Body Language
Your body language plays a huge part in the guests experience.Think back to a time when you were shopping at your favorite boutique, but felt as if the sales staff could care less if you were there or not, and they didn’t even engage with you! Well, body language can make or break her experience.
● Maintain an appropriate level of eye contact with the guest throughout the interaction.
● Always use open body language (avoid crossed arms).
● Smile in a way that’s natural for you.
● Don’t let negative emotions show on your face…even when you’re having a bad day. If you act joyful - you’ll start to feel joyful from the inside out. Guests will be drawn in by your positive attitude!
● Use an even, upbeat tone of voice.
Get to know your Guest
● First and foremost, begin every interaction with CONGRATS! This is a very special time and you are helping her with one of the biggest decisions and purchases she will make, and helping her make memories for a lifetime!
● Get the story!Ask her about the proposal, the ring, her fiance, the colors she has in mind, etc.This helps in building that connection with the bride.
● Be sure to introduce yourself and engage with her bridal group as well. These are the people that mean the most to her and she chose them to experience this special day with her. Let’s make sure that each of them have an amazing experience too.
We’ve all been there before. We get tied up and too into a task and lose sight of what is happening around us.Always remember to HULA…no, not that HULA!
But, HULA…Heads Up, Look Around! What does this mean though. Simply, always take a second to look up from what you’re doing and survey your surroundings. Is there a guest that might have slipped in while your head was down doing a task? If so, let’s make sure we are still being aware of what is going on around us and ensuring we are giving her the best experience imaginable.
The Bride’s Journey
VOG - WELCOME/GREETING (Guest with Appointment)
Here’s a look at what questions our bride will be asked on the VOG about her Welcome/Greeting experience -
● Name of person who greeted you?
● Were you greeted warmly within 10 seconds upon entry and was the body language warm and engaging?
● Did the greeter further engage with you and determine your needs?
● If yes, please include what question they asked and how you responded.
● Did you enjoy the musicAND was it set at an appropriate volume?
● Did you enjoy the store’s scent?
● Was the team dressed appropriately to convey credibility as a Wedding Stylist?
● Comments on Welcome/Greeting:Tell the story of how you were greeted, including what questions you were asked, if any. Give details on your impression of the music, store scent and how the team was dressed. Include positive comments and make sure to explain all no answers.
VOG - WELCOME/GREETING (Guest without Appointment)
● Name of the person who greeted you?
● Were you greeted warmly within 10 seconds upon entry and was the body language warm and engaging?
● Did you enjoy the musicAND was it set at an appropriate volume?
● Did you enjoy the store’s scent?
● Was the team dressed appropriately to convey credibility as a Wedding Stylist?
● Comments on Welcome/Greeting:Tell the story of how you were greeted, including what questions you were asked, if any. Give details on your impression of music, store scent, and how the team was dressed. Include positive comments and make sure to explainALLno answers.
Remember, it’s not about simply getting ALL “Yes” answers and great/positive comments from our brides and guests. We want to ensure that we give EVERYONE that enters our doors the unimaginable experience that she deserves!
VOG - WELCOME/GREETING GUEST COMMENT
“While we waited for my second guest to show up, Sara asked me some personalized questions to make sure she had a good idea of what it was that I was looking for. She also asked for 3 words I would use to describe myself and big day. I felt very at ease with Sara’s demeanor, her personality was perfect for a dress stylist! She walked around and gave me a rundown of where I could find certain dresses, depending on style, cut and shape. She asked for a ballpark range for dress cost and told me all of their dresses fall within my range at their location. Sara let my friends and I wander around and pull out an additional 6 dresses, plus the 4 she had already preselected for me based on my Pinterest board.
The store did not have an overly strong scent, but did have a slight floral smell as we walked around. The music was a good volume. I didn’t pay much attention to it when I was interacting with Sara, but when I was alone in the dressing room, I could hear it and though it was perfect!
After reading this bride’s comments, ask yourself…what did we nail? What could we have done differently?
The Bride’s Journey
VOG - BRAND EXPERIENCE
Remember, our motto is to give her the unimagined wedding experience. But, how do we do that?You’ve nailed her First Impression and the Welcome/Intro, now let’s look at a crucial piece of her journey with Vow’d - the Brand Experience.
