses!), our vulnerability
is met by people wanting to share
more than a transaction
with us.
In upstate New York, I
visited the store of a very
dear woman who had come
across a bridal expert
whose advice to bridal
shoppe owners was if what
they were spending their
time on was not
contributing to the success
of their business, they
should drop it from their
lives. This was undoubtedly
an austere approach to
bridal, but Sarah, the owner,
took it to heart. Her hobby
happened to be needlepoint, and it
was her grandmother who had
taught her this craft when she was
just a girl sitting on the arm of a
www.wedaltered.com

chair next to her grandmother,
watching and learning. In fact, it
was the inspiration of the
needlepoint work she learned from
her grandmother that led her to
want to open a bridal store in the
first place. Yet, as a result of the
advice of this so-called expert, she
gave up needlepoint entirely and
had not picked it up for six years.
Her voice fell silent.
During my visit I encouraged her to
consider picking up again this
hobby that had so inspired her to
dream big things for herself. We
also worked together on the layout
of her store, tweaking things to
tailor the store’s look to support the
impression we hoped to create with
brides as they walked into the
boutique. As we were arranging
furniture, there was one piece I
noticed that didn’t seem to be in
quite the same style as the others.
It was a chair that seemed more
intended for a home than a
boutique setting, and I was having
trouble envisioning exactly where it
would fit into the finished picture.
Finally, I asked Sarah about the
chair and where she thought it
might fit the best, and she said,
“this is the chair where my
grandmother taught me
needlepoint when I was a little girl.”
And, it all finally made sense. This
chair was present, not because the
style was a great fit with the other
furniture, but because without this
chair, Sarah would never have
opened a bridal
boutique in the first
place. So, I asked her
if she had a picture of
her grandmother, and
we put together a
beautiful, framed
tribute to Sarah’s
grandmother. It
hangs on the wall,
and under the tribute
sits the chair. Now,
when a bride finds
her dress at Sarah’s
shoppe, she has her
picture taken as she
sits in this special
chair. The story that
she had been told to
keep quiet, began to
stir, and the voice that
had so long been
silent, began to make
a sound.
There is nothing more
beautiful than the
sound of a voice no
longer silent — a voice
now audible for every
bride to hear!
Let your voice be heard.
WENDY RIVERA
Wendy Rivera is a Nationally Recognized Expert in the
Bridal Industry, and has exploded onto the scene with Do
You Speak Bride! Wendy is a powerful communicator
both on stage and off, and has a passion for helping
shoppes learn the very nuanced language of “Bride”.
Wendy is a writer, director, coach, speaker, counselor,
mom and bridal shoppe owner, and is passionate about
helping bridal boutiques all over the world to increase
every part of their business — and become THE
destination in Bride Country!!
www.doyouspeakbride.com
8

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Wed Altered show during New York
Bridal Fashion Week in October!
Dresses by Nora Sarman
Dresses by Anya Dionne
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Erin pic
MEET ERIN
Owner of Luna Boutique in PA
Photos by Alexandra Ribar and Mandy Holesh

