Shopping for your wedding gown is a once in a lifetime experience. Seeing the wedding dresses, touching the fabrics, and shopping with an experienced consultant makes all the difference. But because many brides have never shopped for a wedding dress before (aside from occasional Say Yes to the Dress marathons) they often have questions. Here are a few tips from our consultants on how get the most out of your bridal salon experience.
Preparation:
- Set a budget, but be prepared to re-evaluate as you learn more about what styles you are drawn to.
- Look at gowns in magazines or online to get a general sense of the silhouettes and fabrics you like. Share these pictures with your consultant when you arrive to your appointment.
- Pick one or two boutiques to start with. Most brides find their dress on the first visit, but others need to do more shopping. Universally, trying on dresses at more than two boutiques can cause confusion, especially if you end up liking more than one dress at each.
- Make an appointment. Walking in to a boutique is often fine, but you will get the best undivided attention from a bridal consultant when you make an appointment. Also, weekends are often busy – don’t be afraid to schedule your appointment on a weekday!
- Understand your timeline. If you shop for you wedding dress two or three years before your wedding date, the dresses you love now will likely be discontinued by the time you are ready to put money down. On the other hand, if you start shopping too late, you may not have time to order and will have a more limited selection of dresses. The sweet-spot to place an order is 8-9 months in advance.
The Appointment:
- Show up to your appointment focused, primped, and prepared to find your dress! For some brides, this means hair up and makeup done, but for others it might mean just a bit of lip gloss. Whatever makes you feel confident!
- While you may have ideas of what type of dress you want, don’t be afraid to trust your consultant and try on a few different silhouettes. Your consultant may pull dresses that look drab on the hanger, but once you put them on you just might fall in love with one!
- Limit your bridal entourage — too many opinions can jostle the mind and distract you from your goal: finding the dress that makes you feel beautiful and ready to get married! It’s generally recommended to bring one or two trusted friends or family members with you.
- During your appointment, be prepared to share your wedding plans, opinions on dresses, and ask plenty of questions. Communication with your consultant is key; that’s how you will get the best service!
- Wear or bring undergarments that will make you feel comfortable stepping into sample dresses. Consider wearing nude colors.
Buying:
- Don’t overthink, but don’t sell yourself short. There’s no magic number of dresses to try before making your decision, so look at as many as you need to. But, when you’ve found a dress that makes you feel beautiful, suits your budget, and makes you feel excited to walk down the aisle – know that it’s okay to just say “yes!”
- It’s okay if you don’t cry! Many brides have a mental image of weeping delicately in front of their family as Randi Frenoli asks them, “Are you saying ‘yes’ to this dress?” But many brides smile, shout, or even just sigh in relief. Don’t hold yourself to an unrealistic standard. Let yourself react to your bridal experience naturally!
- Don’t second guess yourself and keep looking at dresses once you have found one. There are hundreds of wedding dress designers who create thousands of dresses – you could shop for the rest of your life and keep finding new dresses that look fantastic on you! But you picked yours for a reason: it made you glow!
- Be prepared to put money down on the dress. A general industry standard is to pay 50% at least. Some boutiques may differ, so be sure to ask! Alterations, accessories, and shoes are also an extra cost.
Fitting:
- Don’t forget about alterations! Custom fittings are so important to a wedding dress – they’re what makes the gown look like it was made for you! Schedule your alterations appointment ahead of time. Ideally, your first fitting should be 2 months before your wedding date.
- Be prepared. Bring your shoes and any undergarments you want to wear on your wedding day. Also bring any accessories, such as a belt or straps, that you would like added to your dress.
- Be patient. Sometimes alterations require multiple appointments. Just remember that alterations are important because they are the last step to customize your dress to your body. They’re the best way to ensure that your gown looks amazing on your big day!
- The person who will help you get dressed on your wedding day should also come to your final appointment. Until your wedding day, you’ve had expert consultants help you into your dress – and they make it look easy! Your gown is special garment that needs to be put on your body, zipped up, buttoned up or tied up in the right way so you look and feel your best! Ask your friend to watch closely as your seamstress explains how to bustle your gown or secure any straps or buttons.