David’s Bridal Makes Its SaaS Play for Wedding Vendors With Pearl Connect

David’s Bridal has introduced Pearl Connect, an artificial intelligence-powered platform designed to streamline wedding planning for vendors. The new platform aims to connect businesses like florists, photographers, and caterers with brides who are planning their weddings.

David’s Bridal president and chief business officer Elina Vilk explained that current methods of communication between brides and vendors, such as email, texts, contact forms, and social media, often lack connection and context for vendors. Pearl Planner, a consumer wedding-planning platform owned by David’s Bridal, already gathers information about the bride like date, budget, venue, and preferences. Pearl Connect intends to carry this information into the business side of the transaction.

This platform not only connects businesses with brides but also understands the individual needs of each couple. Vilk pointed out that couples are increasingly planning weddings over a longer period of time to afford their dream wedding or opting for more affordable options like backyard weddings. Pearl Connect uses AI to identify inquiries related to pricing or timing, flag conversations that require attention, draft responses, and even turn commitments into tasks and synchronize them with calendars.

Additionally, the platform provides businesses with an online profile, which can be enhanced with photographs and reviews. Participating companies must first establish their legitimacy by presenting a business license. The platform offers a free option and paid subscriptions, starting at $49 and $119 per month.

David’s Bridal aims to attract businesses by providing promotions, free trials, and demonstrations. The platform is not exclusively focused on wedding vendors but could potentially serve as an "operating system for the business" for various service providers. Vilk emphasized that Pearl Connect is a broader platform expansion rather than just a wedding-focused tool.