I
‘ve admired Erin’s spirit and the
reputation she’s built with
brides in the midwest since she
opened 5 years ago, so I was
excited we got to hear all about the
big moves she’s been making to
grow recently! She also gave us a
peek at the beautiful new space her
store(s) call home...
You're based in Pittsburgh. Tell me
a little about what sets your city
apart?
Pittsburgh is a vibrant city with a
strong history of industry and
innovation. We're also quite friendly
and hard-working. All of those
things combined create
communities that appreciate and
actively support creatives, small
businesses, and the arts.
What led to you opening your
store?
As my friends started getting
married, I would go shopping with
them and look around at the
traditional wedding gowns
thinking, "If this was me, I wouldn't
want to wear any of these!" I was
also pretty turned off by the
salespeople that would assume and
assert that a bride would have to
do/say/wear certain things, just
because she was a woman getting
married. I felt so strongly that I
decided there was no way I was the
only person who felt that way. I then
found that there were small,
independent designers that were
creating unique and more relaxed
wedding dresses, and I knew that I
had to crack the industry traditions
wide open and share those dresses
with like-minded people, through a
more laid-back and accepting
shopping experience.
What's your biggest piece of
advice for other store owners?
Now that there are so many more
non-traditional designers and
stores, you have to work harder to
stand out. Don't just look to what
everyone similar to you is doing.;
keep an eye out for what resonates
with you personally, and listen to
what your clients are asking for.
Why do you love
what you do?
The most
rewarding thing to
me is when a client
walks in, sees our
selection, and just
knows that her
dress is here.
Finding that
perfect fit - both in
style options and
environment - can
mean so much;
taking the anxiety
and nervousness out of the
shopping process, and letting them
know that there's a place where
they can embrace and celebrate
their individuality.
Quick Details:
Price range - $2,000-$8,000
Number of fitting rooms - 1 for
private bridal appointments, 4 total
Staff/team? - It’s myself and two
amazing stylists.
3 words to describe your store vibe -
Sophisticated, relaxed, inspiring
3 words to describe your bride -
Free-spirited, confident, original
Bridal only or other departments? -
Bridal as well as special occasion;
fashion-forward cocktail and
evening dresses
How do you spread the work
around when things get really
busy? Do you have a team, an
intern, outsource social media? Do
it all yourself?
Ha, I feel like things are always
really busy! We have a great team of
three: myself and two incredible
stylists that perfectly embody the
vibe of the Luna brand. We rotate
leading bridal appointments, but
most of the behind the scenes
business work is all on me. I am
constantly trying new things to
streamline all of that. I'm working
on becoming the entrepreneur who
checks email only at specific times
of day, and - again - I use
spreadsheets and checklists to keep
tasks organized. My accounting
background also really helps when
it comes to bookkeeping; I'm the
rare business owner who can do
and enjoys doing my own
bookkeeping! I use Later to plan out
Instagram posts (when I can), and
our stylists also contribute to our IG
stories.
What's a struggle you've faced and
how did it help you and your
business grow?
When I opened Glitter & Grit five
years ago, the space I fell in love
with was very small - less than 750
square feet! It created limitations on
how many brides we could see in a
day, and in what we could carry in
the store. I really wanted to expand
our offerings with more
fashion-forward bridal options, as
well as other special occasion
dresses. Last fall, we opened our
sister store, Luna, to do just that. It
quickly became clear that
www.wedaltered.com
14

Pittsburgh brides wanted to explore
the options at both stores, which led
to the decision of merging them
together (just this month!) rather
than waste everyone's tie between
the two locations. I had thought that
might happen someday, but I hadn't
expected it to be so quickly. It was
hard to say goodbye to Glitter & Grit;
the location, the intimacy of the
small space, and five years of
memories with brides... but I'm so
excited to continue to grow and see
where the next five years lead!
How do you plug into your local
community?
Pittsburgh is a smaller city, which
allows for more tight-knit
communities. How I love to connect
with industry friends is one-on-one,
or in small groups, over coffee or a
glass of wine. I feel that the
connection is so much stronger
when you're able to do that. I always
love flexing creative muscles
through styled shoots together, but
we don't usually get to talk much
during the planning and executing
of those. Networking is always a
good way to find new people to get
to know better over drinks!
What's your best behind the scene
process or tool could you not live
without? What inspired you to find
it/come up with it?
Regardless of the official systems I
have in place, I can't live without
Excel spreadsheets. My main one for
brides tracks all of their personal
info, the status of their orders, and
alerts me to upcoming weddings so
that I can send out a little something
congratulatory. I mastered Excel in
my "former life" as an accountant,
and depend on it for organizing
information - I even make
spreadsheets for vacation planning!
What's your favorite way to do
something special for brides?
Because our final interaction with
brides is usually a few months out
from their wedding, I like to send a
little gift in the mail around the time
of their wedding, to let them know
that we're thinking of them and
wishing them the best.
www.luna-boutique.co

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TRENDS REPORT:
THE NEW VINTAGE
Even with a unique
color and fit, OM
Design Studio’s
gown still has that
60’s feel.
the new
cape
You really can’t find an
era that doesn’t have
capes, but pairing this
Pure Magnolia style
with a crop top and slit
bring it into its own.
What happens when yo
mix a cape with off the
shoulder sleeves? This
Bo & Luca beauty.
pearls
Naturae Design gives
the nontraditional
bride a chance to wear
pearls with this
dramatic wrap earring.
This soft fi
style by M
Maids is up
with a soft

