Secrets of a Bridal Seamstress

Currently this is the slow season for the wedding industry in the Pacific Northwest, so I have time to evaluate my plan for the upcoming busy season of my bridal seamstress business! In this episode, I share 4 ways to raise your average ticket price as a bridal seamstress, because we should all be charging what our work is worth and making the most of our time! This month in the membership, we are...

Do you have big goals for your bridal seamstress business in 2024? In this episode, I walk you through how to break down your goals into more manageable steps with the help of SMART goals.  If you have never heard of SMART goals, they were developed by George Doran, Arthur Miller and James Cunningham in their 1981 article “There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management goals and objectives.” Thi...

In this episode, I am joined by Jen and Brittany Labbe, the show managers for the 2024 Sewing & Stitchery Expo located in Puyallup, WA from February 29 – March 3, 2024. 2024 is the 40th anniversary of this expo.  I will be at the expo next year teaching some classes, so if you attend, let me know. I would love to meet in person! The Sew Expo is the largest annual gathering of the sewing commun...

In this episode, I speak with Lara Knight, a bridal designer. Lara started her bridal career straight out of FIT. She worked alongside some major talent, who allowed her to learn the art of creating gowns.  Laura shares her story about how she got involved in the fashion industry, and how she was able to work with amazing celebrities like Michelle Obama and Vanna White. We talk all about how to st...

In this episode, I speak with Dee Dee Anderson, the owner of Anderson Alterations Academy.  Dee Dee has been in the bridal industry for over 30 years. She has performed alterations for thousands of brides in a way that looks like a natural extension of the original dress. Being in such high demand, brides have traveled from all over North America to her small town in Northern Utah to worth with De...

So you want to be a bridal seamstress, but where do you start? In this episode, I speak with Marianne Maciejewski, a bridal seamstress in Berks County, Pennsylvania. When Marianne first thought about starting her bridal seamstress business, a lot of things seemed like big question marks - how do I run the business? How do I price my services? Who can I lean on for support? What she was missing was...

Join us January 24-26, 2024 in Austin, Texas for 3 days of keynotes, networking, and reimaging the potential of your bridal alterations business. Registration closes November 30th! In this episode Wendy Rivera, the owner of Do You Speak Bride, chats all about the way of communicating with the bride in what she calls the Language of Bride. Wendy is the keynote speaker on day 1 at the retreat!  Regi...

Are you a bridal seamstress looking to take your business to the next level? Join us January 24-26, 2024 in Austin, Texas for 3 days of keynotes, networking, and reimaging the potential of your bridal alterations business. Registration closes November 30th! In this episode, Bianca Trevino, CEO of The Wed Strategy, chats all about what’s to come in this event-packed weekend.  Register here: https:/...

If you are in the wedding industry and feel like you are in a weird phase of business right now where leads have slowed down for no reason, you are not alone. There is actually a reason for this! It is called “The Wedding Gap”. Today’s episode features Brandee Gaar, the founder of Blush and the host of The Wedding Pro CEO Podcast. Brandee is the go-to business coach and resource for wedding profes...

We all know first impressions matter, but as a bridal seamstress connecting with people online in a world full of visual simulation, how can we leave a first impression that lasts? In this episode, I share three tips for grabbing the attention of clients online in a short amount of time. What do you need to be posting? What needs to be on your website? How should your bride feel when they come to...

How to plan for the unexpected - what a contradictory statement, but as a self-employed bridal seamstress, it is critical to think about. In this episode, I chat with Genna Engeman, the Wedding Gown Tailor. Genna started her seamstress career as a part-time gig, and then when she became pregnant and her husband was laid off, she decided to go all-in full-time in her business, The Wedding Gown Tail...

As a bridal seamstress, we go through seasons. Busy seasons, growth seasons, slow seasons, and super creative seasons. Today I am speaking with Sarah Kolis, the founder of Sarah Kolis Design, about everything involved in being a successful bridal seamstress.  In this episode we discuss:  How Sarah built her successful bridal seamstress business, and the pivots she made along the way. Building up e...

