Owning Your Own Bridal Boutique?

Question

I really love weddings and I enjoy looking at wedding related things. I was thinking about someday owning my own bridal boutique, perhaps something a bit more upscale (but, still affordable). I'm wondering how lucrative this type of business would be. In addition, what type of hours and how much work does it take to run a successful bridal business. Of course, owning your own business takes time and sacrifice; however, what are the pros and cons of the business. How much do bridal shop owners make in one year?

Answer 1

As with any small business it's A LOT of work and LONG hours.  I  know this because my mom used to own a bridal store when I was a kid.  I grew up "in the industry" as a result, simply because it was long hours, everyday of the week (because it was open everyday except Sunday, and a lot of weekends you are doing bridal shows and fashion shows. etc.

Do you have highly developed fashion design and sewing skills?  Most owners do because when you outfit girls you have to know how to pin expertly and you have to be able to tell them what can be done with the dress alteration wise.  My mom used to do much of the alterations herself (she also had two hired seamstresses) and she also had her own line of dresses that she sold as well as the popular designers.  I know I would not buy a wedding gown from a store that's owner did not know about clothing construction and alterations.  Of course you would hire someone to help (because it is a lot of work), but the owner knowing and doing some alterations themselves says a lot about a store.

There is a lot to the wedding/wedding gown industry that is not as nice as what you see in the shops.  I used to go on buying trips with my mother and it was VERY educational and ... interesting.  You will see the industry in a whole new light if you get into it professionally.  Not to say you will hate weddings or anything (my mother still loves helping out brides by doing alterations, etc), but you will just see the other side of it.

I don't know about the exact money that is involved in owning a shop because my parents never shared that with me, but I know my mother, despite her 30+ years of sewing and design experience was not that successful.

Long story short my mother no longer owns the store because it went bankrupt.  As a result my family also had to declare personally bankruptcy because my father and mother both invested a lot of time and money into the business. It can be cut-throat.  She didn't have a lot of business experience, but my father had over 15 years, and they hired accountants, lawyers, etc to help them.   A bridal boutique is like any other type of business ownership, so be prepared for the workload.  

I suggest getting to know the owner of a small business (bridal or otherwise) and talking to them about the time and effort they put into their "babies".  Bridal gown shops are a very special type of retail, so you may want to get some experience working in retail in general to learn about what you need to survive in the industry.

Owning a bridal boutique and working in one are two very different things too.  Maybe you could try working in one as a sales clerk as some experience and exposure to what it is like booking alterations, dealing with brides (and mothers) and just being in the retail environment of the wedding industry to get a better idea of what the lifestyle is like.

Good Luck