A dramatic fringe
makes Alyson
Nicole’s veil
anything but
traditional.
details
Steven Birnbaum
takes the ruffle we
all love and gives it
new lines on this
piece.
Edith Élan’s gown
has a beaded
geometric twist on
the classic illusion
with buttons.
u
Kate McDonald gives
modern brides a new
perspective on the
everyday Jacquard
fabric with this
metallic touch.
tted
ink
dated
pink.
color

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really hard and
are kind, amazing
things will
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www.om-designstudio.com

How to create a
compelling brand
that showcases your
in-store experience
Sophie’s pic
by Sophie Newman
Dress by Renegade Bridal

T
hink of your brand as the
packaging that entices
someone to open your offer.
With time and consideration,
your business is beautifully
wrapped and captivating for your
ideal customer. However, there are
many aspects that go into
developing your strong, detailed,
and compelling presence. And your
in-store experience is only part of it.
A strong brand is developed by
considering the entire experience of
engaging with your business. This
includes interactions a customer
may have with your brand: from
your website to a networking event,
your social media, and more.
Strong brands are required for
creating a lasting business because
customers are more likely to
remember, trust, and buy from
businesses they recognize. As
people begin to recognize the
brand, they begin to trust and like it.
These brands command a higher
price point, increased sales, and a
higher number of loyal customers.
Your brand should be bold,
genuine, and compelling to be
effective. It should be clear about
what it stands for and what it offers
to its customers. It should be
authentic to ensure people have an
experience consistent with their
perception. It should be compelling
to draw people in and make them
want to act.
Give the same time and
consideration to your full presence.
Your in-store experience is only part
of your brand. Spending time
considering how you're perceived in
every place you connect with
customers is how you develop a
consistent experience.
The average revenue increase
attributed to always presenting the
brand consistently is 23%. -
Lucidpress
Consistency across your presence is
key. It allows people to understand
what you stand for and what it
would be like to engage with you,
no matter where they come across
your business. You want your
presence to be just as amazing as
your in-store experience, whether
it's on your website, social media, or
tradeshow.
Don't shortchange yourself online.
If you've taken the time to develop
your in-store experience to the most
minute detail, then you need to
spend the same time and
consideration on your online
presence. For example, for your
in-store experience, you know how
your potential customers should be
greeted, how they are guided
through shopping with you, and
how your packaging is perfectly tied
together.
When it comes to Millennials, 62
percent believe that online content
drives their loyalty to a brand.
Furthermore, if you want to gain
brand loyalty from Millennials, it’s
vital to share that content social
media. - NewsCred Insights
We're in the digital age. People, and
especially millennials, want to see
your online presence and interact
with your social media channels. A
genuine connection using digital
channels can go a long way to
establishing loyalty and credibility.
Invest in yourself and your
presence.
80% of consumers said
“authenticity of content” is the most
influential factor in their decision to
become a follower of a brand. - NJIT
Your presence in-person or in-store
should be just as captivating as your
online presence, and vice versa. You
want people who are arriving at
your location or referring you new
customers to have a good
representation of your brand to
share.
Without an accurate representation
of yourself, and what people can
expect by working with you, you are
showing people that you have not
invested in your own presence. So,
how can you expect your customers
to invest in you if you don't?
How do you know if your brand is
living up to your in-store
experience?
Think about how you would
describe your store's shopping
experience...
What adjectives would you use to
www.wedaltered.com
22

