Have you ever wondered what a Bridal Stylist thinks about during her appointment? Read six things we wish our brides knew during their wedding dress shopping experience!

 

1. Don’t shop too early, but don’t shop too late

Hmm, yeah this can be conflicting, but it’s true! It’s always a great idea to start a Pinterest board of ideas of what you’re looking for and it’s also fun to start browsing to get idea of what you may like, but if you start too early, you may become overwhelmed by visiting too many shops, waiting for the new season of dresses to come out, or over compare styles that are too similar.

You also don’t want to shop too late because you need time to order a dress and have alterations done. We always suggest about a year out since it takes on average 4-5 months for a dress to arrive and 2-3 months for alterations. Plus you need to consider bridesmaids dress shopping so your girls can coordinate with your dress and you will need time for them to order as well!

2. Trying on a dress outside of budget isn’t always “fun”

Nothing is more discouraging than trying on a dress you fall in love with, but ultimately cannot fit into your bridal budget. Yes, there are a million options out there, but we are careful to help you select styles that are within your price range which will meet everything on your dream dress list! There are even options to add sashes, modify necklines and trains to customize what you envision.

3. The more is not the merrier

Don’t misunderstand us, this is a monumental chapter in your life and you want to be able to have those closest to you while you choose a dress to wear on your wedding day, but the more people you bring the more opinions you will hear and we have seen the “burn out” look one too many times. We suggest no more than three guests in an appointment.

Ultimately we want your experience to be memorable, while keeping the focus on you, plus we want to be able to answer your questions and help style your look. There are many opportunities to have everyone involved in your planning, keep in mind bridesmaids dress shopping, accessories, picking out shoes, a hairstyle, make-up etc.

4. Not everyone cries

Like you may see on TV, not every bride needs to cry to know her dress is “the one”. In fact, mom, a close friend or sister may be the one to start tearing up first! You will know you found your dress when you can’t help but smile, while feeling confident and beautiful, knowing this dress reflects who you are and you cannot wait for your fiancé to get that first glimpse of you in it. Alright, hold on, now we need a tissue.

5. Lights, camera, make-up

Let’s get one thing straight, camera phones will NOT determine how amazing you are going to look on your wedding day! While a bridal shop will have a lot of lighting and windows, those darn phones know just how to capture a bad angle. Trust those oversized mirrors, look at yourself from every side, walk around, sit down, but for goodness sake, don’t pick a dress solely on what it looks like on a phone. Wearing natural make-up is also a great idea to see what you will look like on your wedding day, plus you can never go wrong with a good lipgloss and a little mascara.

6. We want your honesty!

We get it, people from the midwest are “nice”, that’s just who we are! We don’t make the dresses though, so talk to us, let us know what you really like or don’t like because that helps us find something you will truly love. We see dresses all day long so we know what looks good on different body types or how something can be customized. We want to get to know you, your family, personality, and hear all about your wedding details, because in the end, we want to find a dress that is all about YOU!