How to Find Brides Who Value Your Work

“[My biggest challenge] is connecting with the right brides. Hands down. My wife is a mind-blowing florist and incredibly sweet and that’s what has won most of our current brides. (We just entered the wedding industry a year ago.) But dealing with the business side, what have you seen to work efficiently in finding brides who understand the investment going into their flowers?”

Brides who understand the investment necessary for flowers?  You’d have better luck hunting for unicorns.  🙂

Seriously, most brides have NO IDEA how much a wedding costs, let alone how much it costs for those pretty flowers they see on Style Me Pretty and My Fair Wedding.  The only ones who understand the “investment” are probably florists themselves.

Rather than finding brides who understand the “investment” involved in what you do, you need to find brides who value it enough to pay for it.

It’s a subtle, but powerful, distinction.  The real value they’re paying for is always emotional.  Having those gorgeous flowers means something.  It’s remembering the hydrangeas in Grandma’s backyard, reliving that night in the rose garden where they had their first kiss, or imagining how special she’s going to feel in that moment with lush, one of a kind floral arrangements surrounding her.

Now that we’ve got the unicorn fantasy out of the way…

Here’s how you can connect with the brides who will pay more:

1. Clearly identify who you’re looking for. 

What style of wedding is she planning?  What type of flowers does she prefer?  What venues does she choose for the ceremony and reception?  Where does she live/work/go to school?

You’ll find that your ideal clients, the ones who love what you do and value the floral experience at the wedding enough to pay for it, will have certain characteristics in common.  Identify them.

2. Once you know who she is, find out where she goes, both online and off. 

What wedding planning websites does she visit?  Which wedding professionals does she hire?  What local organizations does she belong to?  What clothing stores does she shop in?

Imagine yourself as your ideal bride.  (Might be difficult as a guy, but your wife can help.)  Big businesses profile their ideal clients down to where they buy their underwear.  You can do the same.  Except not with the underwear.

If you aren’t sure where to start, most often, you (or your wife) fits your ideal client profile.  You can also survey your current and past clients to learn more, and be sure to ask them when you meet in person.

3. Meet her in the places she frequents where you have little or no competition.

For example, if your ideal bride client shops at a high end boutique, partner with them to sponsor a bridal fashion night, do the flowers, and hold a contest to collect their information.  Write guest blog posts for the wedding websites she frequents, or join the country club where she is a member.

4. Use what you’ve learned about who your ideal bride is to run targeted Facebook ads.

You can target your advertising audience down to the zip code, the pages she likes, her education level, and even her food preferences!

As a florist, I’d focus on connecting with the wedding venues and bridal salons that are a good match for your client base.  Partner with them to sponsor a special fashion event or tasting.

Since your wife is so good working with brides in person, she might put together a short educational presentation on using color and flowers to express your personality and theme at the wedding, providing inspirational tips and visuals that will leave them begging for more.

Once you start brainstorming, you’ll know what to do.

It all starts with knowing who you want to attract and climbing into their shoes so that you can think like them and give them exactly what they want.

What do you think about attracting the right brides?

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