Welcome to Love Stories Radio, where I sit down with wedding industry insiders and experts from fields like marketing, beauty and fashion. I'm your host, Rachel Jo Silver, founder and CEO of Love Stories tv, an entertainment brand delivering heartwarming stories, superstar experts and amazing weddings to a passionate audience. Hi, everyone. I'm Rachel and I'm so excited to be back for part two of my conversation with
Kelly and Alina. If you missed part one, the short version of this is Love Stories is now part of David's Bridal. We'll link to part one in the description so you can get all, all the goods and all the backstory. But today we are going to be talking about wedding trends and whether or not they're real. So first I'm going to let Kelly and Alina reintroduce themselves. In case you're new here, Kelly, can you go first? I'm Kelly Cook. I'm the president
of David's Bridal. Been happily married for 31 years to the my super Scooby snack of a husband. I've started using that. It lives in my brain and I'm happy. Super Scooby snoop of a husband. Alina. Alina Vil, chief business officer at David's. I have been married, ooh, 15 years. We got married twice. Talk about that later. Right, right, right. To my amazing husband. Haven't quite started calling him a Scooby Snack yet. You have to wait for 30 years. To call the
Scooby Snack there. The rule, when we get to 30 years, you'll we'll add the Scooby snack to your title. That's the rule. I like it. Okay. We're making it up as we go along. I love it. So as you know, if you watched the first part of this episode, I went into a lot of detail just about how fabulous and important David's Bridal is in the industry. Industry folks know that, you know, 190 stores, 74 years. 90% of brides interact with Davids. So what that
means is we know what's going on with brides. We have like incredible data. The data and analytics team. Shout out Jillian. Could we just like give Jillian a shout out and all the. We love Jillian and all the other folks. We have so much incredible first party information. We know what brides want and we know what they're buying and their bridesmaids and the rest of bridal party. And recently we were all in person at a meeting at the David's office and we
got this like incredible download, right? Like everything you could ever want. To know about women who are engaged in planning their wedding and our customers. And we all learned a ton. And so we're going to play a game today called trend or false. And so I'm not quizzing you on whether or not you were paying attention in the meeting. Just kidding. It was Kelly's meeting. It's only nine hours
of data, but. We all learned a lot. But what's interesting is everyone sort of focused on different parts and kind of like, I think, memorize different parts, and everyone has a different day to day job, how they interact with this information, and where their specific expertise is. So for the game, I'm gonna list a wedding trend that's like being reported out in the universe by the media that you may have heard at home or may not. And then I'm gonna ask Kelly or Alina whether they
think it's true or false. And then I'm gonna either back them up with the data or politely correct them, and then we're all gonna learn a lot. So that's what we're gonna do. Are you guys ready? I'm ready. Let's do it. Kelly. Yes, ma'am. Trend or false? Green is the most popular wedding color for 2025. That is so true. Correct. Very true. That is true. Do you want to talk a little bit about why it's true or you want me
to? You are the queen. So what we learned recently is that 24% of bridesmaids dresses that are selling right now for the 2025 season are different shades of green. Can you guys name any of those greens? Emerald. It's gonna make you hungry. Okay, we got emerald. We also have eucalyptus. Yes. Dusty sage. Ooh, dusty sage, juniper and martini. And I keep reading it. Dirty martini, which maybe says dusty. Dusty sage, juniper martini, olive, and the new color, pistachio.
