The Wedding Shoppe is a London-based, online store run by Diana Nguyen and her husband, Yale Li. This refreshing, fun and contemporary online shop not only offers a very good excuse to shop in pyjamas, but also over 2000 products from a variety of suppliers, all of which encompass just about any wedding style, from sweet and simple to extravagant and off-the-wall.

The general idea behind The Wedding Shoppe is to make life easier for brides on a mission for that one perfect gift, favour, invitations or accessory. By using a variety of suppliers, The Wedding Shoppes gives brides the freedom of getting creative without the hassles of buying online from unknown or large companies that can sometimes leave you to deal with the annoyance of cross-border shipping (and delays) and dealing with duty costs.

Serving clients in London as well as all over Canada (and the odd U.S. client), Diana told staff at The Ring, "We are well known for our large selection of products at affordable prices, quick shipping, low shipping rates and exceptional customer service through a small family business atmosphere." After meeting Diana, surfing her online store from top to bottom and interviewing her brides, we believe her. Let us explain...

From one wedding per year to 800 (and counting)

Diana Nguyen was born in Kitchener and raised in Stratford. She earned her first retail experience in the family jewellery store where she learned the importance of providing excellent customer service. She remembers helping couples with engagement rings and admits that it always felt really good when those same customers would come back for their wedding rings, bridal party gifts, and wedding and anniversary gifts. Diana liked being able to get to know her customers so well over the years.

It was after University while planning her own wedding that dreams of opening her own company began to come to light. "I did most of my planning online... I was disappointed to see the limited number of truly Canadian e-commerce companies out there that specialized in wedding favours and accessories.” Having just finished school (and earning a Master’s Degree in Psychology), Diana was at a crossroads. “…I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with my life...” So when she saw a need and saw that she was in a perfect position to take on a new challenge in her life, Diana opened The Wedding Shoppe in May 2008. “I ended up with a husband and my very own business!"

The Wedding Shoppe carries everything from ring pillows, cake toppers and napkins to jewellery, decorations, purses and stationery. Their items come in sets or individual per-piece items. In their first year of business, Diana says they shipped out 800 orders. "... and our business has tripled since then...” That business continues to grow every day, confirming that this online store is destined to be loved by brides across North America and here at home, in London Ontario.

They are Better Business Bureau and Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses members, the latter of which fights for the rights of small, independent businesses. Diana is also a foster parent for a local animal shelter and “the permanent mother of three mischievous cats and one happy-to-lucky shi-poo!”

Success comes at a (very good) price

As a home-based business, The Wedding Shoppe is able to keep their overhead low, and thus transfer those savings to their customers. They offer low shipping rates, usually ranging from $8 to $15 in addition to a pick-up option (by appointment), which waives all shipping fees. Going even further to keep their product prices competitive, Diana says they’ll match the price of any Canadian company.

But it’s not necessarily price that Diana and Yale attribute to their success. The Wedding Shoppe is a family business with real people who stand behind each of the products and orders that come through its internet doors. “When you call us, there are no long waits to speak to a random customer service agent. You will promptly be greeted by either my husband or me.” For this professional couple, it’s all about personal contact and providing the best experience to their clients that they can.

Megan M. was married in June 2009 and says she’d recommend The Wedding Shoppe to other brides. Megan describes the shop as having a good selection and a style that met her tastes. “My biggest reasons for choosing The Wedding Shoppe were convenience and reputation - I had already heard good things about The Wedding Shoppe. I checked them out online and it was very convenient to order everything online on my own time.”

The Wedding Shoppe also says they do everything they can to find the products theirs clients want, whether they normally carry them or not. “Brides often call us because they cannot find a product they want on our website; we deal with several suppliers and are often able to accommodate special orders for our customers.”

Megan ended up ordering thank you cards, invitations, a memorial candle and a unity candle, adding that she’d not seen the same style of candles anywhere else.

Diana says that one of the beautiful things about the web (and we agree) is that you have the freedom and ease of shopping around. The disadvantage is that you don’t always know what you’re getting until you get it. That’s why Diana recommends that you always order a sample first.

"I have big dreams for my company and the only way to achieve my professional goals is to go to work every day giving it a 100% effort, so that I can continue to learn in order for my company to continue to grow and reach a larger number of Canadian brides."

