Wedding dress shopping is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! It is typically one of the first tasks that you are checking off of your to-do list while wedding planning. A bridal appointment really sets the tone for the rest of your planning experience, so you want to make it a good one! It can also be a memory that you’ll treasure for the rest of your life.
OUR TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR BRIDAL APPOINTMENT
With all of that being said, here are some of our tips for making the most out of your bridal appointment! Whether you already have an appointment booked or you just got engaged, these can help to prepare you for the dress shopping experience.
Get Informed
First, you’ll want to get informed about the place where you are booking your appointment at. Check out their FAQ page or give them a call to find out some more information about the shop and what your experience will be like! Some things to find out are:
- Do you need to book an appointment or do they accept walk-ins?
- How long does the average appointment last?
- How many people can I bring with me?
- What are the price ranges of gowns in the shop?
Bring Inspiration
It’s always a good idea to bring some inspiration pictures to your appointment to show your stylist. This can help your stylist pull styles that you might like! If you have no idea what you’re looking for, take some time to browse Pinterest and bridal magazines. If this still doesn’t help, take a second to envision yourself walking down the aisle on your wedding day. What do you picture yourself wearing? A princess-like ballgown? A fitted, clean gown with a low back? Anything can help your stylist figure out what you might like!
Stay Open-Minded
Although having inspiration is very helpful to both you and your stylist, remember to stay open-minded. You would be surprised at the number of brides who walk into our shop with one thing in mind, and end up purchasing something that is the complete opposite! Seriously, so many brides come in saying “no strapless” and end up saying “yes” to a strapless gown!
Carefully Consider Who You’re Bringing
The people that you have with you during your appointment can truly make or break your experience.
We really recommend not bringing any more than 3 people with you, if at all possible. Having too many people can lead to too many opinions, which will only lead to you being confused and overwhelmed.
When you’re trying to decide who to bring with you, think about the people who are your absolute closest companions, whether they are family or friends. This can be a sister, best friend, mother, father, future in-law… even your fiance! The most important thing to have is people who will completely support you and surround you with love.
Have a Budget in Mind
It is so important to have a budget in mind when you come dress shopping. Like we mentioned above, it’s always a good idea to find out the price range of dresses that the bridal shop carries before you come in for your appointment to make sure that they are within your budget.
Think about it this way: what if you’re car shopping, and you have a Honda budget, but the salesman puts you in a Tesla. You fall in love with it, but there’s absolutely no way that you can afford it. You’d be pretty upset, right? This is exactly why we want you to have a budget in mind! We will never put you in a dress that is over your budget for this exact reason, so it’s important to be transparent about that.
Don’t Be Afraid to Commit
Finally, do not be afraid to commit! A lot of brides come in to their first appointment not expecting to buy a dress that day. However, the majority of our brides do say “yes” to the dress during their first appointment! Be ready to fall in love with a gown. So many brides have hesitancy committing to their number one gown because they may have other appointments to go to, or they’re worried that there is a better dress out there. When it comes down to it, there will always be other dresses out there. The most important thing is that you are 100% in love with your dress and can picture yourself getting married in it!
Have any other questions about what to expect during a bridal appointment? Give us a call at the shop or DM us on social media @kandbbridals — we would love to help!