Congratulations! You and your fiancé are engaged! Now it’s time for the wedding planning to begin!
Whether you're looking for your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, or just want to browse, you'll need to make a bridal appointment. With an appointment you receive personalized attention from the bridal shop's staff and stylist and a dedicated fitting room. The time will provide expert guidance as you choose a color palette and overall look for your party.
Besides planning and picking out the perfect wedding cake for you and your husband to celebrate the start of your marriage, dress shopping is one of the most exciting part of your wedding planning journey. To make your experience fun and stress free, here are five helpful tips for your successful bridal appointment.
More Guests = More Opinions!
The more people you invite to your appointment, the more difficult it will be for you to make a decision due to everyone’s conflicting feedback. This is why most bridal salons limit the amount of guests you are allowed to bring with you.
Let’s take a moment to think about your bridal party for example, you have a unique relationship with each member and therefore they are all likely to picture you in a different style gown that reflects the “you” that have grown to know and love. Your mother for example may know a very different side of you than your best friends do and therefore she may picture you, her “little girl,” in a gown that is extremely different than the styles that your best friends have in mind for you.
Bridal consultants suggest that it is best to schedule your first appointment with key members only, for example your mother, grandmother, sister, and best friend. At this appointment you can try on different silhouettes and narrow down your search to your top two or three favorite dresses and then schedule a second appointment where you can invite those extra guests to help you decide amongst those choices.
If you happen to find the dress of your dreams at your first appointment, do not feel guilty and say yes to the dress! Your friends and family who weren’t there will be happy for you and you can simply be honest with them and let them know that you were not planning on finding a wedding gown but you fell in love.
Be Prepared With The Right Undergarments And Shoes!
At your appointment you will be dressing and undressing in front of a bridal consultant in the fitting room. If you are shy, be prepared and wear the correct undergarments that will make you feel comfortable. If you have your heart set on finding a strapless dress, wear a strapless bra to your appointment.
Also, bring a pair of shoes with you to your appointment that is the heel height of what you plan to wear on your wedding day. If you plan on wearing 5” stilettos on your wedding day, its best if you bring a pair of 5" heels you have at home to try on with your gown especially if your gown requires a special custom length measurement.
Consider Hair And Makeup
Don’t go to your bridal appointment straight from the gym! We know this sounds silly, but it is difficult to envision your overall bridal look in any gown when your makeup is half melted away and your hair is pulled back in a sweaty, messy bun. Unless you are Beyonce and woke up fabulous, trying on anything when you look like you just rolled out of bed isn't always a good look.
Do Your Research!
It’s ok to be confused whether or not you want a mermaid or a ball gown but have a list for your consultant of the details that you like and don’t like. Do you like lace? Do you like satin? Do you like bling? Do you want strapless? Do you want to be covered? Do you want cut-outs? These are the questions that you should be prepared to answer that way your consultant doesn't show you gowns that you are not interested in while wasting your appointment time.
The Sooner The Better
Don’t wait until last minute to schedule your bridal appointment! Bridal gowns typically take between 6 to 9 months to come in once they are special ordered. Make sure that you give yourself more than enough time for the dress to come in and have your alterations done before your wedding date.
If you schedule your appointment too close to your wedding date, the bridal salon may not be able to order your gown for you in time and you may have to choose a gown from the showroom.
Shopping for a wedding dress should be enjoyable! Don't make the process of choosing your dream dress onerous or time-consuming; instead, enjoy the experience. Keep in mind that you will cherish the memories you create now. Once you find your ideal dress, remember it's going to get even better when you find the your size, the right color, and having it correctly altered to fit you perfectly.