describe your store?
Are those the adjectives you want to
use to describe your store?
What do you wish people said when
they walk in?
Then ask yourself: If someone
encounters your website, social
media channels, tradeshow events,
email, digital books, stationery,
digital advertising, packaging,
signage, or brand photos - Do your
answers to the above questions
change?
If they do change, then it's time to
consider how your brand may be
falling short or not fully
representing what you offer. If your
answers don't change, then you
should ask - How can you live up the
brand you want to create even
more?
To get even more effective at
showcasing your in-store
experience, here are my top tips:
- Evaluate all of your channels and
see if any are not consistent,
genuine, or compelling.
- Ask yourself for each channel:
Would my ideal customer be
interested in what I offer after
seeing this?
- Talk to your actual customers and
gather their impressions of your
brand.
- Discuss ways you can add more
value to each of the places that
individuals interact with your
business.
- Ask yourself if you are committed
and can add value to the place your
brand is being seen. If you aren't
committed or can't add
value, then eliminate that
point of engagement.
Some tools to improve the
expression of your in-store
experience include:
Brand photography can be
a vital part of expressing
your brand and conveying
your in-store experience.
Use it to show people
exactly what they can
expect when they arrive to
your location and how
amazing your experience is.
Your website shows what
you do and social media
proves that you do it.
Developing an online presence that
accurately shows what you offer
and how you deliver it is essential.
Out of date products, broken links,
or unclear photos all hurt people’s
initial impression of you.
Your brand messaging helps people
understand what they will get
when they walk through your door.
It tells them what you’re about and
why you do what you do, so they’re
sold on you before you meet.
When it comes to making all of
these decisions, remember:
Earrings by Kata Banko
Dress by Galia Lahav
It's better to find focus and deliver
quality interactions. You don't need
to be everywhere all the time. You
can focus on what works for you
and your business so you deliver
quality content and engagement.
It's better to consider the entire
brand than just a few pieces.
Knocking it out of the park is great,
just make sure you're doing it across
the board so people always know
how awesome your brand is.
Always be authentic in what you do.
Be clear about who you are and
what you can do for people, so they
feel like they get to know you and
your business before they even walk
through the door.
SOPHIE NEWMAN
Sophie Newman, founder of Florida Winter Marketing, is
a branding and marketing consultant who tells bold,
genuine, and captivating stories. Her goal is to tell your
story so it attracts your ideal audience, just like Florida
winters. She and her team create a presence for entrepreneurs
and events that thrive in the digital age. She
enjoys teaching yoga, blogging marketing, and reading
fantasy novels.
www.floridawintermarketing.com

work
with our
designer
Customizations upon
request - patterns, beading,
color changes,
and more.
Mix
and
match
Separates close
more brides
Build looks like this
jumpsuit + overskirt!
quirk.
whimsy.
Be the destination
for unique
selection.
RENEGADE
713-364-4628
design@renegadebridal.com
SHOP THE COLLECTION
renegadebridal.com
bigger
tickets
Our brides love
choosing TWO
skirts!

If you want to go quickly, go alone.
If you wan

t to go far,
go together
~ African proverb

Stephanie ad

Gown by Ysa Makino
Styling by Henris
Georgina Vaughn Photography
Coming April 2018
VOW | AmericasMart
12-E107 - Building 3
StefanieSomers.com
Sales@StefanieSomers.com | 800.400.4312

y Natalie Harris
Nat pic
encore brides
5 REASONS WHY
HAVE IT GOOD

1.
3.
Encore Brides understand priorities.
So many of the most common budget planning
mistakes and post-nuptial regrets are
more easily avoided by couples with more
life experience. Maybe the first time around
they were left questioning why they cared
about wedding favors. Maybe the catering
was only so-so last time and they know to
choose a more creative chef for this celebration.
They understand that this is a "no
regrets" project and they have their own
past to look to, not just hearsay.
2.
Encore Brides know themselves.
Encore Brides have their lifelong friends
nailed down.
College or early adult life is probably behind
them. They’ve done the moving and job
hunting. Their social circle is more settled.
The people they have around them have
done this before. They are excited and ready
to celebrate this union for the uniqueness
that it is (just like every other couple and
wedding!). After all, they know the bride’s
flavor of fun and understand how the couple
works together.
When we're 25, we're just different women
than when we're 35, 55, or 75. It's actually
pretty cool to craft a celebration of your
relationship when you have embraced your
full spectrum of what’s shaped your life so
far. Sure, there are brides who know who
they are at any age, but Encore Brides have
a little more experience living it. Plus, they
usually know that no grown woman has to
ask permission to own her own flavor of
self-expression.
www.wedaltered.com 30

