The bridal industry is a multibillion-dollar business, and retailer BaubleBar is officially vying for a piece of that pie. The New York City–based company, which launched in 2011 as an online-only outpost for fashion jewelry (it added a brick-and-mortar store next to its headquarters last year), has debuted a digital portal, BaubleBar Weddings, offering looks created and curated specifically for brides.

Wedding jewelry has long been the purview of the fine jeweler. And diamonds, pearls, and fine metals will always be the dress-up ideal for a certain ilk of bride. So what makes BaubleBar, a dealer of trend-driven costume jewelry, think they have potential in the category? Its consistently robust popularity with brides.

Screen shots from BaubleBar’s new wedding portal, BaubleBar Weddings (Courtesy of the company)

“Brides and bridesmaids have been shopping with us for a while, and, given the high-touch customer experience weddings require, frequently liaise with our customer service team,” says Julia Straus, BaubleBar’s director of partnerships.  “Those conversations immediately made us aware of the tremendous need for brides to be able to shop cross-category and cross-function for all of her bridal events.” 

The company views the new vertical as a key step in creating a one-stop shopping destination for fashion jewelry. “A core area for growth for us is expanding into additional verticals where fashion jewelry is a critical purchase, but consumers have unmet needs—similar to the opportunities we initially saw in the broader market,” says Straus.

While many bridal retailers are firmly focused on stocking jewels for the big day itself, BaubleBar’s wedding portal assumes its brides will need looks and gifts for multiple events—from engagement parties to the rehearsal dinner.

The easily navigable interface offers five simple, clickable starting points for users: “View All,” “Bride,” “Bridal Party,” “Gifts,” and “Style Me Pretty,” named for the company’s launch-specific partnership with wedding website Style Me Pretty. The link pivots to a page filled with big, beautiful images of styled brides and still-life jewelry—all pieces from a limited-edition collection created in collaboration with Style Me Pretty.

The ephemeral collection is curated into still-life tableaus meant to target the “rustic,” “modern,” “classic,” and “whimsical” bride. Click on any of the groupings, and you head to a full page of relevant product. BaubleBar’s in-house creative team styles all the product and model images.

As with every BaubleBar initiative, the user experience—and product—feels fresh and fashion-forward. Says Straus: “The bridal market is…a wonderful opportunity to introduce BaubleBar to a completely new customer who is looking for a uniquely different experience.”

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