Online site drives up wedding expectations, costs
Pinterest is sending Winnipeg brides to stores seeking high-priced goods
An online site used to store photographs and websites has Winnipeg brides heading to retailers with lofty expectations for their big day.
Pinterest is an online site where people can "pin" photos of everything from home décor to food to weddings.
Lindsay Girouard manages Stella's Bridal on Portage Avenue. She said brides are coming in with Pinterest boards filled with photos that have elevated their expectations, and sometimes push the limits of their budgets.
"I have girls coming in with dresses from Pinterest or Say Yes to the Dress that are probably $40,000 or $50,000 dresses," said Girouard.
"For me to be able to pull something in their price range of $1,000 or $1,500 is a little bit difficult sometimes."
And Girouard isn’t the only retailer who has seen the trend.
Lauren Wiebe is the wedding coordinator at Academy Florists. She said when brides bring in Pinterest boards, they have different expectations.
"The bride that hands me her Pinterest board isn’t just asking for bouquets and boutonnieres. She’s asking for unique pieces," said Wiebe.
She said in some cases brides have increased what they planned to spend to get something similar to a photo they have pinned.
Lynsey Vokey is one Winnipeg bride-to-be who has relied on Pinterest to help plan her wedding.
"You see these ideas, then you’re like, ‘I need these ideas! This is what I need to do because they are so romantic,’" said Vokey.
She said she eventually realized she wouldn’t be able to afford some of the ideas featured in her pins.
"I actually ended up deleting some pins that just weren't going to happen because I would keep on staring at them over and over again," said Vokey.
Still, Vokey plans to keep using the site to help her plan her big day.