1. Make an appointment. Most, if not all, of the wedding dress shops (no matter how big or small) require an appointment, even if you call 30 minutes before showing up. There are high’s and low’s for shopping season, but if they can’t accommodate you, you’ll have made the trip for nothing and will leave annoyed. That’s no way to begin your shopping experience! Plan ahead and schedule accordingly, especially on the weekends when appointments are booked a week or two in advance. This not only applies to bridal gown shopping, but also bridesmaid’s dresses and mother-of-the bride/groom evening gowns, as well.
• Side note: This may seem “well, duh” to many of you, but you’d be surprised at how often this happens. Cancel or change your appointment if you can’t make it! You’re actually doing a disservice to your fellow brides if you don’t. The slot that you filled with your appointment could be a slot another bride needs to make hers. This is especially important on the weekends, as it’s the busiest time of the week for any wedding business.
2. Educate yourself on the designers the store carries - it will help you immensely if you’ve seen some of their work beforehand. And more generally, do research on styles, cuts, and silhouettes you can see yourself wearing on the day of your wedding. It helps if you bring in pictures of dresses. The more information you give your sales consultant, the better they can assist you in finding the perfect dress. A few questions to think about:
• What silhouette am I looking for?
• What part of my body would I like to enhance and what would I like to downplay?
• Is there a specific color I have in mind? (White, Ivory, Offwhite, Champagne, Natural, etc.) Surprisingly, this is a very important question because many designers don’t make dresses in white anymore.
• How do I feel about lace and/or beading? If you like beading, do you want obvious, silver beading (which tends to give the “bling” affect) or do you lean more towards subtler, crystal clear beading?
• Am I partial to or against any material? (Satin, silk, taffeta, organza, chiffon, or tulle) Think about the month of your wedding, the setting [outdoors, indoors, both], and the theme [black tie, white tie, semi-formal, etc.].
3. If you have a special situation (rush wedding, you need sleeves or dresses to be built up to cover you), it’s always good to let the receptionist know when you’re making your appointment. Unfortunately, any of the aforementioned situations (along with others) limit your choice of designers and possibilities. Find out what your choices are so you can do some research!
• Special note for rush weddings (6 months and under): You really have two choices, some designers carry stock in their warehouse and if they have your size [or something close to it that can be altered to your size] you can purchase it right away and have it by the end of the week. The second choice is to pay for rush shipping (average is about $150-$200 extra), but every designer has different rules as to how soon they can get you a custom made gown, even with a rush order. This is why it’s important to tell the receptionist what your situation is. Depending on your timeframe, they will know exactly which designers you will be able to work with and which ones are out of the picture.
o Dresses in stock: If you are, in fact, lucky and find a dress you love and they have in stock, you NEED to purchase the dress ASAP. Boutiques from all across the country are calling for brides in a situation similar to yours, and a dress that could be available at 1:00 pm will no longer be there half an hour later. If you are in the position where you need to buy a dress soon, be prepared to make quick decisions when you go shopping.
4. Who will you bring with you? Really think twice about this question. As fun as it may seem, it is not productive to bring a whole entourage of people with you the first time you shop in a store. There are too many opinions and it will only confuse you. Bring 3-4 people max whose opinions you really respect and can help you to eliminate choices. The next time you come in, bring “second tier” audience members to help you decide between your top picks. At least that way, you’ve given yourself time to gather your own thoughts, before taking in the thoughts of other.
5. Bridal Gowns are custom made. But don’t misunderstand that phrase, this doesn’t mean that when we take your measurements – they will make the gown exactly to your bust, waist, hip, so that you don’t need alterations. This only means that gowns are made to order only, so once you place the order, they will begin to make a gown in the size closest to your measurements. This process takes, on average, 6 months – in addition to 1-2 months for your alterations - for a total of eight months. If there is nothing else that you take away from this entry, please remember this. It’s heartbreaking to get a bride who didn’t know and can’t buy the dress of her dreams.
in all things bridal,
V
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