BRAND EXPERIENCE
Let’s put ourselves into her shoes for a moment.You’re newly engaged and beginning the planning process of your upcoming wedding.You’ve looked forward to this day your entire life and have envisionedTHE dress since you were little.You’ve made the appointment to begin the hunt for just that dress and have your vision in hand, ready to give to the stylist at the bridal boutique. You arrive to the boutique so excited to begin this step in your wedding journey, but that excitement soon turns to anxiety.The boutique was overwhelming, cluttered and could use a good dusting.The stylist seemed less than thrilled that you were there, but you shake that off - maybe she was having a bad day.You felt like she barely listened to you when you were giving her your vision ofTHE dress and based on what she pulled for you, you realize that she didn’t hear you at all.
One of the most exciting and special times has turned into you just wishing for this day to be over.This is NOThow we want our guests to feel. We want her to feel like the bride she has always dreamed of being!
Let’s take a peek at how Vow’d goes above and beyond to give her and exceptional experience!
STARTING AN APPOINTMENT
It’s a beautiful Saturday morning, right in the middle of your busy season.Your store leader is about to open the front door for today’s business. Ok, GO!!!
Wait…what? How am I supposed to do this?? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Let’s go over what Starting anAppointment with a bride looks like and how to give her the unimagined bridal experience.
*If the bride has written down any dresses she likes in her appointment notes, prepull those and have them in her dressing room waiting on her arrival*
● Greet any guest that walks in the door within 10 seconds.
● Ask them if they have an appointment with us.
● Greet your party and ask them if they would like any water or champagne.
● Show them to their sitting area.
● Introduce yourself to your bride and her party. Make sure to use your bride’s name when introducing yourself -
○ “Hi Sara, my name is Hope and I am going to be your stylist today!
First and foremost I wanted to congratulate you on your engagement!!”
● Be genuinely cheerful and have a smile on your face.You are there to make her day!
● Ask who is joining her today and introduce yourself to the party as well -
○ “Who do we have joining us today?” - Include HER group!!
● Ask the bride questions about herself/fiance/engagement/wedding -
○ “What is your fiance’s name?”
○ “How did you two meet?”
○ “How did they propose to you?”
○ “Let’s see the ring!”
○ “What is the date of your wedding?”
○ “Have you picked a venue?”
STARTING AN APPOINTMENT (cont.)
● Ask the bride if she has tried on dresses before.
● If she has tried on dresses before, ask if she has any pictures of the dresses she loved!
● If this is her first time trying on dresses, ask if she has any inspo pics.
● Ask what kind of silhouette she likes, how she feels about glitter/lace/etc. (or confirm what you learned in her notes from booking appointment).
● Ask her if she has a budget she would like us to be mindful of.
● Ask the bride how she found out about Vow’d.
● While the bride is in the fitting room feel free to ask her questions like “How is the wedding planning going?Are you planning on going on a honeymoon? What did you do for your first date?” etc., get to know her a bit more.
SETTING EXPECTATIONS FOR THE APPOINTMENT
Keep the bride in the know through the whole experience.That way she feels comfortable for what to expect throughout the entire appointment.
● Explain that we will take a walk around the store and pull about 6 dresses to start and we will add more once we find what style she is liking (you would also at this time let her know you have a few dresses for her based on her suggestions and comments from appointment booking).
● Explain each area of the store - Glitz and Glam, Clean and Classic, Boho.
● Explain that once we have narrowed down her top dresses that is when we will try on veils, accessories, etc.
● Explain that before we pull dresses or try on any dresses we are going to take her measurements to best determine size to order to fit her best.
● Let her guests know that they are free to look at dresses but to let the stylist pull the dresses. If the group keeps insisting that the bride try on more dresses/dresses she doesn’t like - a good way to politely stop them is by saying “she has some amazing dresses to try on. We don’t want to overwhelm her or give her decision fatigue. Let’s finish trying on the dresses we have and then we will reevaluate.” It’s best to not have the guests look and pull so at this point let’s politely let the group know that they will remain in seats and the stylist will walk with the bride to select a few more to add to the ones you have prepulled.
