The Bridal Connection has served the Des Moines area for 38 years. Since its start The Bridal Connection has paid attention to all the small details, after all we are responsible for the very focal point of the best day of our client’s life. Changing ownership in 2007, it was very important for us to maintain the same top service that our client base was accustomed to. Part of our success has been those small details and understanding how important it is for our clients to pick the right dress with the right color.
Proper store setup up and lighting are a must in presenting products, especially clothing. Bridal has the uniqueness of presenting the white, ivory, and champagne gowns with their appliques, lace, sequins, and jewels, to the bold colors of bridesmaids’ styles along with matching tuxedos.
Lighting in the past was always challenging due to the amount of costs associated with incandescent and the heat of halogen bulbs,not to mention the short bulb life. At The Bridal Connection we went through this evolutionary time 7-10 years ago, when fluorescent/CFL technology was mandated to replace incandescent bulbs. The lumens and color rendering indexes (CRI) were challenging to maintain a well-lit area while maintaining good color rendering.
Moving through these transitional times in lighting, Dan (owner of The Bridal Connection) has become somewhat of an expert in understanding lumens, kelvin, wattage, bulb bases, and how they translate into an effective presentation to stores presentation and products. In 2013/2014, light emitting diode(LED) technology started breaking into the market. Dan immediately started replacing the store’s halogen spot lights with the costlier LED technology, hoping for overall electrical savings, but also longevity, and a much cooler bulb. Online sales were where cost savings were found, as local retailers were still in the middle of the CFL conversion. While trying to be pro-active in pursuing this newest generation of light, it still wasn’t at a point of perfection. Many of the chips burnt out too quickly or weren’t reliable as advertised.
In early 2016, Connor from Yellowblue LED, presented us with the concept of replacing all our fluorescent bulbs with a very affordable options including energy saving rebates from our energy provider. The conversion to LED transformed our showroom! The 4000K LED color temperature compliments the true beauty of our wedding dresses and is invaluable in helping our clients choose their perfect dress without regrets!
As business owners, the commitment from Yellowblue LED to provide quality products, backed by their satisfaction guarantee gave us peace of mind to make this investment. The light quality together with the savings we have enjoyed since making the conversion has paid for itself exponentially as we continue to grow as a locally owned business focused on the community we serve.
