10 Things To Know Before Your Bridal Appointment
1. Breakfast actually is the most important meal of the day.
Starting out “hangry” is like shopping suicide. You would not want to eat a whole pizza before your appointment but make sure you have something to eat before getting started. Trying to find “THE” dress can be emotionally and physically draining and the last thing you will want is to be distracted because you are too hungry to enjoy your appointment.
2. Choose your companions wisely.
You are welcome to have as many guests come with you as you would like, however, we ask for no small children at your appointment. It’s great to have trusted opinions in helping you pick the right dress, but too many opinions can paralyze you with fear of making the wrong choice. So try to pick as few as possible so that you are not overwhelmed with all the feedback.
3. Wear makeup and fix your hair.
Buying your wedding dress is not an everyday occurrence. Sometimes it is easier to imagine what your wedding day will look like when you have your makeup and hair fixed. We are not saying that you have to wear full blown stage makeup and a fancy updo for your hair, but a little goes a long way. Also, bring some hair clips or combs if you think you may want to wear you hair up on your wedding day so that when you try on veils you can get a better idea of what it will all look like.
4. Be prepared to have a consultant in your dressing room.
We will have a consultant and sometimes two consultants helping you in and out of the dresses. Our consultants will try every effort possible to give you some privacy, but at the same time, they will be the ones helping you in and out of the dresses. Undergarments MUST be worn while trying on dresses. We recommend wearing nude colored undergarments and preferably a strapless bra. We have discovered that bra straps and brightly colored undergarments can pose a distraction when trying on dresses. If you are extremely modest, then speak up and tell your consultant, and she will make every effort to make your appointment as comfortable as possible.
5. Trust your consultant
She may be older than your mom or even not much older than you, but she wouldn’t be doing this if she wasn’t totally qualified. Your consultant knows the dresses and sees hundreds of brides with varying body shapes try them on everyday. Ultimately the final decision is yours, but be open to suggestions that your consultant may provide.
6. Wedding dresses are NOT sized like your clothes.
Don’t panic or have a meltdown! You do not need to join Jenny Craig or enroll in a Bridal Boot camp- wedding gown sizes are not the same as “street” clothes. If you wear a 6 in your favorite summer dress, there’s a good chance you will be wearing a 10 or 12 going down the aisle. Try to focus on how great the dress makes you feel and not the number on the tag. No one is going to know what size you are wearing anyway.
7. Try on different styles.
Even if you think you have your heart set on a mermaid dress with a sweetheart neckline, try on a variety of gowns. You are only going to do this once, and you may surprise yourself by choosing something completely different than the pins on your Pinterest board.
8. Some “other” bride might be wearing “your” dress.
Let’s be honest: you are not the only bride planning a wedding, and there are sure to be several other people getting married on the same day as you. So, it is entirely possible that someone else may pick out the same dress as you. We cannot control who wears a dress and who buys a particular style. Everyone wants to feel beautiful on her day. Even if someone was to buy the same dress, the chances are your body type and hair color are not the same, so the dress will not look the same on everyone. It is still “THE” dress for you, and it will still be special!
9. You may not cry.
Not everyone is the emotional type. So don’t feel like you have to cry to know that the dress is “THE ONE”. Maybe your mom will get emotional but don’t feel like if no one does,that you have picked the wrong dress. Every bride is different so don’t put pressure on yourself to react a certain way. The goal is to find dress that you love and makes you feel beautiful.
10. Be on time for your appointment and be prepared to purchase
Please arrive to your appointment on time. Appointments are allotted for an hour and a half. If you are late to your appointment that time will be deducted from the allotted appointment time and may result in you not getting to try on as many dresses as intended. If you are going to be late or need to reschedule please be respectful and call the salon and talk with a consultant.
Be prepared to purchase your dress if you find “THE” one. Our goal is to find the perfect dress for you the day you come in. Please wait until you are ready to purchase before looking for your dress. Shipping on bridal gowns can take 4 to 6 months to arrive at the store. Customizations can take longer. Your stylist will be able to answer your questions about your dream dress and when to expect delivery. We do not have an “in-house” alteration service, but we do have several people who we can recommend to do your alterations for you. They are extremely talented and very reasonably priced. So please budget an alteration allowance in your total gown budget. We recommend you get your alterations done 90 days before your wedding. We aim to be your full service bridal salon and hope that we can help you find the dress of your dreams while also dressing your entire wedding party.