Bridal Style’s ultimate guide has everything you need to know before you say yes to your bridal ensemble
You’ve booked your first bridal appointment, your Pinterest board is overflowing, and your ‘for you’ page is filled with wedding dresses. With the sheer volume of choice available, it’s no wonder so many brides find the mere thought of finding the perfect bridal ensemble overwhelming. However, it’s certainly reassuring to feel that you’re entering a bridal boutique for the first time knowing exactly what to expect: and our guide has got you covered so that you can focus entirely on finding a look that feels unmistakably you.
But before we get into the nitty gritty of wedding dress shopping, the first thing to remember is that shopping for your bridal outfit should be a fun experience. Your wedding ensemble is the ultimate opportunity to express your individuality, and it’s vital to select an outfit that feels true to your personal style. Of course that’s easier said than done when, to many, a wedding dress is so different to what you would usually wear, but it’s important not to feel restrained by traditions or expectations of what a bride ‘should’ look like. Our platform is direct proof that there is no reason to suppress your personal style, with the plethora of designers and brands out there committed to making bridalwear more liberating and expressive. With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know before you begin your journey of finding the perfect outfit:
When You Should Start Wedding Dress Shopping
The question of when to begin looking for your wedding outfit remains a grey area, as it is very much dependent on the dress designer you opt for, as well as the general avenue you go down. The amount of bridal boutiques you visit will also be highly dependent on the individual, there is certainly no right or wrong amount of wedding dresses to try on, however as a guideline it’s wise not to oversaturate your mind with too many options.
It’s also a great idea to ensure each boutique that you are booking is worth the visit, by looking at their gowns and designers they have available in advance and identifying which ones will cater to your needs the most. If you are very much unsure on style, we’d recommend visiting a boutique with a versatile selection that caters to a wide variety of contrasting bridal aesthetics. Who knows, you may actually find your dress first-time lucky!
Rhiannan Shaw, Manager at London Bride UK, says: “We would like all our brides to have about 8 months – 1 year for finding the right dress and getting it in time for alterations. Every bride and experience is different, we would recommend 2, maximum 3 shops, but most brides find it on the first or second time.”
But if your wedding is sooner, there is no need to panic, as there are plenty of other options available. Alongside their made to order collections, the majority of bridal boutiques will also offer a sample sale collection, featuring ex display gowns that are available to buy off the peg. Plus, these gowns often come at a heavily discounted price, meaning that you can get the designer dress of your dreams at a fraction of the original cost. A true win-win! Many designers will also offer what is called a ‘rush’ option, which means that they can reduce the regular lead time of their gowns at an additional cost. This could be ideal if you have fallen in love with a gown or piece that isn’t available to buy as a sample.
How You Can Prepare
You will inevitably narrow down your bridal style gradually when you begin to try on, but that certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t get a head start by beginning with some initial research and brainstorming. There is absolutely no pressure to do this: but it can be helpful to think about how you want to feel on the day, as well as the type of bridal aesthetic you are drawn to. Despite its potential of oversaturation, Pinterest boards can be a great thing to show your bridal stylist, so that they are able to understand the vision for your day. From this, your stylist will then be able to pull some initial recommendations based on the overall theme of your wedding, so you’re one step closer to finding ‘the one.’
Rose Fuller-Jacobs, Senior Stylist at Angelica Bridal, says: “It can be a good idea to think about what shapes you’d feel comfortable in before you come in. Also think about what sort of dress you’d feel at home in during your day – you shouldn’t have to match the venue as such, but you want to feel like the tone of the dress is right for the sort of day you’re having. It can be a good idea to have a look at any particular designers that feel like your vibe, but it isn’t essential!”
That being said, it is not the end of the world if you enter the process without being totally sure of your overall vibe. Having an open mind can also be extremely beneficial, and there will be ample opportunity to try on a variety of silhouettes and styles at your appointment to enable you to narrow down your style. Wedding dress shopping is certainly a ‘trial and error’ process, and you will discover your preferred style very naturally when you begin to try them on. But if you’re eager to get a headstart, it absolutely will not hurt to use online sources to your advantage: whether it’s reading about a designer or trend on Bridal Style or simply scrolling through Pinterest or Instagram, some inspiration (in moderation!) can be a great starting point.
Bridal Style’s Appointment Guide
So now for the fun bit, the occasion that so many brides dream about, when finally it’s time to try dresses on! Your wedding dress shopping experience will be a memory that you’ll cherish forever, so the most important thing is to enjoy the process. That being said, if you are seeking a guide explaining how an appointment works, we’ve got all the details you need below.