4.
Encore Brides Have More Time and Freedom to Save
Ok, everybody has bills, but it's a rare 20-year-old that has equity,
an advanced degree, or an enviable career. Of course, some may
have all three. I'm just saying, chances are good that if couple’s
are DIYing a lot, it's by choice rather than necessity. Encore
Brides might be able to splurge a little bit on the vendors that
excite them. Rent that Rolls Royce. Upgrade to silk. (It feels so
soft.) They've often had time to work hard and made good
choices so they can afford a few things that are really
meaningful, even if it ends up being a little more expensive than
it was in their first wedding.
5. married. I had never had a need for a family
Encore Brides have a better eye for quality than
the last time.
If you're anything like me, I had no idea what
good photography looked like when I was newly
photographer nor an event photographer. Even
though I found some vendors I loved, in the
years since I have diffrerent preferences about
style and quality. Experience brings
discernment, and Encore Brides can weed out
the amateurs more quickly because they’ve
seen what works for them and what they would
do differenty.
Dress by Renegade Bridal
NATALIE HARRIS
Natalie Harris is the Owner and Creative Director of
Renegade Bridal. Her design studio is based out of
Houston, but she works with brides all of the world to
keep what makes them who they are part of their
wedding. With both streamlined production and plenty
of opportunity for customization, her Renegade line
gives lots of style and personality in a streamlined
process.
She prefers to color outside the lines and encouraging
renegade brides to forego tradition for the sake of itself
in favor of meaningful details.
www.renegadebridal.com

A

Employees:
Pull them into your
brand and big vision
by Christen Schneider

W
hen you start to invest a
lot of time, money, and
brain power in really
nailing your vision for your
company and the big picture
message you want to share with the
world, you'll likely start to worry
about how to get that outlook to
become the default with your
whole team. After all, we talk about
how consistency in presentation is
key. Even harder, we know we need
it to be authentic...so it's not just
about getting your employees to
check the boxes on certain to dos,
it's about building a culture with
people who really connect with and
believe in what you're doing. Not
simple. But the good news is that
lots of people avoid things as soon
as they get even just a little
complicated, so you can really set
your business apart when you get
this right!
Here are some key things to start
doing now:
1) Take time to learn - You expect
your employees to improve and
learn. We all know the excitement
that comes with seeing someone
who is genuinely interested in their
work and actively looks for their
own opportunities to grow and do
better. It inspires us and the other
people around them and it pays off
in happiness and cash flow in the
work setting.
So make sure to be one of those
people! Find inspiring and detailed
videos and books on how to
effectively dream, teach, and guide.
Whether you want to admit it or
not, your job description is "leader".
It's in your best interest (and in the
best interest of your clients,
employees, and business) to hone
your craft. Check out Start With
Why by Simon Sinek, Radical
Candor by Kim Scott, Tribes by Seth
Godin, How to Win Friends and
Influence People by Dale Carnegie,
or The Confidence Code: The
Science and Art of Self-Assurance —
What Women Should Know by
Katty Kay and Claire Shipman.
2) Take time to make it personal -
When it comes to goal setting,
teaching, monitoring, or motivating
staff, find what fits them and their
strengths. Two employees may be
struggling with closing, or being
late, or anything else for two very
different reasons. If you try to apply
the same course of correction and
instruction to them both, at least
one of them won't be getting what
they need to really make a
difference.
Incentives work the same way.
Goals need to be structured to fit
what that person values, or you lose
most of their motivational benefit
and impact. It's also so much more
effective if the person who has to
work on the goal has a hand in
creating the goal. It gives a much
stronger belief and sense of
possibility.
3) Take time to train - This kind of
seems like a no brainer, but people
don't bother to go as in depth and
they need to to teach effectively.
They make a checklist, turn on a
tutorial, and wish them luck. And
those are amazingly effective tools!
But it's surface stuff. You need to
teach the WHY, not just the what.
Teach your employees about your
vision before you ever get to the
systems or how to close a sale. Show
them all about your ideal client,
your store's sense of style, and the
impact you want to create. Then as
you start to move onto the
checklists and tasks, you'll have a
base of emotion and deeper
understanding to help them form
long term skills that they buy into
because they know why that follow
up email actually matters.
Don't just assume the same
instruction methods will work for
every employee, either. Go back to
point number two and remember
that when you take the extra 10
minutes to adjust how you present
something, it saves everyone
months of frustration. And make
sure to have a final step during
training where they apply what
they're learning before you send
them out there on their own.
Application is one of the biggest
tools you can use to make sure
people get it.
4) Take time to make it simple - Yes,
I know that sounds like the opposite
of what I've been saying. But if you
have a particular style you want to
present in your team's workwear,
you have 3 options:
- Spend time explaining everything,
play police when people interpret
what you said differently than you
wanted, and get your vision...but
have a very frustrated you and team
as well.
- Go over everything enough, but
not so much that too much time
gets eaten up...then quietly (or not
so quietly) complain that people
aren't really getting it and your
vision is lost
- Treat your staff to a few key pieces
as a "uniform", with easy mix and
match ways to personalize it. You
have more control, the visions'
totally clear, and everyone wins.
Now, your simple solutions may
look different than mine. Every
group has it's own struggles and
things they get down perfectly with
no worries. But if there's a problem
spot, try to find the way to bypass it,
not blast through it with pure
stubbornness.
5) Take time to have fun and
connect - If you want your team to
care, they need to feel like you do.
Keep a position of leadership, but
encourage team-like experiences
and relationships regularly. Build in
celebration of not just big work or
business accomplishments but also
life and everything else. When it
comes to serving and guiding in
your community, your own team
who is helping you do what you do
and live out your mission is the
perfect place to start.
www.wedaltered.com 34

