We were interested to hear that You & Your Wedding are launching bridal retail awards for 2014, following the results of a survey which revealed that friendliness of retail staff is more important to brides than their choice of dresses….  

This doesn’t surprise us here at the UKAWP: we and our member planners have had  many a tearful bride over the years who’s been upset by uncaring, disinterested and sometimes outright rude staff members, so it’s great to hear of awards which will celebrate excellence in customer service across the wedding industry. They tell us all about their plans below……         

A survey carried out by You & Your Wedding, the UK’s leading bridal brand, to launch the inaugural You & Your Wedding Retail Awards 2014, has found that the welcome and friendliness of retail staff was ranked the most important factor for brides when shopping for their dress – even higher than the variety of dresses available. Good news for bridal retailers, this factor also ranked top in terms of satisfaction of brides’ retail experience.

The survey of over 1,000 brides asked them to rate different elements of their wedding shopping experience out of 10, including the welcome and friendliness of retail staff, variety of products, staff knowledge and ambience. The results also revealed brides-to-be tend to have a selfless attitude towards wedding shopping; with the availability of grooms’ suits ranked as the second most important aspect of the bridal retail experience. And it appears brides are not solely concerned about their grooms’ appearance, with the variety of bridesmaids’ dresses taking priority over their own in terms of importance.

The results also demonstrate bridal gown retailers come out on top in terms of the service they are delivering, with the welcome and friendliness; knowledge of product area; and variety of dresses available ranked as the top three factors in terms of satisfaction (full results below).

The You & Your Wedding Retail Awards 2014 will champion excellent customer service across the wedding industry. They will recognise the energy and effort given by bridal retailers, designers and suppliers across the country – from individuals and small independents to high street favourites, online outlets and designer brands who help make the journey from just engaged to blushing bride as fun and fabulous as possible.

The awards will be judged by a panel of industry experts, including royal hairdresser, Richard Ward; luxury event and wedding planner, Mark Niemierko; general manager of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Tony McHale; fashion designer, Tabitha Webb; founder and MD of McQueens floral design, Kally Ellis; You & Your Wedding editor-at-large, Peta Hunt; and You & Your Wedding editor Maxine Briggs.

Maxine Briggs, You & Your Wedding editor, says: “As the UK’s leading bridal brand we understand the excitement of dress shopping and the importance of the I-have-dreamed-of-this-since-I-was-a-little-girl moment, which is why we have launched the You & Your Wedding Retail Awards 2014. Buying a wedding dress is often the biggest purchase a woman will ever make and small touches, such as great dressing rooms, bespoke details, service with a smile and going the extra mile, can mean a lot, turning a shopping expedition into a magical memory. It’s reassuring that our survey shows brides are receiving the service they deserve, now it is our turn to celebrate and champion retail excellence in our industry.”

The You & Your Wedding Retail Awards 2014 will recognise the very best in bridal retail across the UK. Synonymous with creating compelling content, in print and online, You & Your Wedding has unparalleled cross-media reach. Every day You & Your Wedding meets and talks to brides, their mums, maids (and grooms!), and listens to their experiences while inspiring and supporting them. The awards have been established to help advise brides-to-be where to go for the very best service.

There are 10 categories for retailers to enter and every entry will be entered into the Editor’s Choice Award recognising one exceptional entrant who demonstrates outstanding service and goes the extra mile to deliver that once-in-a-lifetime experience.

You & Your Wedding Retail Awards 2014 categories:

• Bridal Designer Retailer
• Independent Bridal Retailer
• High Street Bridal Retailer
• Groomswear Retailer
• Mother-of-the-Bride Retailer
• Bridesmaids Retailer
• Specialist Bridal Retailer
• Bridal Accessories Retailer
• Fine Jewellery Retailer
• New Bridal Retailer

Full details on all the categories, including details of how to enter are available at You & Your Wedding, entries opened on 1st October 2013 and close on 25th October 2013. The winners will be announced at the You & Your Wedding Retail Awards in early 2014 and will be featured in a special Awards supplement published with the March/April 2014 issue of You & Your Wedding.