Find the right boutique, find the perfect dress!

Just like other wedding vendors, there are many bridal shops to consider. Each has its own gown selection, style, and personality. It can be overwhelming and hard to determine what is best for you. Let’s make sure you are successful in finding your perfect dress based on your wedding style, vision, and budget before booking your appointment.

Step 1: Know the Basics of the Wedding

Date & Venue – Before making any appointments have a date and venue set. Designers require a wedding date to order your dress and gowns can take 4-6 months to create and deliver. Plus, being able to visualize your venue while shopping for your wedding gown will help you know if it’s “the one”.

Budget – Each shop will have a price range. What affects dress prices are fabric, manufacturing origin, designer, and shop experience. The best approach is to determine what price you’re comfortable in spending on your dress alone, minus alterations and accessories, then identify bridal shops that carry dresses within that range.

Size – Bridal shops carry only one size in a style for brides to try. They use clips and magic bands to help show you how a dress can fit in your size. Bridal also runs small. Typically a size 12 dress in bridal is a street size 8. And shops usually carry bridal sizes 8-12 on average. If you’re a curvy bride keep this in mind when searching and ask shops ahead if they will have gowns available for you to try.

Step 2: Explore bridal shop websites, social pages, and reviews.

Every bridal shop has its own style and shopping approach. Looking at their website, social pages and reviews will give you a big picture of its experience and vibe. You want a shop that feels like you so you will feel confident and comfortable. Understanding a bridal salon’s service level and dress offerings ahead of time can enhance your experience and help you feel confident in finding your dream dress.

Step 3: Book your appointment

Congratulations! You have narrowed your options down to bridal shops that align with your budget, personality, and wedding style. Book one appointment at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed or obligated to keep shopping. It only takes one!

A Final Thought…

Be ready to say yes! The saying is true when you know, you know. Your first shopping experience may, in fact, be your only one if you’re fortunate enough to find your dream gown. You have done the homework. Don’t force the process to be longer than it needs to be just because you may feel obligated to visit a laundry list of boutiques. Lead with your gut – when you feel you’re most confident and beautiful self, you’ll know you’ve found your dream dress!