Anna Sorbie is a renowned bridal hairdresser working on the big day for wedding parties in the Lake District where she has a salon, and across the UK. She gives her top tips to tap into the bridal market.
Make it special
I send a really nice brochure out with the costings and our services, terms and conditions so rather than having back and forward emails, prospective clients get everything in a nice presentation. To confirm their booking, we take a non-refundable deposit and send out a service contract detailing dates, venues and commitments, eg, number of stylists required where and when. Final payment is due 3 months ahead of time and all invoices are sent from accounting software so it’s all trackable and professional.
Upsell the products they need
For most brides this is the day they have been dreaming of since they were a little girl, they want it to be perfect! This gives you the opportunity to upsell the products and services that can make their dream a reality. From extensions to headpieces, treatments to products, these are what will make the difference for your bride.
I love working with hair accessories but found in the past that a lot of the ones on sale are just a bit of hardware, they don’t move the way you want them to and they’re not comfortable to wear. Because I spend so much time working with brides I designed my own range of hair accessories which are not only beautiful but flexible and made with hair work in mind. They complement the hairstyles that we’re doing and I think that’s an important upsell to our clients who might otherwise buy something of a poorer quality elsewhere that’s difficult to work with and uncomfortable to wear.
Hair extensions are also brilliant for adding volume or some colour and we use best quality clip in hair and the invisible weave which is a very thin weft. Brides will invest in every last detail for their wedding as they have their pictures forever and all eyes on them, so hair is one of their top priorities.
Packages
By putting suggested packages together for the bridal party you’re helping them to see what the costs and benefits are, for example, extensions with an accessory and the correct hair products. You can do gift boxes for hair care for the bridal party, turn the trial into a hen activity with hair and makeup, drinks and nibbles, and we also offer groomsmen packages where they can take over the barber shop the night before the wedding to get their last minute trims and shaves, relax with a beer, play some music and we do groomsmen gifts for them.
Grow your contacts
We have a number of partner brands and venues and can often help put brides in touch with other businesses to achieve their goals. We in turn are known and recommended by makeup artists, gown designers and venues, and we can work with them on things like photoshoots to use for all of our marketing. It’s good to really know your niche.
Keep learning
There’s some brilliant bridal hair courses that’ll keep pushing you to have the confidence to try different ideas and know what will work with what hair type and in what weather and setting. Keep watching for our professional standard course launching soon!
To stock Anna’s hair accessory range get in touch for trade prices: https://www.annasorbie.co.uk/s/shop
Why spend money on a business coach in a national recession? 
Do these 8 things now for business success in 2024! 
Hair and beauty gifts we want under our tree... 