Nice. So not only is this a trend that we're seeing across weddings, but, like, we know for sure this is real and true because we see that this is what. What the bridesmaids dresses are. And what I thought was also really interesting is 50% of the bridesmaids dresses being sold right now, which is up from last year, are in a shine fabric, are, like in a charmeuse. And one of the most popular
colors of that is the dusty sage. So that's sort of that, like, stretch, like, sucks you in a bit, but, like, has a shimmer green color that, now that you hear us say it, you're gonna see all over Pinterest, all over Instagram, all over everywhere. And our dresses have the power mesh built in. Talk about the power mesh. Shout out the power mesh. We love the power mesh. It, like, holds you in, and you've got that beautiful, smooth satin overlay that shines. It's very
yummy. I need the power mesh right now. Yeah, I know. After the holidays, I need all kinds of power. I need to power mesh it up every day, everywhere. Okay. Good job, Kelly. So far, so good. Okay, Alina, trend or false? Matching bridesmaids dresses are out. Mix and match bridesmaids dresses are in. I think this is a trick question. She knows me too well. Okay. Why do you think that? Because bridesmaids. So we're still traditional. I think in the sense that we want the same color. We just
asked the color question. Right. But I think you're giving brides more options for style. Is that true? That's exactly true. Good retention from the meeting and general industry knowledge. Gold star. Gold star happening. Is that. And I think this is sort of counterintuitive because I think that we. Maybe I'm too inside the industry, but you're always hearing, like, mix and match, like, aesthetic dressing. But, like, at the end of the day, brides are putting their bridesmaids in one color. As a
majority. They are. Half of them are letting them pick the style. Yes. But the. Go ahead. Yeah, I was gonna say that. You know, one other insight we learned is that one of the biggest pain points for brides is just simply dealing with their wedding party. Yes. And the bridesmaid dress is actually a huge point of discussion, contention, and everything else. Because every girl wants to look a certain way. Correct.
And the bride still makes the decision. So I think by giving the bridesmaids the ability to choose their at least fit and style, but you're creating uniformity with the color. You're able to create the wedding you want while giving bridesmaids the flexibility that they need. Spot on. And actually, I'll give a shout out to friend of the pod, Brittany Dry from Love, Inc. Who, when I
first got into this industry, taught me something really interesting. I remember I was sitting with her, and I was like, it's so not nice when brides, like, force their bridesmaids to wear a certain color or a certain style. Like, you should let them wear whatever they want. And she was like, you're wrong. If you do that, then the bridesmaids are out there wondering, does she like it? Does she not like it? Is she telling me, more stress, more stress. What does she
mean by black? That's great feedback. It's great feedback. She's like, it's actually more generous to say, go to. Go to David's Bridal. You know, here's the color or two colors you can choose from. Choose any style you want, or choose this style and these two colors, and then they know what you want, and you're giving them a little choice. And it stuck with me. That's great feedback. Yeah, I thought that was. That was good advice. Okay, Kelly. Yes, ma'am. Trend or false? Yes, ma'am. Corsetry.
Super structured bodices. Are they in for 20, 25, or we all just want them to be in because we all watched Bridgerton and we're just trying to make Bridgerton real. Those are in. Those are very in. And they are a lot of fun. Yeah. I mean, the structured corsets, they, you know, they can start at the waist and go up. They can start and go down and give you more coverage at the bottom. But I think there's this beautiful sort of artistic expression
associated with the corsets today. They're not just like, Bridget and, you know, pull you in and you can't breathe. They're actually quite stunning with this beaded detail and the way they cover the decolletat. It's just really a beautiful attribute of the modern dress. You are absolutely right. And we saw that 30% of dress sales this year, up from 20%, reflect that clean and modern, quiet luxury aesthetic. So it's like