Marketing is one of those things that is constantly changing with the times! It can be easy to feel overwhelmed and quit before you try. Or maybe you have been trying, but the results aren’t exactly pouring in.  In this episode, Bianca Trevino shares her wisdom as a wedding planner and wedding business strategist, to give us applicable steps for our own bridal marketing.  You will want to take not...

Have you heard? We have our next SBS retreat coming up in January, in Austin, Texas!  Intentional, impactful trainings and peer connections will prepare you for your most successful season yet.  Registration will be open until November 30, or until seats are sold out. We’re over half way there, so this is your friendly nudge to snag your seat! In this episode, you’ll hear what we have planned for...

Remember when we would have time to sew just for the fun of it? Maybe it was the love of sewing and creating that first led you to the industry years ago. But many professional creatives will tell you that it takes intentional effort to keep your passion for the creativity itself.  In this episode, sewing influencer Faith St. Jul shares how she makes time for it all- her professional sewing worklo...

One of the most asked questions I hear is: How do you block your time? The second most common question: How many brides do you take per month? The fun part about our industry is that everyone has a different answer. We each have found (or are still trying to find) the perfect balance between work and relaxing time off. Whether bridal sewing is your full time gig, or a side hustle to bring in vacat...

Raise your hand if you’ve had sewing projects that require so much brain power, you forget to eat! Or what about your water intake- how is that going during your busy season? Do we even want to mention the physical habits we establish sitting for hours at the sewing machine…? The good news is, you’re not alone if these health factors are raising red flags for you. As small business owners, we have...

I am so thrilled to share this interview with fellow sewist Monde Mutumba, the sewist behind Monde’s Threads. Monde is famous for her impressive overhauls of bridal gowns and formal wear, and of course her entertaining play-by-plays of the process! But today she’s sharing her own story: how her sewing journey began, how she filters out the right work commitments, behind the seams of pattern making...

Tune in to learn from master storyteller Matthew Banever, owner of Bards Clothing.  Matt has built a brand around the integrity of quality materials and workmanship, and the unique stories of his clients.  When he started the business in 2020, you can imagine the unexpected roadblocks that he had to overcome! Bards Clothing represents tenacity and grit, and intentional focus on the individual clie...

What do you get when you have one bridal sewing business owner, plus 37 different jobs to do to keep the business afloat? One busy (and probably overwhelmed) seamstress!  In this episode, Sew Glorious owner Fran Miller, PhD, gives us the full scoop on Dubsado, a program that provides automated assistance for your business. Fran shares all of the benefits of this digital treasure, including: -perso...

That’s a great question…How CAN we grow our local sewing business? With so many resources out there to reach the entire world online, our marketing strategies for local clients can be a bit muddled and confusing!  As local businesses. it is so important to keep our eyes on the local prize- on our potential clients, and the relationships we can build within our respective communities.  &n...

Today we’re hearing from Bree Mcqueen, and she’s giving us the inside scoop on when to know it’s time to hire professional services. She reached a point in her own business where she needed assistance with daily communicative tasks so she could spend more precious time at the sewing machine. Does this sound like something you need to do too? In this episode, Bree shares -how to decide what to dele...

As bridal seamstresses, it’s not uncommon to start our businesses in our homes. We spruce up a spare bedroom or an office space, arrange the family schedule to accommodate clients, and steer clear of fried foods or garlic-infused recipes when fittings are on the books! But for some of us, the time comes when the business outgrows the home. Whether the gowns physically cannot fit in the house anymo...

We’ve all heard the saying, ‘Time is Money’, and as an entrepreneur, ain’t that the truth?! But as tenacious DIY-ers, it can be difficult to determine when it’s time to pull the trigger and invest in the business. Whether it’s investing in a new tool, or in education or coaching, we carefully weigh out our options before making the move.    So how do you know it’s time to invest in your...

Set your alarms! Secrets of a Bridal Seamstress is celebrating a NEW and reinvented membership, and you’re invited to the party!  On Wednesday, February 1st, our website will be live for you to see all the fun new available resources for bridal seamstresses. To celebrate, I’m hosting a little scavenger hunt so you join the party. I’ll have a list of things to look for within the new site, and...