Embroider and embellish
2
1
3
1 - Laser cut details on a floaty sheer overlay by Nuorikko
2 - Embroidery paired with a plunging neckline and sleeves by Edith Élan
3 - Embroidered 3D lace and a nude lining by OM Design Studio

TRENDS REPORT
4
5 6
4 - A pop of color and regional flavor (see the longhorn hiding in there?) by Renegade Bridal
5 - Big dramatic polka dots embellish a soft and romantic style by Nadia Manzato
6 - Celestial details in a Kata Banko crown complement the modern take on pearls for this Rue de Seine gown

MEET ALYSON
Designer of Alyson Nicole

A
s a New York designer, I know
I can always count on Alyson
for great talk about fashion,
marketing, and all things
bridal Her line debuted during
October Bridal Week at The London
last year and she’s been growing
steadily ever since. She took the
time to answer our interview
questions for us.
You're based in Brooklyn, NY, tell
me a little about what sets your
city apart?
Being based in Brooklyn has many
perks. Because it is so close to
Manhattan, sourcing new materials
is extremely easy. There are so many
suppliers in Brooklyn too, which
gives me more options than if I lived
back home in Pennsylvania.
Another perk I love is that there’s a
ton of resources that help expand
my business- for example, there are
unlimited options for classes (such
as jewelry making/metalsmithing -
which is something I’m looking
into!). In my opinion, Brooklyn has a
lot more heart than Manhattan
when dealing with independent
designers and artists. There is a
huge supportive
community in
Brooklyn that really
helps to expand
growth
and
knowledge of the
industry itself in many
different aspects. Plus
Brooklyn doesn’t have
that stuck up/closed off
vibe that Manhattan
can have and it really
helps open up your
creativity.
What led to you
starting your line?
What's your bridal
origin story?
What originally started
my line was my sister
getting married and
my mother telling me I
should make veils for a
living (while I was still in college). I
made my sister a beautiful feather
bird cage veil and created a full line
of bird cage veils and traditional
veils around that. After graduation
and moving to NYC for my first
fashion 9-5, I decided that I didn’t
want to get “stuck” at a job that was
making meaningless items. It was
at that moment I relaunched my
bridal line to create heirlooms, both
bespoke and in for my own
collection.
What's the inspiration behind your
most recent collection?
My 2018 collection was mainly
inspired by my own wedding. The
theme was an “industrial secret
garden” which I translated into my
collection by using natural
elements (both organic and
manmade) mixed with various
metal geometric components.
Why do you love what you do?
I absolutely love knowing that what
I create is going to be worn on one
of the most important days of their
life. It’s such a great feeling to make
something so special that is also an
heirloom that can be passed down.
Quick Details:
Price range - WS $25-$350 , Retail at
2.2 mark up $55-$770
Production/quality details -
Production takes 90-120 days from
order date. Each component is
hand picked and inspected to make
sure the quality is top-notch both
before and after the product is
assembled.
Staff/team? - One woman team
with occasional office help
3 words to describe your brand vibe
- Unconventional, Bohemian, Bold
3 words to describe your bride -
Daring, Unique, alternative
Bridal only or other kinds of lines-
Mainly bridal BUT I strongly believe
a lot of my products can be worn
long after the wedding day.
How do you spread the work
around when things
get really busy? Do
you have a team, an
intern, outsource
social media? Do it all
yourself?
When things get
REALLY busy, I start by
prioritizing what needs
to be done first, then I
create a loose schedule
to plan out what days
will handle certain
tasks. I usually do
everything myself but
recently I hired an
intern (and will
continue to do so) to
help with website
content, social media,
and other “secretarial”
tasks. It has helped A
LOT and it lets me
concentrate on what’s
www.wedaltered.com
38

