By now you have no doubt read plenty of blogs and received tons of advice on what to expect during your wedding gown shopping experience. There are a few details that get missed but can sometimes be equally as important. Our experts have a few pieces of wedding gown shopping etiquette that every bride should be sure to remember.
Who should I invite to the appointment?
Deciding who to invite to your appointment is probably the hardest part about wedding dress shopping. How do you know who to invite and who should stay at home? Well the first person you called after you got engaged should get an automatic invite. This will probably be the person or people who are closest to you. You will want to keep your entourage small. We recommend having no more than 5 people come to your appointments. Everyone wants to be able to boast that they were the one who picked out your wedding gown. Some opinions will be louder than others which may try to sway your decision or talk you out of a wedding dress you really love.
Do you have to bring your Mother-in-Law? If you have a good relationship and you want to bring her, you should. It could be a wonderful bonding experience. Bring positive people who just want you to be happy. Also, invite the person who is paying for your wedding dress. Nothing is worse than having your own, "Say Yes to the Dress" moment and the person paying for it is not there to seal the deal.
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Photo Courtesy of
Stacey Elaine Photography[/caption]
Who pays for my dress?
Traditionally the family of the bride
is responsible for the cost of the wedding dress. Today, most brides are paying for it themselves. If someone else has offered to pay for it, make sure you know up front how much they are prepared to spend and what they are paying for so that if you do go over budget you have a plan to cover the balance.
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Photo Courtesy of
Stacey Elaine Photography[/caption]
Why do I have to schedule an appointment? Can't I just go into a store and look around?
Searching for a wedding gown requires some planning. You should be doing as much research as you can about the bridal shops you are making appointments with. The best place to purchase your wedding gown is a shop that has excellent customer service. You want to make sure that the bridal shop is prepared and excited to see you. If you come in without an appointment, it is not guaranteed that you will be able to try on wedding dresses or that there will even be a fitting area available for you.
If you just want to browse for now, keep in mind that the bridal stylists may be busy with customers and not available to answer all of your questions. Besides, you can't really judge a wedding dress on a hanger. You have to see how it will look on your body and this is something your bridal stylist can recommend during your scheduled appointment.
Why do most bridal stores not allow young children?
Bridal shops can be a dangerous place for unsupervised children; there are pins that can poke, small beads than can pose as a choking hazard, and glass or heavy furniture that can fall on children and injure them. You may bring someone to help you watch them but this appointment time should be all about you and everyone should be giving you their undivided attention.
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Photos Courtesy of
Stacey Elaine Photography[/caption]
What kind of undergarments should I wear to my appointment?
This is probably the question most asked by brides scheduling a wedding gown appointment for the first time. First and foremost, understand that there will be someone helping you change into wedding dresses. Your Bridal Stylist wants you to feel comfortable but here are some tips on what undergarments to wear.
A bra is not usually necessary since most wedding dresses are fully structured or have an illusion (see through) back. If you would feel more comfortable with a bra we recommend a strapless one.
Make sure that any panties you wear are a light color and simple pattern so you don't see them through the wedding dress or have distracting panty lines.
If you want to try on wedding gowns with shape wear like Spanx be sure that you understand that this could fight the natural structure of the wedding dress you love and could make the interior of it feel very warm. Our advice is to try wedding gowns with and with out the extra help. You may decide that you don't need it at all.
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Photos Courtesy of
Stacey Elaine Photography[/caption]
At
Wonderland Bridal Couture we love giving our brides one-on-one customer service. If you are just starting the wedding gown shopping process and have any questions before your appointment, one of our Bridal Stylists will be happy to answer them. Just give us a call or
email us!