Cheryl Woodley has launched CYW Bridal, a new mobile bridal boutique business. (Images courtesy CYW Bridal)
Cheryl Woodley is marrying her wedding planning experience with her desire for more plus-sized bridal gown options with a new mobile business.
Woodley has recently launched CYW Bridal, which brings the bridal shop to customers’ homes.
In her truck, Woodley takes wedding gown options, champagne and other bridal shop fixtures to Richmond-area homes, in a bid to make a more comfortable wedding dress shopping experience than may be typical.
Woodley, a former longtime wedding planner, said that she noticed that many of her wedding planning clients over the years found bridal dress shopping to be a stressful experience.
She said that some of her plus-sized wedding planning clients have expressed fears of going into a bridal shop and being judged, or not being able to close the back of the wedding dress. She added that when she went bridal shopping for her own wedding back in the late ‘90s, she struggled to find options that fit her own body.
“When I went to select my wedding dress, it was not the best experience, because I am a plus-sized girl,” Woodley said. “It always stuck with me to do something different with our brides.”
That thought led her to wonder if she could create a “bridal shop on wheels” for customers, where she could visit their homes with a set of wedding dresses to try on in a more comfortable environment.
“To me, it would be a more intimate experience if we were to come to the most comfortable place for a bride, which is right inside of their home, so that’s when I started looking at mobile services,” she said.
Woodley didn’t see any similar offerings in the Richmond area, and spoke to some out-of-state businesses in the mobile bridal industry before deciding to pursue the idea for herself.
Woodley began working on CYW Bridal late last year and is now booking appointments as of this month.
CYW Bridal starts clients with a 15-minute introductory call to figure out if the service is right for them, and, once a bride books an appointment, does a virtual “dress discovery session,” to discuss the vision for the dress and look through a stylebook of the dresses Woodley has in inventory ahead of the appointment date.
“When we get together, I am your bridal stylist. We’re going to talk about what looks good on you, what is it you like about (a) particular gown, is it the neckline, the length of the dress, whatever it may be,” Woodley said. “According to what the bride has told us, we’ll bring those dresses along for her to try on.”
Woodley is bringing gowns in-house to brides who want a more intimate shopping experience.
The business offers two packages for the mobile bridal experience, including the “Ever After Experience” and the “Mrs. Collection,” which are $795 and $1,195, respectively. The package pricing is only for the mobile experience, and does not include the cost of the wedding gown.
The “Ever After Experience” includes a two-to-three hour session with up to four guests plus the bride, with six gown options curated for the specific bride to try on.
The “Mrs. Collection” includes a three-to-four-hour session with up to six guests plus the bride, with eight gown options.
The more expensive collection offers a free retry appointment if a customer is not sure of the dress they chose, while the less expensive collection offers a retry appointment for a $250 fee.
Woodley said she tried to look at both other mobile bridal shops and private, full-showroom appointments at more traditional bridal salons to determine her prices.
For each appointment, Woodley brings a full-mirror and a bridal riser, as well as a white rug, along with champagne or a non-alcoholic beverage, and some light food options.
When a bride selects a wedding gown at the appointment, Woodley places the order for them, and when the dress comes in, Woodley comes again to the bride’s home for a try-on.
She said that while she is still figuring out her coverage area, she can typically travel anywhere within a 60-mile radius of the city.
If any alterations are needed following the try-on, Woodley said she leaves recommendations for a seamstress but does not schedule that work herself.
CYW Bridal works with three wedding gown wholesale vendors she orders her sample stock directly from, including retailers Sydney’s Closet, Studio Levana and Edith Elan, all of whom have either a focus on or plentiful plus-sized options.
Woodley noted that while much of her company is geared toward giving plus-sized women more bridal experience options, her appointments can accommodate women from a size two up to a size 32 in dress sizes, adding that the experience is “for anyone,” but that she “built CYW for the plus-size bride.”
She noted that while the business mostly places orders with bridal vendors for her customers’ measurements, she does have some off the rack options for people who may want a same-day purchase.
Woodley hosted a grand opening for CYW Bridal a few months ago, hosting eight brides in her home with her CYW Bridal setup to show her bridal gown offerings as she headed toward launch.
Since then, she said she has been meeting with brides to begin growing out her client book and is taking appointments.
Woodley showcased her in-home setup at the Virginia Bridal and Wedding Expo on Oct. 11 at the Richmond Raceway Complex in an effort to drum up some more business.
Woodley is currently using her personal truck to take her mobile business around, but said she is looking to invest in a van specifically for the business in the next few months that she can make bridal-themed.
The post Former wedding planner launches ‘bridal shop on wheels’ appeared first on Richmond BizSense.
