So, you’ve got the ring on your finger, the date in your diary and a brain bursting with wedding plans, but where are you going to get your wedding dress from? Knowing that this is likely to be the most expensive sartorial purchase you’re ever going to make, it’s important that you invest wisely and get your facts straight before you start shopping. That’s why we’ve got some advice for you on how to choose a bridal boutique, even if you don’t choose us!
Now, you may think that this is your golden opportunity to go to every single bridal shop you can get an appointment at to try on every dress possible. We understand. It’s exciting and you’re never going to get the chance to do this again, so why not let your inner Muriel out? In our experience, however, overdoing things tends to only ever lead to snow blindness and confusion. You’ll end up doubting yourself and questioning your final decision because you’ve tried on so many frocks.
Instead, we recommend a strategic plan of attack to make the most of your bridal retail experience. In the first place, you need to do a little bit of research. Have a think about they type of dress you can envisage yourself wearing and then start looking at styles. From there, you’re likely to hit upon one or two bridal designers who you really like the aesthetic of.
If that’s the case, you should have a look at which bridal shops in your local area stock those designers and make an appointment to see if you can try on the types of dresses that you think you might like.
We’ve yet to meet a bride who is absolutely 100% ambivalent about the style of their wedding dress. As such, you should take a look at the types of collections offered by your nearby bridal boutiques. If you’re averse to big, frothy wedding gowns, don’t go to a shop that stocks these more traditional types of dresses.
Likewise, if you’re after a fully corseted, hooped skirt that looks like a Disney princess, you might be wasting your time in a bridal boutique that has an emphasis on fluid vintage inspired designs. Much of this comes down to body shape, so have a think about what you would normally wear and what you feel confident and comfortable with.
Another key consideration is of course budget. Don’t start trying on six grand dresses if you know you haven’t got that much to spend. Even if you think you can go away and find an imitation cheaper somewhere else (which is literally the worst idea in the world, FYI), you’re only ever going to be disappointed by the fact that what you get is actually just not as good as that authentic high end dress.
You’ll notice that we keep saying ‘local’ but you may well decide to travel for your wedding dress, perhaps to find the designer you love or because the bridal boutique is closer to your family/wedding venue etc. We find that many of our brides-to-be view Perfect Day Bridal as a destination wedding dress shop so they travel out from London or down from the Midlands to see us. Just make sure you’ve budgeted in enough time to fit in all your alterations appointments if you choose a destination bridal boutique, as you won’t be able to just pop in after work for your fittings and suchlike if you’ve got a fair distance to travel.
Our best piece of advice is to be honest with any bridal boutique you visit about what you want, need and can afford. We can only help you start finding your wedding dress when we know all the facts, so there’s no point in hemming around how much you’ve got to spend or what you like. Lay your cards on the table and be prepared to meet your dream dress!
If you’d like to book an appointment at Perfect Day Bridal, contact us now and we’ll look forward to meeting you.