Trends

There are no limits to what brides can do for favours and gifts. It is limited only by their imagination and budget. And brides are being very creative right now. Some of which is budget-driven, some of it is just adding their personal stamp to their day.

The Wedding Shoppe sells a ton of party favours with over 500 of them to choose from. “Also, almost all of our favours are quantity discounted, so the more you buy, the more you save - sometimes up to forty percent off!”

One of the shop’s most popular products at the time we interviewed her? The high-heeled cake cutter!

Walking you through it

The first step is to visit www.theweddingshoppe.ca and shop around. Pick a place to start. The order is different for everyone, so that may be favours, invitations, gifts for attendants, thank you cards, or another important wedding element. While you’re welcome to shop anytime, Diana recommends starting early so that you can budget properly as well as find the perfect items that will truly suit your taste and the style of your wedding day. At least two weeks ahead of your wedding day is definitely recommended, though Diana has been known to rescue brides just a couple of days before their weddings.

Harry Marshall is getting married in 2010, and told staff at The Wedding Ring that he chose The Wedding Shoppe for his invitations. “Diana was very approachable, knowledgeable and professional. We felt completely confident in her ability to make sure our wedding invitations were perfect!”

Most Wedding Shoppe orders begin with the online order itself or with questions and inquiries by email. Diana and Yale take phone calls as well but admit that (like with many brides today) email is often the quickest and easiest way to get a quick, detailed answer. They’ve got live help on the website as well.

When you set up an appointment to view and order from the lines of wedding invitations available at The Wedding Shoppe, you’ll be meeting with Diana, who says she makes it her goal to help you create invites that reflect your personality and entire wedding theme, in style and in writing.

Harry told us, “It was an extremely easy process. We met with Diana and got some very useful information before making our decision on our invitation style and what to put on them. She put our order together, sent it off and two weeks later, our invitations arrived!”

Diana finds that a lot of her brides come back over and over again. Sometimes it’s for wedding items such as invitations, and then the next time for their guest favours or a non-wedding occasion such as Christmas or Mother’s Day. But whatever the occasion, it’s Diana’s goal to make sure your shopping experience is fast, easy and safe. “Our website is extremely user-friendly, but if you are having difficulties or have questions, we make it very easy for you to contact us and get assistance quickly… We offer live help from our website, quick responses to e-mail inquiries - usually within the hour - and exceptional customer service over the phone.”

When shopping for her August 8, 2009 wedding, bride, Julie Wangler liked that The Wedding Shoppe was a Canadian site. She had quite a few items to buy – garter set, toasting flute, cake serving set and a guest book. “They were all very nice… I could find what they had to offer elsewhere [but] it was just either more expensive or in American funds, which is more of a hassle… and you have to add in duty and customs fees… Diana was very accommodating, helpful and quick to respond to email and phone inquiries…”

"Whether you’re a bride who is getting married two years down the road, or a bride who is getting married in two days, I strive to help every bride out with as much dedication and effort as I would planning my own wedding. So whether you need advice regarding products to go with wedding day theme, you need vendor recommendations in the area, or you need a product rushed to you, you can always count on me to try my best to help you out."

Pricing it out

Individual items in the store are all over the board as far as prices. For example, at the time staff at The Ring were researching the shop, we found that most items are sold in sets for better bridal pricing. For example, it’s not likely you’d just need one green, floral-pattern favour box - so they’re sold in sets of 25 for $24.99. Yet, we did find some items that were on special such as funky tuxedo and wedding dress mint tins for $1.44 each. That said, there were too many items in too many different types and styles to really sum it up for you. Your best bet is to visit the store where all prices, photos and descriptions of each images can be found. You can spend as much or as little as you’d like, depending on what your budget is.

Details, details, details

• Giving yourself and The Wedding Shoppe two or more weeks to place and process an order is recommended, but all time-frames are welcome. The shop can do rush orders when necessary.
• A 50% deposit is due upon placing custom stationery orders with the balance due at pick-up.
• Payment is due when you place your order – paid by Visa, MasterCard or PayPal.
• Orders are subject to PST and GST.
• Shipping costs of $8 to $15 (on average) apply to most orders, unless you’re picking your order up, by appointment.

Contacting The Wedding Shoppe

Diana Nguyen at Wedding Shoppe can be reached by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 519-457-6446. You can also visit Wedding Shoppe online at http://www.theweddingshoppe.ca.