most important such as creating
products, filling orders, and
answering emails.
What does "community over
competition mean for you and your
business?
I strongly feel that in this industry as
an independent designer it’s
extremely important to support one
another- as designers, boutique
owners, and other wedding
professionals. I don’t believe that just
because someone else makes
accessories that they are a threat to
my business or that I am better than
them. I have my own aesthetic that
attracts a certain type of bride, as do
they. If we all close each other out,
then we really cannot learn or grow.
Its so important to learn from other
peoples’ experiences and to help
someone out when you can. You
never know when you’ll need help
and its so much better to have a
community that you can turn to.
What's the best style you've ever
made? What made it special?
My Raeghan Quartz earrings. Ever
since I posted them on IG, they have
been getting more views than any
other item I’ve made. They also were
such a favorite at the October bridal
week and are constantly being
requested for styled shoots. I think
the reason why they are so special is
because they mix the classic glam
look with bohemian vibes to create a
timeless pair of earrings that really
can be worn for any occasion,
especially on a bride’s wedding day!
What's your best behind the scene
process or tool could you not live
without? What inspired you to find
it/come up with it?
Mine is pretty basic but I can’t create
new products or fill orders without
it... I need to have a “to-do” list (either
written or in thumbnail sketches)
that I can mark off as they are
completed. It keeps me motivated
to see what needs to be done, it
relieves stress to know that its not
forgotten, and it also makes me feel
really accomplished when I can
mark something off! Yes, it can get
overwhelming but it sure is a great
feeling to see things getting done!
What's the most unique or
inspiring story you have about
working with a bride or store?
I had this amazing couple come to
me and ask me to reuse both their
mothers’ wedding dresses in her
bespoke wedding dress and both of
their accessories. They also wanted
me to creat gifts out of the gowns to
give to their moms. It was such a
sweet and memorable thing to be a
part of and so much fun to figure
out how to incorporate the dresses
into each piece.

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12

y Keneshia Raymond
Let’s talk...
Keneshia’s pic
Serving and Styling Plus Size Brides
L
et’s take a moment to talk about plus size wedding gowns, my friends. Being a designer for
plus size brides has really opened my eyes to the way the bride thinks. After years of being a
wedding planner / designer, I never thought about how hard it may be for curvy brides to
find their dream wedding dress, even as a curvy person myself!
As I’ve done research and spoke with brides, I learned that most plus size brides feel uncomfortable
coming in bridal stores and trying on dresses. I know you’ve heard the same thing. Many
feel that they will stand out or fear that there may not be a dress in their size. It doesn’t help that
plus size is under represented in photos and in magazines, which makes it hard for the bride to
even picture exactly what they want.
When a plus size bride comes in the store, they are often worried about their insecurities. This is
the time we have to help them feel comfortable about the experience that is to come, but helping
plus size brides feel more confident in choosing their dress starts with us changing the way
we think. As store owners and designers we must understand that plus is no different. It
shouldn’t be presented as a burden!