exactly what you're saying. It's sort of a modern style, like, of the corset, and it comes in these gorgeous crepe fabrics. And to your point, the basque waists is something the merchants were talking to us about, where it's like, it can be up high or it can be low. So Kelly knows her stuff is the, you know, takeaway from that. But also, is that a new podcast hashtag KellyKnowserv? KellyKnowserStuff. Yeah, basically. This is. I love our dresses. I love them. I
wear them to the grocery store, so. But something that I know you know, but I want to talk about, because I always think this is a misconception. While that is certainly a trend and it's going up. What is the number one dress style that brides ask for and buy? The shape of the dress. So that's an interesting question, because 60% of the brides that come in for appointments do not buy a gown that they have on their favorites list. True. Meaning they thought they liked mermaid, and then
they buy a ball gown as an example. True. And I would have to Say, I think the ball gowns are probably the more popular. I think as far as buy, I'm not sure they all choose them as a favorite. So I'm actually gonna teach you something today that I learned from Heather. Shout out to Heather. I like the shout outs. Let's just like give shout outs. Yeah, delicious. Exactly. So she was telling us that a line is actually the number one style that people end up with because it's just like
very universal. It is and it covers a lot. That's what happened to me for my wedding. Yeah. Tell us. I thought I wanted a mermaid. All like all the photos. Mermaid, mermaid, mermaid. Tried it on. Yeah. Not my fit. Bought an A line and an alien. Can mean, you know, different
things. But in the end it is, it's like very universally flattering. And I think that like part of why I bring this up and what I think is, you know, that we know because like we are selling dresses across the country to the most brides is that the most common size that we're
selling is 12 to 16. And I think we should just like say it over and over again because you don't see that when you read the trend articles or you see the ads and it's like that is the size of American women who are buying dresses and you know, the styles that make them feel great, you know, so shout out to Heather for, for reminding us and teaching us a lines. A lines. Awesome. But also just to touch on the size. Can we just talk about that
for a second? Love it. I'll talk about size all day because. I think the inclusivity is so important. And you said something today. Do you want to, you want to say it again? Like we talked about inclusivity of size, you know. Yeah. Yeah. So my. I think I told it on the podcast. Part one. Yeah. But about my, my daughter in law who is six foot tall and my son is like six, three. I think I said they're gonna have
linebackers. Our offensive lineman, which I'm sure. But she put on her dress at David's and started crying because she had never seen her waist before. And that is one. I mean we, we hear stories like that over and over and over. And if you think about the stress that a bride on in our store is feeling, not only are there parts of her body she does not like, whether it's your arms or your legs or your waist or hips, but she also knows the pictures last forever. Yeah.
Her, her kids, her grandkids. And so that's why when she finds that dress that makes her feel like she is absolutely invincible. It's a wonderful, wonderful moment in her lives, and we're so grateful to do that
for her. Yeah. So grateful. It's so true. And I just think, like, it's so obvious when we get to have these meetings at the company and learn from the people on the data team who are during the surveys and the folks in the store who are selling the dresses and the merchants who are coordinating with them to sell it, like, just how much that plays in to everything. Because at the end of the day, 30% of all the brides in the country are buying their dress here. So we have to reflect what makes
people feel good and what they want. Yeah. And it's. It's so real. And we're living it for sure. Okay, Alina, trend or false? The majority of wedding dress sales in 2025 will happen online. So this is another tricky one. Alina's not going to be wrong. So you should. Did anyone ever tell you maybe you should have been a lawyer? Funny story. She secretly went to law school. Yeah, here we go. But no, I did not. Dated a lawyer. Did not. What?
