Wedding Dress Shopping Tips
You are engaged and you set the date, now what? It is time to start your wedding dress shopping. If you haven’t gone wedding dress shopping previously either for yourself or to help someone else you could easily find the process overwhelming. Here at Lily’s Bridal, we try our best to make it less overwhelming by being there for you every step of the way before, during, and after your appointment to help lower your fears. Since Lily’s Bridal has been in business since 2007 we have seen a lot of brides and we can offer you some great wedding dress shopping tips.
Who Should Come With Me to My Appointment?
This is one area you should pay attention to. There is a reason why we ask you to keep the number of guests to just 4 for your appointment. The main reason is that it can become very overwhelming for the bride as she is trying on wedding dresses and hears a variety of opinions. Sadly, not every opinion is nice or helpful Not everyone is there for you o share your style of fashion. So even though you think you want everyone’s opinion it really can cause confusion for you.
Then remember that you have limited time for your appointment and when there is a large group of people that are pulling dresses they like and not really what you like it will leave less time to find the bride to find the one. So, with our Traditional appointment, you can bring 4 additional people. If you wish to bring more people to your appointment you can review the appointment options here.
Should I know how much I want to spend on my wedding dress?
Yes, you should know what you want to spend on your wedding dress as it will be something your bridal stylist will ask at your appointment. We understand this may be tough to determine as you have no clue what to expect prior to your appointment but please think it over. Here at Lily’s Bridal our wedding dress prices are $1200 – $3500. The average price of a wedding dress here at Lily’s is $1500. The main thing we ask is just, to be honest. If you want to stay at $1200 and nothing above please tell us. We will be very respectful of your price point and only show you those options. If there is a higher price wedding dress we think would be perfect, we will ask you first. We will never put you in a dress that you do not want to try on.
When you are not honest with us about pricing you are putting yourself and your stylist in a tough situation. You can easily fall in love with a wedding dress at a price point you are not comfortable with or have no way of paying for. Our goal is to find you a wedding dress you love and want to say YES to. It is the worst feeling in the world for the bride and the stylist when the perfect dress is found and it is way more than they want to spend. Especially when the budget given was $2500 but after finding the perfect wedding dress the real price range of $1200 or under is finally shared. It just hurts everyone when you are not honest with your price point. So no matter what please please be honest with your stylist. They are really here to help you.
How Many Wedding Dresses Can I Try On?
That is a great question and the answer is, that it truly depends on the bride, the wedding date, and the wedding dress option. We truly do not put a number on it as it depends on so many other factors. We don’t focus on a number here at Lily’s Bridal. Our focus is on your vision, your feel, your price point, and what you like. When trying on dresses your stylist will ask you questions while standing at the mirror. Again, please answer the best you can. We understand this is a new process for you and you may have a tough time answering. Don’t worry about having the proper words, just answer to the best of your ability. Just be honest, if you hate it, it is ok to say that you do. You will not hurt our feelings. It actually is very helpful for your stylist.
Once your stylist has narrowed down your wedding dress to the one you like or love the most, they will ask for the sale. It is part of the process. So don’t be surprised when it happens. It is their job. Just remember this huge point as a bride you will NEVER say yes to a wedding dress you don’t love. As a bride, you will never purchase something that is ok or will do, for your wedding day. You will know which dress is the one. Every bride is different but they know, I promise you that. You will know.
Can I Order or Buy Out of Inventory?
Here at Lily’s Bridal you have the option of special ordering or purchasing from our inventory. It can take up to 8 months for a wedding dress to ship once it is ordered. It truly depends on the dress and the designer. We don’t use your wedding date as the date to have your wedding dress in your hands, we use your alterations date. So we want you in alterations 3 months before your wedding date. Either way, we will provide you with the dates and you can make your decision. So if there is limited time to order a wedding dress we will focus on purchasing from our inventory. Yes, we take great care of our inventory because we know someone may need to purchase from it.
What to Wear to My Appointment?
We suggest wearing shoes that have the heel height you will be wearing on your wedding day. It helps you visualize how you will look on your wedding day. If you are going to wear make-up on your wedding day, wear it to your appointment. It helps with photos. This is may sound funny but please wear underwear. Remember you are not the only one trying on this wedding dress, so be respectful. A bra is truly your option. Our wedding dresses have so much structure in them that a bra is 100% your decision. Usually, by the second wedding dress, the bra is off. Yes, we do have long-lined bras if needed but yet again many of our brides wait until alterations to make that decision.
The best thing you can do is come ready to have fun and be open-minded. You will know when it is the ONE. Photos are great for memories but buying a wedding dress will never happen from a photo. It will be how the wedding dress made you feel and look. Please do not be hard on yourself. You were given this special life embrace it.
These top 5 wedding dress shopping tips from Lily’s Bridal and Prom are to help you be prepared for your shopping experience. Enjoy your day!