● Ask who in the group is taking pictures of the bride in the dresses -
○ “Who is our photographer in the group? I find it best to show her pictures of herself in the dress while she is still in it because it helps her remember the dress and you want to love the way the dress looks in photos.”
● Stylist: Be mindful of timing because we have to stick to our schedule but don’t make the bride feel rushed.
So, what does the VOG look like at this step in her journey…below you will see what is included on the Brand Experience/Stylist Interaction piece on the VOG.
VOG - BRAND EXPERIENCE/STYLIST INTERACTION
(Bride with Appointment)
● Were you introduced to your Stylist or did he/she introduce themselves?
● Did the Stylist show interest in everyone who arrived with you for the appointments, with a sincere, natural approach? (Select NAif shopping alone)
● Did the stylist… Guide you to a clean and welcoming fitting room and viewing area?Accommodate seating? Offer refreshments?
● Did the Stylist ask how you learned about Vow’d (or competitor store)?
● Did the Stylist take time to ask questions to get to know you, your vision for your event, referencing your booking details and if applicable, Pinterest boards?
● If yes, please explain what questions were asked and how you responded.
● Did the Stylist explain the appointment process?
● Did the Stylist show you pre-selected items in your room?
● Did the Stylist guide you through the dress section and explain how styles may benefit you?
● Comments on Intro toAppointment:Tell the story of how the Stylist introduced themselves and welcomed your guests, including any questions asked to assess your needs and how you responded. Include positive comments and make sure to explain all no answers.
VOG - BRAND EXPERIENCE/STYLIST INTERACTION (Bride without Appointment)
● Was the Stylist attending to another bride?
● Did the Stylist introduce themselves?
● Did the Stylist show interest in learning about the purpose of your visit?
● If the Stylist was attending another bride, did they invite you to look around?
● Did a Stylist attend to you while you were looking around?
● If the stylit was with a guest…Did she offer to book an appointment for an alternate time or date? Or were you able to try on dresses?
● Was a stylist able to accommodate an immediate appointment?
● Comments on Brand Experience and Stylist interaction:Tell the story of how the Stylist introduced themselves and welcomed your guests, including any questions asked to assess your needs and how you responded. Give details on if you were invited to look around and if you were not allowed to try on dresses. Include positive comments and make sure to explain all no answers.
Let’s hear from her, our bride, on how her experience went…
VOG - BRAND EXPERIENCE/STYLIST INTERACTION
“Amanda introduced herself as the manager of the boutique. She interacted with my guests and answered all of our questions regarding available dresses and shapes for my body, In my online form, I had mentioned I was leaning away from a strapless fit, but would be open to trying some on to see how they feel. Amanda confirmed that this was still a preference of mine and asked to have me come over to the computer where she had my Pinterest board pulled up to confirm the styles I had on my board. I explained I was looking for something with straps and had lace, but I had thrown some plain white dresses in my Pinterest for other options that were visually appealing to me. This was all the information she needed, and she took my guests and I over to browse through the dresses after she explained each of the sections for styles, shapes and fit.
Now that you’ve learned all about …
Our Services/Appointments
The Pre-Appointment
Her First Impression
The Welcome and Intro to the Appointment
Starting an Appointment & Expectations
The fun doesn’t have to stop!
Pick out 5 dresses of your choice, that you didn’t try on during your first day of training, and step into her shoes! Also, don’t forget to fill out a Fit Card.
We can’t wait to see what you pick!
End of Day 2
Day 3 Stylist Training
Day 3 - 4 Hours
● Product Knowledge 60 mins
○ Fabrications
○ Garment Details
○ Sleeves
○ Veils
● The Bride’s Journey 45 mins
○ Fitting Room Experience
■ Watch the Fitting Room Experience Video
○ Brand Experience & Stylist Interaction
○ Service in Appointment & Fitting Room
● Pinning & Fitting 30 mins
■ Watch Tips & Tricks for Pinning & Fitting Video
● Choosing the right size 25 mins
● How to measure 25 mins
■ Watch Tips & Tricks for Measuring Video
● Alterations 30 mins
○ Bustling
● Dress Try-On!! It’s all about the Bridesmaids…Try-On dresses from the Bridesmaid Collection. Don’t forget to fill out the Fit Card.
