Meet Wendy Ianieri Salerno | COO, Darianna® Bridal & Tuxedo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wendy Ianieri Salerno and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wendy, how has your work-life balance changed over time?

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

My husband Franco and I opened Darianna® Bridal & Tuxedo in January, 2013. The name is a combination of our two daughters, Daria and Deanna.

We had no experience in the industry, so we researched bridal stores across the country by reading reviews, specifically negative reviews. It didn’t take long to find out what we needed to do differently: don’t lie to customers, don’t be mean, and keep a clean store. Pretty basic, but it was apparently lacking everywhere.

It was challenging starting out. Being new, we were locked out of many Bridal lines but we picked up a few good ones and went to work. In addition, we opened during prom season which helped a great deal with store traffic and chatter.

Six months in and we won a community award for best bridal store. Not long after we knew we needed a larger store and we moved into one in 2015, a brand new, 3,150 square ft. space in a strip mall on a state highway, surrounded by major, well-known companies. Tripling the store size meant tripling all of the expenses that go along with it, We were still very new and doing everything we could to keep customer satisfaction as high as possible while getting our name out as quickly as possible.

We had other stores copying us and our socials, sending their staff for phony appointments, etc. As frustrating as that was, it was also funny knowing the inauthenticity that would eventually be revealed. And it was. You can only pretend to be someone else for so long.

Customers were posting 5-star reviews on different platforms which helped us a great deal. All of our departments, including bridal, tuxedo, mothers, and prom were getting traction and we kept doing our thing (tell the truth, don’t be mean, and keep a clean store). We kept the focus on our own business.

One thing that really sets us apart is that our staff is not on commission. We pay our staff properly whether they make a sale or not, and we are now known as the no pressure store which customers love! Brides tell us ridiculous pressure tactics made by others, they aren’t falling for it. A bride knows her dress and when she is ready, she will say yes. And if she doesn’t say yes with us, she will have a lovely experience and return for the men’s formal wear and her mother’s dress. We will still get to play a great part in her best day ever!

Our business also runs efficiently because of the technology we use and we were recently featured on Apple’s website! We were also interviewed by the US Chamber of Commerce for it. We continue to win industry awards and owe all of those to our fantastic and dedicated staff. We have created a family that continues to grow, and we hope it does for years to come!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

The city of Philadelphia is incredibly historic and eclectic. From the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the infamous Rocky steps to the endless shopping on South Street, to the outstanding culinary scene, there is so much to do. In the city, an elevator ride up 60 floors for dinner and drinks at the Four Seasons Hotel in the Comcast Technology Center is a memory that must be made, and your trip would not be complete without seeing the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?