HELPING YOU PREPARE TO SAY ‘YES’ TO THE DRESS
Tips on how to best prepare and make the most out of your bridal appointment!
Brides often ask us here at The Dress Bridal Boutique if they should bring or wear anything specific to their bridal appointment or just simply be aware of anything before coming to visit us. We love sharing this kind of information so that our brides can be fully prepared and make the most out of their appointment. That is why we have made a list to guide you brides from the very start of scheduling a bridal appointment all the way to your ‘YES’ moment!
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- Decide on a budget. It is first very important that you decide on a number that you are comfortable with spending on your bridal gown. We here at The Dress Bridal Boutique highly respect budgets. It is our job to find you your dream wedding gown and when you break down all of the components that go into your dream gown, the price is definitely one of them. That is why it is necessary to have a number to tell your bridal consultant in order for him/her to show you gowns that are realistic options for you.
- Consider silhouettes, necklines, and details that you prefer. It is ok NOT to have a solid idea of what you want in your bridal gown, especially when you first start shopping, but start to collect your thoughts on design details, such as the shape and neckline, that you might like. Even the smallest bit of information on your preferences that you can offer to your consultant will help him/her get ideas flowing and guide you toward some beautiful options.
- Do your research. Every bridal store is different. Each store carries different designers, caters to different price points, performs by different policies and has different hours of operation. Therefore, it is really important to look into each boutique you’re hoping to visit. Now that you have your budget set and an idea of what you’re looking for, visit a boutique’s website to see where their dresses range in price. If your budget matches the store’s price points, then look into the designers they carry. I always suggest going to those designers’ websites to view their dress galleries to see if you like any of their designs. And, hey, if you find one you love, write the style number down and give the boutique a call to see if they have that style in their inventory. Speaking of inventory, not every bridal boutique offers an open inventory. For example, here at The Dress Bridal Boutique we have a closed inventory. This means that we do not allow brides, guests or anyone from the public to view our gowns. We choose to operate this way in order to keep the focus on the bride as this avoids multiple people pulling gowns the bride is not interested in and/or is out of her budget. If you want to be able look through the store’s gowns yourself, be sure to ask if the boutique allows that when booking an appointment. Lastly, look into the boutique’s guest count and hours of operation. Plan to invite those you feel are the most important people you need there when you say ‘YES’ to the dress while respecting the boutique’s rules on the number of guests. Once you’ve invited your entourage, plan a few dates and times that work for you all before you inquire about an appointment; that way if your first choice doesn’t work out with their availability you already have a backup date ready.
- Finally, the fun part! Attend your appointment! The day you’ve been waiting for…bridal gown shopping day! We as consultants want your appointment to be just as smooth, fun and bride-focused as possible! While in your appointment just relax, enjoy and stay open-minded. You wouldn’t believe how many brides walk in the door with one idea in mind and leave with an entirely different vision. A bridal appointment proves that saying, ‘you never know until you try’ is really true! Definitely bring photos of what you think you may be interested in. Sometimes it is easier to explain what it is you are liking with some visual assistance. Wear something comfortable that is easy to change in and out of. And please, ladies, wear proper undergarments. Us gals at The Dress don’t mind if you go braless, but we, and the next girl to step into that gown you’re about to put on, do mind if you are panty-less. (We say that with love!) Overall, trust your consultant and allow yourself to try something you never seen yourself in. You may surprise yourself and it may lead to even more options than you had with your original list of ideas.
- Don’t be afraid to say ‘YES’ to the dress…even on your first appointment. We have come across a lot of brides recently who have been shopaholics when it comes to bridal gown shopping. They tell us they worry that there may be something else out there that they haven’t seen yet. We worry that if you continue to shop even after you’ve found a gown that you love, then you may overwhelm yourself with too many options. That is why we are believers of going with your gut. If you love a gown, say YES! We get it if you need time to think about it before making a large, and important, purchase. However, if you really feel you cannot say yes to a dress, then it most likely is not your dress, but if you don’t want to say yes because you have other appointments and you feel like you should shop more than one, two, or three times, then you may cause more stress on yourself. It is ok to cancel other appointments. It is ok to stop shopping. This is supposed to be a fun and memorable experience, so don’t sabotage yourself from having that experience and go with whatever you feel the best in and most excited about. All that matters is that you feel absolutely beautiful and that you are ready to walk down the aisle in that gown! We hope after reading this you feel confident in starting your journey of finding your wedding gown. We wish you the best, and happy shopping!