You would have? No. Okay. Okay. Change my career. Talk about that later. I object. I am dreaming of this question. Different show. Different show, I think. So ultimately, the answer I think is is false. They do not buy their dresses online. They buy their dresses in store, however, and therefore. Yeah. And then again, they're finding their inspiration more and more in social media and online. Correct. And so they're finding their inspiration and then they're going to the store. And then
the fit ultimately guides the. Purchase decision a hundred percent. And I just like. The reason I emphasize it is one. It's just. I know I keep saying this, like. Cause I still feel new. It's so fun to be part of a company that is on the ground selling the dresses to women. 190 stores. Like, I think we talked about this last time, and I should really memorize the stat. Like, what's the second closest to that? Someone
has 10. Or like, maybe not even. You know what I mean? So it's like, right, you're doing your research online, but it's like for everything Kelly just described, like, you want to go in and work with, like, an incredible person. Although our virtual stylists need more airtime. Oh, my gosh. And I actually want to think we need to rename them, because when we say virtual stylists, people think they're AI Virtual. They're women who go on a
video call with you. Right. Oh, that's good. That's good feedback. But what's the real. They're real. Chrissy. Shout out. Chrissy. Chrissy O'Donnell. She's awesome. And that team is awesome. What's the stat? Their sell through rate is like. Oh, their conversion rate. Yeah, it's like the same as the store. Almost 70%. Exactly right, almost 70%. So at the end of the day, it's not necessarily like the physical action of being in the store. It's the interaction with the stylist, I think is
sort of the point. And think about how much knowledge Christy and her team have to have about the dress themselves to be able to make that bride feel comfortable in buying. That's a great team, but that's good feedback. We should get our team on that. Somebody. Well, we were in a meeting and someone thought we were like talking about like a chatbot. We're like, no, no, she's real. The interaction is happening. She's real. Over the interweb. I mean, sometimes you don't
want to go to a store, you know, you don't want to. You don't have, or you don't have the selection in the town you live in. Correct. The assortment in the town you live in. Look, every bride should be able to get her dream gown, period. No matter where you live, no
matter where you are. Right. And, you know, so I think one other really interesting thing that I learned from the Share out is we are all pretty familiar, at least we are intimately familiar with how much inspiration she's getting online for her wedding, for the style and the aesthetic, and researching the venue and finding the vendors. And we are,
you know, have already in our building some pretty incredible tools. But something I thought was fascinating that just reinforced how cool it is that we're the only ones with the physical stores is that Gen Z is actually doing like a flip flop. It's like millennials were the first generation that got to only shop online. And we are like stuck in our ways about it. Gen Z said the number one way they discover new products from a brand
is by walking around stores. Like, malls are back. You know what I mean? Like, stores are back for Gen Z, which I thought was really, really interesting and like just such a fun opportunity for us, which I'm excited about. Okay. Kelly. Yes, ma'am. Trend or false? Most women plan to spend over $2,000 on their wedding dress. Oh, no, that's not true. See, she knew right away. Yeah. No, that's not true. Yeah. And I think a lot of people
I'VE been in this industry a long time, but not at Davidson. I think if you would have asked me three months ago, I think I would have said 2,500 and I'm totally wrong. Do you want to talk about the average? Yeah, I believe the average is between 1000 and 1500, right? Yeah, the majority are under 1500. And it's what, it's spot on what you said. It's actually the biggest group is 500 to 99. 99 is what they
plan, what they plan to spend. Right. And then they're everybody spending basically under 1500, which I just think is like important and interesting. What's most interesting about that is the budget, meaning what she plans to spend is actually irrelevant relative to the style and the beauty and the craftsmanship of the dress she wants. And she does not want to sacrifice any of that for her dream dress. And that's why I am, you know, so proud
of the dresses and gowns that we sell. Because our design center and our head of couture, Viola Chan has dressed more brides than any designer in the world. Right. And she's done that by creating these, these art pieces almost that put these, these, these women in these beautiful gowns. And by the way, they're pay $650 for it. We have dresses that have 18,000 hand sewn beads on
