Appointment Prep
Preparing for your appointment at The Bridal Boutique 101
First and foremost thank-you for trusting our bridal shop to assist you in finding your dream wedding dress. Here is what you need to know.
1. Set a budget! Figure out what you are comfortable spending. It is one of the first questions we will ask you, and the amount of times brides say ‘I don’t have a budget’ is more than we can count on 2 hands. Think of your budget as what you are comfortable spending - That’s your budget! Easy peasy!
2. Research. The most helpful tool for us as bridal consultants are photos. They help us get a general sense for the kind of vibe you are looking for in a wedding dress. We want to see what you’re gravitating towards to help make pulling styles easier. Photos will allow us as stylists to visualize rather than interpret a verbal description which can get lost in translation (your idea of boho and my idea of boho might be completely different!). If you’ve been to other shops, and have a favourite gown we will want to see that too! It will be the dress to beat, and we might even have it in or boutique fo you to compare! So scroll through Pinterest or Instagram and save those photos of dresses you love, they will come in handy! We will start the appointment by pulling 4-5 dresses for you based off of what you’re liking, your budget etc. So you can sit back and relax while we do the work for you!
3. The company you keep! Who you bring with you is super important. You want to bring the people you want present when you ‘say yes to the dress’. The ones whose opinions truly matter, and that get you. The friend who will say ‘this is so you’ when you find that perfect dress and cheer you on.
4. Undergarments etc.- we recommend nude seamless underwear. As for bras, if you’re going to bring one we recommend nude and strapless, but the majority of wedding dresses actually have cups sewn in so we might recommend taking your bra off so that you can get a good feel for how it will look once properly fitting! Do you need shoes? The answer is no! We actually have pedestals for you to stand on, so no shoes required. That being said, you are more than welcome to bring them if you would like to walk around and see yourself in the natural light in the front of our beautiful shop.
5. Don’t be surprised if it’s the first dress. We constantly hear ‘it can’t be the first dress can it?!’. Truth be told, we strategically put our favourite dress for you on first, so don’t be surprised if it’s the first or second dress you try on at our boutique (it usually is!). This makes the process easier to narrow down, because if it doesn’t compare to your favourite, then it’s not your dress!
6. Be open minded! We will bring you dresses based off of what you’re liking, but we will also bring dresses based on what we think will look amazing on you so keep your options open. If you think you want a flowy dress, and we bring you a fitted one - give it a shot! If you hate it, it’s okay it will just reaffirm what you’re liking. You’d be amazing at how many people come in wanting one thing, and leave with something completely different. It might be everything you didn’t know you wanted!
7. Follow your gut. This is a big one. You want to feel like the best version of yourself. You’re going to put on a dress that you love and don’t want to take off, and that’s how you know. If it’s not your parties favourite that’s okay, because they don’t have to wear it - you do. We always say that fashion is an incredibly personal thing. What I like, might not be what my friends or Mother will as we have different style. Sometimes friends and family have a hard time separating their personal taste from yours, so take their opinions lightly because at the end of the day it’s how YOU feel. Your friend may think your gown is a little too simple, but maybe she was married in the sparkliest most dramatic ballgown you can imagine. So it probably is a little too simple... for her. But it’s your dress, and your day and one of the most important piece of clothing you will ever wear so it’s you who has to love it!
8. Most of our brides say yes to the dress on their first visit! Yep - you read that correctly! Some people are shocked when they hear that, but we have one of the best selections of dresses in the city. We have over 450 beautiful gowns, and so many different styles and vibes. Plus our stylists are an incredible team who are extremely knowledgeable and eat, breathe and sleep bridal, so if anything we will be more shocked if we can’t find you your dream dress! To place your order when you do say yes, it is 60% down and then the remaining 40% is due when your beautiful dress arrives (they typically take 6-8 months to come in sometimes 10 depending on the designer).
9. Trying on dresses can be mentally AND physically draining. After a certain amount of dresses they will start blending in together, and you may confuse yourself so we recommend not overwhelming yourself and to try not to book too many appointments. Book at your 1 or 2 favourite shops and call it a day.
10. Most importantly, have fun! We are so excited to meet you and help you find your dream dress! We are incredibly lucky to be able to work with such amazing brides, and value each and every relationship we create. We love what we do, and hope that translates during your appointment at our boutiques.