How do trunk shows work

And we highly recommend reading our guide to wedding dress shopping - it'll tell you exactly how to prep and what to bring. To find out about upcoming bridal trunk shows in Ireland, keep an eye on our Wedding Events Calendar , sign up to our newsletter, and make sure you're following us on Instagram and Facebook. A trunk show isn't a sale, per se, although sometimes discounts are offered. A sample sale, on the other hand, is when a wedding dress boutique sells on the sample dresses that they use in their showroom, usually at a sizeable discount.

You'll find more information on those here. Wondering where the best bridal boutiques in Ireland are? What to Consider When Searching for your Destination Weddings — Where to Begin? Your Perfect Wedding Drinks Reception with Discover our Venues Refine your wedding venue search by location, capacity, type, and style.

Visit Venue Finder. Be Inspired Planning advice, real wedding edits, and venue showcases to inspire you. View Blog. Suppliers We Love From photographers to bridal fashion and styling, find the best wedding suppliers right here. View Suppliers. Sunday Sessions. Typically in addition to bringing the new collections gowns, designers will also bring top styles that are not included in the bridal shops regular sample inventory.

Lace and vintage wedding dresses. Chic minimal wedding gowns. Romantic ball gowns. This is a great opportunity for you to see gowns from your favorite designer s in person and to try them on. Maybe you like the neckline on a dress , but the skirt is too full or perhaps you love the train, but want it to be longer.

Attending a trunk show allows you to work with the designer and learn how to add custom changes to your wedding gown. You can ask questions directly and figure out what will work best for you and your dress. Select designers may also include special gifts such as a personal sketch of the gown you purchased.

A simple perk that you can keep forever. When booking your appointment be sure to ask if there are any special promotions that will be given during the trunk show. Discounts and perks are usually hard to come by when wedding dress shopping, so this could be the ideal time to buy.

It gets everyone excited about your line and makes a huge difference in how much you sell. How much merchandise should I bring? Well, enough to make a nice display but not an overwhelming amount. Base it on the size of the shop, the space allotted to you, what you are able to do, etc.

Ask the owner the of pieces she wants you to show to get an idea of her expectations. Promote the heck out of it. Act like a true partner and be pro-active about maximizing you sales during the trunk show — and not relying on the store to do it. The old days of showing up with your line on the appointed day and waiting for customers to walk in the door are OVER. You must do more, including:. Who provides the snacks and drinks for the show?

Generally, the store provides the treats but every situation can be different. Show up early and get set up. Look the part at the trunk show. If you bring an employee, they should look the part too. Wear your designs whenever possible — it works like crazy to sell more stuff! Yes, you asked the shop for contact information of customers who make a purchase. But cover all your bases and keep your own information too.

You want a record of what sold that you trust. For orders that will be shipped later, you can make your own notes about any special instructions, etc. Display things properly. A beautiful arrangement is nice, but will it actually sell the stuff? Did you ever see those cheap mall stores pinning the earrings that go with the outfit on the mannequin in the window? Have some nice tabletop signage for your display — your company name, website etc.

Be sure everything goes with your branding and your look. You may want to bring a simple bouquet of flowers for your table. You may want a tablecloth for the display table. Sometimes shops offer to keep the goods for a few more days without the designer present to see if they can sell more. This is a great idea if you feel OK about it.

You just come back in a few days to retrieve your line and get paid then. Definitely do it if you trust them and feel comfortable. Follow through and deliver what you promised. This is not always the fun part. This is the stuff that will make or break your business, however. I have seen dozens of designers lose momentum because they ship late or not at all, forget to contact who they said they would, and just show a general lack of discipline and dedication.

Make sure they KEEP knowing you by staying in touch. Use that list you requested from the shop and send a thank you note to each customer right away. If you sold them stock, send a thank you for the purchase; if they placed an order, thank them for the order, re-state the delivery date and just generally make them feel good about what they bought. I know this is a lot of work — I hear ya. For instance, you sell one dress. A good idea is to bring samples of 2 or 3 wildly exquisite and expensive bags for special order only.