them. Amazing. And you're, you're, you're in the design center and you can see Viola's team actually hand sewing these beads on and that dress is less than a thousand dollars. So it just warms my heart that we've got a brand that serves her in a way that does not sacrifice the beauty and the craftsmanship of the gown she wants, but also addresses her number one concern for
18 months, which is her budget. Totally. And it's still, you know, I think that sometimes, you know how people always make this joke that like when you get into weddings it's like monopoly money. And like you're just. But like if you actually take a step backward, like buying a garment for $600 is
a ton of money. It's. And I think that we, we do this cuckoo thing around weddings and you read in a magazine about so and so's dress for $10,000 and you start to think that that's wedding dresses, but like still a lot of money, $600, you know what I mean? And I think it's a lot of. Pressure for people, you know, with, you know, with, with so much everything happening in social. Yes. And you're seeing the Inspiration, and you're seeing the dream, and it sometimes
doesn't feel attainable to you. Right. And I feel like every single bride on the planet needs to have her dream fulfilled on her wedding day, period. Yes, agree. That's why we're here. Okay, Alina, trend or false? Couples are opting out of traditional bridal parties for smaller, more intimate ceremonies. False. Correct. You are correct. So the majority of brides still have over three bridesmaids. And something you and I talk about a lot and you already referenced is like,
that's a lot of coordination. That's a group chat. It's a group chat. That's a group chat with some. A lot of opinions with some drama in it. A lot of opinions. But the bride wins. The bride wins. Bride wins. That's true. That's true. And we already talked about, you know, ways we'll go into this in some other programming, but ways that the bride can make it easier on the bridesmaids. Maybe sometimes when the bridesmaids can just take a deep breath and know that they're gonna
be there. This is a stat. You love how many. And I'm not quizzing you, because I actually don't remember how many bridesmaids are also engaged. 38. 38%. So it's like, girls, when you're in the group chat and you think your best friend's being a little bit of, like, a diva, it's gonna be you. It's gonna be in, like, 90 days. It's gonna be just like, hold up the mirror. Everybody take a deep breath. I like what you said earlier. You said when bridesmaids, our brides say,
everybody I know is getting married. That's because they are. Yeah, Everybody I know is getting married. I love that you're in the age group, right? You're in that zone, and it's like. It's like a disease you catch or something. In a good way. But, like, it's all you do for 10 years. I mean, and then. And then the baby cycle happens, right? So, I mean, we all. We all. I'm past that now. But, you know, now I'm in the. But then you miss it. Like, I feel like this is
a totally, like a life cycle thing. Like, all you're doing is going to weddings. You're worried about how much it costs to travel and the gifts and the bridesmaids dresses and the bachelorette parties. And then 10 years later, like, you haven't seen your friends in six months. And, like, you know, so. But think about the bridesmaids that are in an average of three weddings. Yeah, right. Yeah. And they're spending anywhere between, you know, two and three thousand per wedding with all of the
dresses that they need. I mean, it's a lot for a young lady who's just. Oh, yeah. Starting out her income. It really is. I know. Kelly. Yes, ma'am. Trend or false? David's Bridal is the most recognized name in wedding dress shopping. That is true. That's very, very true. All of our data say that it's very true. I'm gonna tell you how very true it is, and I'm gonna read it. So I don't. I don't
mumble my words. So 70% of women said that they knew David's Bridal and consider shopping there for their wedding. Which actually, if you like, take a beat, is like 70% of anyone knowing any thing in common is, like, a lot. Right. Okay. When we asked brides in a survey to list three bridal retailers, David's Bridal was listed first 16 times more than the next name on the list. That's right. It's wild. And then the third is like, so
1%. Yeah. So when we rattle off this stat casually that we're used to saying, which is 90% of brides interact with David's is because everybody knows David's. And while, you know, something I'm just really excited about and Alina, I'll let you talk about this is we've already talked about, like, how inclusive we are for sizing and how inclusive we are for pricing, but we're about to just be adding so much more. People who want to spend more money.