Let’s start with really getting to
know them. Listen to their stories,
ask them not only what styles they
are looking for but what are their
concerns, what would they like to
accentuate. Although every bride
has their own insecurities, this is so
important for your curvy brides.
They just want to feel heard. Like
any bride, they want to look sexy
and beautiful on their wedding day.
We have to learn to speak the plus
brides language and anticipate
what they want before they walk in
the door. Designers and store
owners, we can change the way
plus size brides think about buying
their wedding dress! It is up to us to
give our brides an experience that
they will never have anywhere else,
an experience that is magical. We
need to help them to understand
the magic in finding their wedding
dress in person so they don’t need
to just settle for what they find on
Amazon or Ebay. No bride wants to
settle!
Most curvy brides will go straight to
a ball gown, which they believe will
hide everything. We’ve all seen that
in some cases a ball gown will make
them look bigger, though. Understanding
curvy silhouettes and
what works for each body shape is
our specialty, so encouraging them
to try on different silhouettes that
will accentuate their curves and
make them look beautiful is one of
the best things we can do.
Getting a plus size bride to trust you
to do that requires having many
options for her to explore.
Plus size brides today choose their
dream dress with a ton of alterations.
As an industry, we can and
should design for the curvy bride
who loves the dress just the way it
is. Imagine if the brides could all
find their dream dress without
having to add sleeves and more
material! That’s why we focus on
designing a variety of different
silhouettes so that curvy brides
have all the options they need to
make a choice and find a dress they
love.
Nothing is going to change in our
industry unless we make the
change. We have to step up if we
want to see these important shifts.
Two million women that get married
every year are a size 14 and
above and we are not making sure
we can cater to theses brides. We
are missing out on a huge opportunity!
Remember that word of
mouth spreads like wildfire and
once a curvy bride falls in love with
your shop she will send over her
friends.
Plus size brides just want to feel
accepted and not like a burden.
They want to look great and to be
able to fit in your sample size
dresses. We all do so much to serve
our customers! This is the perfect
place to keep that going.
KENESHIA RAYMOND
Keneshia Raymond is the founder of Curvy Unicorn, an
online Wedtech based plus size wedding dress
company that celebrates curvy brides. Keneshia has
been active in the wedding community for over 10 years
as a planner & wedding designer and the VP of Wed
Tech Summit. She also founded Enchanted: The
Wedding Event & Blissful Creatives: an online education
resource and creative strategy agency focusing on
helping creatives launch, grow and strategy for
wedding businesses. Kay is a speaker & educator. When
she is not working you can find her dancing, surfing,
reading or enjoying some time with family.
www.curvy-unicorn.com
42

The secret of
change is to focus
all of your energy,
not on fighting the
old, but on building
the new.
~ Socrates

Parting shot...
by Christen Schneider
Out of the Office:
Block time to step away and work on big thinking projects.
Do you block your schedule? You know the advice you hear in every business blog post...answer
email once a day, take a walk, lay out your action items, etc. And it's a huge impact when you
implement things that streamline and deal with the little bits that can quickly suck up a whole
day with busyness but without much progress! But it does more to save your sanity than move
you toward your big time dreams...
That's why before we’re done with this issue on doing business differently, I also want to focus
building in times to work on yourbusiness. Taking a few hours a week (or even a month) and
sitting down to tackle something that often gets pushed back. Things that are important with a
capital I, but not necessarily urgent. Everyone's 90 day and 1 year goals are different so this varies,
but it's usually something like goal setting, project planning, year long scheduling, blog posts, creative
projects, inventory development, big picture marketing, lead system development, and personal
or professional development.
I’m writing this really more as a challenge than a lesson or a big answer to an industry question.
So I'm challenging you to try this. Block out 4+ hours at least once this month and really dive into
something you know would push you forward that you may never get to devote that much time
and energy to otherwise.
Plan out your vision and then reverse engineer some “can do this now” goals. Then make a story
or vision board of the big stuff that’s a little farther in the future. Plan your year’s content calendar,
create a training manual to be able to delegate, review your numbers and inventory, or write yourself
a story of what your days and business would look like if you could wave a magic mand and
make it exactly what you wanted.
Even if you have a separate office space in your store, I would encourage you to try this. Putting
yourself in an environment you enjoy, that's novel to you, and hidden to other people and the
usual distractions will give you a boost. Make a playlist, get a drink, and get to work. Enjoy!
44

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