Summer wedding season is in full swing, and if you are thinking of building your bridal clientele in the salon, there are a few steps you can take to ensure a successful bridal styling business. Read on to discover a few hot tips from Redken Artist Jackie Litscher and get ready to take your bridal business to the next level!
If you are interested in building your bridal styling expertise and expanding your bridal business in the salon, investing in education is essential for success.
“I think the biggest thing for stylists to remember when building their bridal business is the importance of education,” says Redken Artist Jackie Litscher, “Seek out stylists that you look up to and explore opportunities to learn from them. Finishing and styling hair for weddings is very different than other types of styling so it’s important to get really grounded in the foundation of styling hair. Understanding the education behind formal hairstyles, and then really learning the fundamentals and foundation of creating a look is the biggest thing when working with brides. If you have that, you can begin photographing your work and building a portfolio. Investing in a ring light and a backdrop are other great ways to ensure you have strong images for your portfolio!”
If you are entering the bridal space for the first time, social media is an amazing tool that can help you amplify your work. It can also help to connect you with brides in your area who are seeking a stylist for their big day.
“It’s important to have inspirational imagery available for your brides, and Pinterest is a great tool to use to showcase your work,” says Litscher, “With Pinterest, I’ll create boards with different images and types of wedding hair inspiration.”
Pinterest can help brides discover your work, but it’s also a great tool to use in the consultation phase with brides.
“One thing I’ll do with clients if they're getting married is send an email prior to having a trial with them to get an idea of styles they like, and also ideas of what they don't like. Next, I’ll build out a Pinterest board featuring styles catering to their lifestyle and preference to review during the consultation.”
When it comes to bridal styling, having a honest dialogue and consultation with your client is so important. As brides prepare for their wedding, they may have certain expectations about the type of look they want, and having clear communication with your client about what’s possible will help ensure success.
“The best tip is to sit down and talk to them at eye-level, face-to-face, never through the mirror. You need to remember that their nerves are through the roof, and that they want everything to be perfect for their special day. Let them know that you're there for them, you want to cater to them, and that you're going to do the best that you can to give them an amazing wedding hairstyle,” explains Litscher, “But it’s important to be realistic with your client about what's practical, and what's not practical. A tip for working with brides with fine or short hair is to recommend extensions—this can be a great tool to help your bride’s wedding hair dream a reality.”
Working with bridal clients and bridal parties provides an excellent opportunity to grow your business and income through product sales.
“If you're working with wedding parties, you'll most likely style the bride, the bridesmaids, as well as the mother of the bride and the mother-in-law. If you have travel size hairsprays, dry shampoos, and shine sprays, it’s an excellent opportunity to create extra income through retail sales,” explains Litscher, “What I like to do is put together goody bags of travel size product for the bride and bridal party and offer it to them for a special price. It’s an amazing way to create a great experience for the bridal party while also driving your business!”
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