Going dress shopping for the first time can sometimes feel like the first day of school. You have an idea of what you are getting into but, you are still a little nervous, a lot of excited and not sure what to expect. First and foremost take a deep breath! This is going to be fun! So, where to start? Before you go shopping, we need to determine your time frame and your budget.
The average wedding gown can take anywhere between 4 to 6 months to arrive in your bridal shop after purchase; so, plan ahead if you are considering an ordered gown! If you are working with a quicker wear date, this doesn’t mean you are out of luck! There are bridal lines such as Lillian West and Justin Alexander that offer their boutiques the capability to get dresses in much faster. (Yes, Blush of course, carries both (; ) Through what we call a portal, we are able to check and see what gowns & sizes are finishing production. Then we are able to see what would be available in time for your wedding! We have been fortunate enough to save the day for many a quick wear date bride and love having this flexibility!
Another option for quicker wear date brides would be to purchase off the rack, a topic we will expand on further in an upcoming blog.
Once you’ve determined the time frame for your purchase, start doing some research! Call around to your local bridal shops. What does the average bride spend in their store? If their budget is in line with your own, check out their websites (social media and reviews included)! Do they offer gown’s you’d be interested in trying on? What have past customers said about their experiences?
Blush Research Example: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BlushBridalOhio/reviews/
If everything feels like a good fit, set up an appointment to try on! The amount of appointments a bride will need will depend on her personally. For many women, it only takes one shop, but, it’s not uncommon to book multiple appointments at neighboring stores. Two to three is always a good number to start.
In preparation for your appointment, do your homework! Hop on the world wide web and start saving pictures of gowns you love! Visuals are awesome to give your stylist something to work off of in the beginning stages of this process. You don’t have to know everything about what you want, in fact, it may change the second you get up on a pedestal (so, try to be open minded when your stylist pulls something SO FAR from what you think you’re into AKA: The wild card).
If you tend to be a fairly modest person pack a nude, strapless bra. You and your consultant will be in pretty close quarters and while I promise, she’s seen it a million times before, we know it can be a weird for some people and we totally respect that! Strip down to what you’re comfortable in while trying on or ask the consultant to step out when you need a little privacy! They are happy to oblige!
The last thing to consider before shopping is who you are bringing. Do yourself a favor and only invite the people who are NECESSARY to make this choice. Does too many cooks in the kitchen ring any bells?I will expand further on this concept in a later post, but, for now, I recommend taking it easy on yourself in the crowd department- especially if you are a people pleaser. It gets overwhelming to have so many opinions flying while you are trying to make such a big decision.
My people pleasing brides and my brides who are having trouble determining their bridal vision often find it helpful to scope out the stores alone before bringing their crew along. Doing this will give you one on one time with your stylist to do a little digging on your bridal vision before “more hands are in the pot” so to speak.
Also! If your crew is curious, bubbly beverages are typically welcome in bridal shops for celebrations, at Blush, we encourage a little bit of party. However, it’s always good to call ahead and check with other stores before popping the top!
Trust the process & pour some Prosecco!
Cheers,
Hannah
