It is so important to create inviting, interesting dress displays in your boutique to show off your gowns. As we are all aware, some dresses don’t have any hanger appeal: these dresses need to be shown off on mannequins. This enables the bride to see how the gown will look on a body and will encourage her to want to try the dress on. You can also make your store look super inviting to your customers by creating eye-catching displays in your store. Accessorising your displays is also a great idea so that the bride can visualise the full bridal look. In retail stores, they merchandise their stock in outfits to help the customer envisage the full look - this should be the same in your bridal boutique!

What would you say are the most important elements of having an appealing bridal shop?

The most important elements to consider in your store to make your boutique look inviting and appealing to your brides are:

1. Window displays – these need to be immaculate at all times, mannequins should be well-dressed and pinned appropriately. You can also use your window displays to show off any offers or events that you may have running in store. I also think it is good to have pricing of your products (dresses that are on the mannequins) displayed in your windows also. This makes it easy for potential customers to see what your price point is, and could encourage them to shop with you. Also, ensure you are changing your mannequins regularly to keep them looking fresh and appealing: it is essential to show off the fact that you have a wide range of stock!
2. The front of the store, especially parts that can be seen through your windows – first impressions count. Ensure the front of your boutique is always kept clean/ tidy and clutter free. It’s such an obvious thing, but so many people slip up on this one!
3. Dress standards – this is my real bug bare in store. It is so important that no matter whether it is early morning or late afternoon, the dresses need to look immaculate. We can conduct 4 appointments at any one time at Dotty, so we have a team member who tidys the shop in-between each appointment. The shop needs to look pristine for every bride that walks through the doors. Our dress standards include: dresses all being on the correct hangers (all on the same hangers) with the logos all facing forward. The dress loops all hung on the hangers to stop the dresses from stretching. Each hanger should be a finger space apart on the rail, all hanging tags should be tucked away and lastly the trains and bottoms of the skirts should all be tucked under to ensure no one trips and the gowns look neat. 
4. Internal mannequins – make sure you don’t just have mannequins in your windows, have them in store too. The more, the better!
5. Gown layout – think about how you want to layout your dresses. Some shops like to do this by silhouette and mix the designers together. Dotty on the other hand, we like to keep all our designers merchandised separately and then the dresses be displayed in silhouette order within the designers. We feel this allows the dresses to work well together as designers design collections to sit together and bounce off each other. There’s no right or wrong way with this, it is complete personal preference. You choose which way works for you!