For the bride-to-be who desires a personalized experience, Conde Nast's Brides magazine is opening its doors. Women seeking fashion advice can buy the "Brides Private Access" experience, which includes a tour of the Brides New York City headquarters and a 30-minute fashion consultation with a Brides editor. And, it will Instagram the entire experience and post it on its social feeds.
All for the low cost of $12,500.
Oh, and styling another member of your wedding party? That will cost you $2,500 extra.
"It's really about having this special day and experience with their mother or sister, and being able to really enjoy it as part of their wedding journey," said Michelle Myers, chief revenue officer and publisher of Brides.
"Brides Private Access" was co-developed with Conde Nast chief administrative officer Jill Bright, who leads a brand experiences group in the company. A Conde Nast spokesperson said the company has plans on rolling out other consumer experiences for various publications in its portfolio.
In addition to being able to connect to key consumers, Myers and Brides is hoping the business of curating experiences will help add another revenue stream for the publishing empire. It's also will be executing "Wedding Worthy" experiential events where bridal trends are showcased. These group activities are available at a much lower price point, about $75 a person.
"Millennial girls want to feel really connected to the brand," she said.
Myers admits that the "Brides Private Access" isn't intended for the average bride. After all, the average cost of a wedding consultant, who will work with you throughout your wedding process, is $3,262 according to the Association of Bridal Consultants. According to the Brides American Wedding Study of 2014, the average wedding cost $28,202.
The publication is aiming for the millennial woman — or more than likely the fiance or family of the woman — who has the disposable income, she admitted. So, in addition to running ads in the April/May issue of Brides, it's also created custom ads for its sister publications, including its male-targeted magazines.
The price point is steep, but research shows that millennials value share-worthy experiences above most things, said Jennifer Tinker, group account director for shopper marketing agency Shopology. A study by EPR Properties showed that three out of four millennials would rather spend their money on experiences over consumer goods.
Millennials have a desire to build their own personal brand across social platforms, and anything that they can post that will give them more likes is going to be important to them, Tinker pointed out.
Now, add a passionate bride to that equation.
"The wedding industry as a whole is driven by very irrational, emotional behavior," Tinker pointed out.