They want to spend a lot more money. We're about to have something for you. People who, you know, want to bring in their fiance and dress them and all the men in the bridal party, like, we're about to have much more for you. Like, we're inclusive and we're about to, you know, just double down on that in a big way. And that stat just, like, totally outlines. Like, the opportunity we have permission to go there. Correct. And so
we're not gonna be just bridal. We're gonna be all things wedding. Right. That's. That's where we are. Right. Because we can serve everyone and we can be inclusive across the board in the journey. Yep, yep. Okay. So is there anything you guys, like, took away from, from this meeting or just in your everyday that, like, you think people wouldn't know about Davids or weddings or brides that I didn't say in my trend or false TM trademark that game. I have one, which
is amazing. We, our diamond members, which is our loyalty program, you know, we're constantly talking to them, getting feedback from them. And we also did in this meeting, we received really good feedback from them. And I think the thing that was exciting for me is to learn that we learned two things. One, brides want us and expect us to have everything she needs for the wedding, not just the dress. And when I say everything, I mean the men's suit,
the men's made to order suit. They're coming to us for that. And they're looking for swimwear for their honeymoon. They're looking for sunglasses for the grudge. And so they want us because we are a trusted brand to have that. So now we have a strategy to go grab that for her. But what makes me more excited is that that in partnership with the diamond program, when you get 5,000 points, you get a free honeymoon. But the average wedding is $33,000. So you don't have to work that
hard to get those free honeymoon. And so bringing the diamond program together with all those wonderful things that she needs. So it's a one stop shop for her between David's diamond and pearl. That is so exciting. I will tell you another friend of the pod, Maggie. Lord. Oh, I love Maggie. Oh, I love, I think Maggie's. Who introduced you and I. She did, she told. I remember. That's a funny story. I remember where I was when she said, kel, Kel, I
love her. She said, you've got to meet Rachel Silver. And you know why I remember? Because my director of marketing at the time was named Rachel Silverman. And I remember, I said, you said Rachel Silverman. She goes, no, no, no, Rachel Silver. And I said, what does she do? And she goes, she's the founder of Love Stories tv. And I went to your website and I'm like, oh my gosh, yes, I want to meet this woman. But anyway, sidetrack about Maggie. Maggie, we
love you. Let but I remember when she first joined David's and we had a call, you know, we were catching up. She was telling me everything and she was walking me through diamond. I was like telling other people about it for weeks. Like my mind was blown. Like, what's the number of people who are in the loyalty program? So it's about 3 million people and we've given away about a thousand honeymoons.
And get this, our number one diamond member has spent $61,000 at David's on just all kinds of, yeah, dresses and occasion and mother the brides and so forth. It's. It's been. It's been really, really successful and so successful that in addition to finding out all the things that they love about the program, we got feedback on things we need to do better, and we're on
it. Like, we're fixing those. Yeah. I think it was, like, at a million when she told me, because I was, like, telling everybody about it. They're like, work there. I was like, I don't. But I do now. And I'm pretty sure that I can't earn diamond rewards. But I have already been telling my friends and family to be expecting, like, white satin PJs with feathers. We're gonna put you in. We're gonna. Yeah. I just learned I'm about to earn my fifth
honeymoon. Okay. Okay. Family and friends spend a lot of. Money getting to go on a vacation. Y'all are getting bride makeup bags for every occasion. Hanukkah next year. There you go. You're getting bride slippers. But, yeah, It's. I mean, 61,000 is pretty incredible. But, yeah, I mean, I know that Alina and Shout Out Reed are just, like, adding so many crazy, incredible partners all the time, but there's already so much, you know, people. So that's why we're talking about it.
Well, that's. That's it for today, guys. We got to get you guys to the airport. Good. Rachel, we love you. Thank you. I love you guys. I'm so happy to be here. Trend or false. I might make you play it again sometimes. Do it. Getting more stuff in. Trend or false. Oh, okay. Rachel. Yeah. Oh, boy. You love being a David's bro. I'm really having so much fun. We need more. I love it. I'm really having so much fun. I'm so happy and proud. So thank you guys for.
For watching and for listening and for tuning in. Please watch part one of this episode. Let us know in the comments who else you'd like to see us interview on the show. You know, we're always interviewing CEOs, CMOs, like executives in the wedding industry or adjacent to the wedding industry. Like, who do you want to hear from? What do you want to learn about? We'd love to have them on. Kelly and Alina know everybody, so I'm sure
we can get to them. Veronica knows everybody, everybody, everybody. So we'll get to you whoever you want. And thanks for tuning in and follow us on social for more. And check out davidsparral.com for all the stuff we talked about. Thanks for tuning in to Love Stories Radio. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform or on The Love Stories TV YouTube channel. Join our community of 8 million social followers by subscribing to On
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