David’s Bridal launches wedding planning platform with vendor marketplace

Dive Brief:

Adding another digital service, David’s Bridal has introduced Pearl by David’s, a new wedding planning platform that includes a vendor marketplace for couples, the company announced Thursday.
Through the platform, customers can view wedding advice content, access various wedding vendors, take advantage of the bridal retailer’s loyalty rewards program and get discounts on certain vendors. Couples can also manage their registry, build a wedding website, book appointments at David’s Bridal and create a wedding checklist.
Vendors can join the platform for free, create their own web pages on the site and showcase their offerings, according to the announcement. Alternatively, vendors can pay $49 per month to access trunk shows and other networking events, or $119 per month for a premium membership.

Dive Insight:

David’s Bridal has been working to improve its digital services for the past few years and step further into the wedding planning process. That has included acquiring wedding site Rustic Wedding Chic in 2020 and rolling out its own wedding planning tools. Through its new platform, David’s Bridal is connecting couples with local vendors like Bach to Basic, Nash Taps and Ravel Events.

“Pearl was developed at the request of our very own brides,” Jim Marcum, CEO of David’s Bridal, said in a statement. “Brides told us they wanted easier planning tools, a more seamless experience from planning to buying the dress, and more ways to earn Diamond points. Pearl also addresses pain points and gaps in the market couples experience when planning their wedding.”

The platform is an extension of a series of digital efforts David’s Bridal has invested in over the years. In April 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic upended the wedding industry, the company debuted virtual styling appointments. Two months later, the retailer introduced appointments via Zoom to help bridal parties plan remotely and in the fall, the company teamed up with Vertebrae to upgrade product pages with 3D and augmented reality visualizations of its best-selling dresses.

As the coronavirus pandemic continued to increase demand for digital services, David’s Bridal continued its tech push. In May 2021, the company launched a 24-hour YouTube Live channel showcasing content from couples, vendors and photographers. Later that year, the retailer introduced the David’s Bridal Planning App, where customers could access various wedding planning tools. Last July, the retailer worked with ad agency January Digital to create and post shoppable content on TikTok.

David’s Bridal has also worked to vary its product assortment, both through launching new product lines and through acquisitions. The retailer bought the assets of Anomalie, a custom wedding dress company, for an undisclosed sum last year. As part of the acquisition, Anomalie’s co-founder and CEO, Leslie Voorhees Means, joined David’s Bridal to manage “new strategic initiatives.”