NOTES:
PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
Silhouettes
A-Line
Fitted through the bodice and flowy over the hips
Ballgown
Fitted through the bodice and full skirt at the bottom
Fitted
Fitted through the bodice and low hip, without the dramatic flare of the mermaid
Mermaid
Fitted through the bodice and low hip with dramatic flare under the hip.Also called trumpet
Sheath
Loose throughout, just skims the body.Also called shift or column
Fabrications
Appliques
Either pieces of cut out lace patterns of piece of embroidery that is added fabric. Strategically placed to create shape and dimension within the figure
Chiffon
Lightweight sheer fabric with great drape and highly flowy qualities
Crepe
Light-weight fabric with a grainy hand feel. Creates great drape and the body helps create intricate seaming seen in more modern designs
Stretch Crepe
Thicker than normal crepe, typically high stretch capability. Helps provide more coverage than light-weight crepe
Embroidery
Applied to the top of a fabric using a needle to create a 3D effect. Can be machine created or hand-sewn
Jacquard
Heavyweight satin or Mikado with a textured finish and shine. Great structure and helps create a tailored look
Corded Lace
Lace with 3D coding-outlining the pattern of the lace
Chantilly Lace
Dainty lace with small stitches creating the pattern of the lace
Crochet Lace
Athicker lace with visible stitches that create the pattern of the lace
Graphic Lace
Lace that has large patterns, typically chemically made (man-made) with less stretch
Mikado
Heavier weight shiny fabric with a textured hand. Like the structure of taffeta but has a more textured feel
Satin
Shiny fabric with a glossy top surface and dull back. Creates a beautiful drape and provides a sexier feeling garment
Taffeta
Astructured, shiny fabric.Amore traditional fabrication with little stretch that creates a very tailored look
Tulle
Sheer, lightweight netting. Helps create frothy romantic aesthetic and when layered provides more coverage
Garment Details
Bodice
Top portion of the dress that runs from shoulder to waist
Boning
Pieces of flexible plastic sewn into the bodice of a garment to provide additional structure and fit
Bust Cups
Cups sewn into the bodice of a garment for support and coverage. May be sewn between the layers of fabric or tacked on to the inside of a garment
Crinoline/Petticoat
Stiff underskirt added underneath anA-line or Ballgown to help hold the size and shape of the skirt
Darts
V-shaped seams sewn into the garment for a more tailored fit over the bust
Godets
Triangular pieces of material sewn into a skirt adding volume and a flared effect
Hook and Eye
Closure that is a small hook on one side and a loop (eye) made of one fabric or metal on the other
Horsehair
Thick net that can be inserted into the hem of a fabric to give the skirt a stiffer edge
Illusion
Sheer tulle fabric meant to blend against the skin.This helps to provide additional support with plunge or complicated necklines
Keyhole
Back detail that connects at the back neck and leaves a ‘hole’above the back zipper
Princess Seam
Ashaped seam that runs over the fullest part of the body (bust and/or abdomen) that provides additional tailoring to a garment
Sleeves
Bishop
Full length sleeve that is fitted or semi fitted near the elbow then opens wider towards the wrist.Typically has a cuff with buttons or elastic at the wrist.
Cap
Short sleeve that just covers the shoulder and usually ends before or just under the arm. Flutter - short, loose-fitting sleeve that falls in soft folds over the upper arm
Juliet
Long sleeve that is puffed at the top and tapers down to a tight fit at the wrist
Kimono
Wide, long and loose sleeve
Off-the-shoulder
Sits below the shoulder bone
Petal
Set in the upper part of the armhole and placed to look like petals on the shoulder
Puffed
Short, gathered puffs of fabric
Veils
Fingertip
Short veil that ends at your fingertips
Floor/Chapel Length
Longer veil that skims the floor and can extend 6-12” past the hem
Cathedral
Long veil that extends beyond the train of the dress
Birdcage
Short veil that covers part of the face