When you first arrive at a bridal boutique, you will usually be greeted by a stylist, who will begin to have a chat with you about your day, and ask you about your initial wedding outfit ideas. This is the perfect opportunity to talk about the venue you have booked (that is if you have one, don’t worry if you haven’t quite got to that stage yet), the overall vibe of the wedding and the style you are looking for, if you have a particular look in mind. “I will introduce myself, ask everyone’s names and see what time of wedding they are having,” says Shaw. “Things can generally go from there, a venue can say a lot about a bride’s personality and what they are into.” Your stylist will also usually ask you what your budget for your bridal outfit is, so it’s helpful to have a rough figure you’d be comfortable spending in mind so that the stylist knows what the limit is. After all, you definitely want to avoid falling in love with a dress that’s out of your budget! “Some brides think the dream dress isn’t possible for less than £1k, but this isn’t the truth: you can still get a stunning quality gown,” explains Shaw.
According to the boutique you are visiting, you will either be given the option to browse through the selection, or alternatively the stylist will select styles out for you to try on based on your vision discussed at the beginning of the appointment.
Before you begin browsing, your stylist will give you a tour of the boutique, explaining the format, the styles and the designers available. Most collections will be separated by style as opposed to designer in order to make it easier for the bride to navigate, however this can vary from store to store. You will then begin to select the styles that you would like to try on during your appointment, and your stylist can choose alongside you if you aren’t quite sure where to start. “I would say if you’re unsure try a big mixture initially. Shapes, fabrics, necklines, then see what feels like you,” says Jacobs. “Then hone in once you’ve figured out what is the most essential element for you. Also if you’re unsure of the aesthetic start with comfort, then take it from there. Feeling comfortable in something is one of the most attractive things.”
Once you’ve finalised your top gown selections, it’s then time to make your way into the fitting room and to begin trying them on. In each gown, your stylist will usually make some temporary fit changes by either pinning or clamping you in or panelling you out of each dress depending on your sizing requirements, in order to provide you with as accurate an idea of fit as possible. Whenever you feel ready, you will step outside of the changing room and showcase yourself in the gown or outfit to your entourage, or if you have chosen to attend the appointment alone you can simply focus on yourself in the mirror. Alongside hearing your entourage’s opinions and reflecting upon how you feel in the outfit, your stylist will ask you a selection of questions about what you like and dislike, and if there is anything you’d change about it. Your stylist will take all of your feedback into account, and this will help them significantly in knowing which styles to select for you to try, if you haven’t quite found ‘the one’ yet.
“I try to guide the bride by getting her out of things quite quickly if they’re not right. We don’t want to waste time if it’s not feeling good,” explains Jacobs. “I like to challenge the bride in terms of styling – if there’s something I think she’d love but it’s a little off piste I would encourage they try. Even if it’s not the one, it can reconfirm what is the most important to them in a dress.”
Bridal appointment lengths vary depending on which boutique you are visiting. According to Shaw: “Appointments can last anywhere between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours depending on the bride and how she would like the experience to be. I don’t like to rush my appointments so this works best for me and helps me to make sure we find the right fit.” The length of your bridal appointment will usually dictate how many dresses you try on: to avoid feeling overwhelmed with choice, between 5 and 7 dresses is a sensible number for one appointment.
How To Know If You’ve Found The One
This is the bit many brides struggle with: deciding when it is time to stop shopping. With the seemingly endless amount of choice on offer, you could go on forever trying on bridal gowns, however the reality is that you will have to come to a decision at some point. That being said, it’s also vital not to rush into making such a big decision: if you feel like you need to, give yourself some time to reflect and look back at the photos of your favourites following your appointment.
A strong sign you’ve found the one is when every style you try on afterwards is being measured against it, and none quite live up to it. If this happens, your stylist will usually recommend trying on the favourite for a second time at the end of your appointment, to remind yourself of just how great you felt in it. If you adore the way you look, feel no urge to try any more outfits on and can envision yourself walking down the aisle in the ensemble, it’s more than likely that you have definitely found it!
Another thing to remember is, don’t worry if you and your entourage aren’t in tears the moment you have chosen your ensemble, as emotional reactions look different for everyone, and that doesn’t make the choice any less meaningful.“Perhaps the biggest misconception is you’ll have a firework moment when it’s the one. Sometimes you do, but more often not – usually you just feel content,” explains Jacobs. ‘Say Yes To The Dress’ is largely responsible for this false expectation, but real life bridal shopping is rarely so dramatic. Instead of a cinematic moment, it’s often a quiet confidence, and an inner calm that tells you you’ve found something that truly feels like you.
It’s also a misconception that you have to visit several bridal boutiques before you finalise your outfit choice. Whilst some would prefer to shop around, it is certainly not always necessary, especially if you are visiting a boutique that offers a variety of contrasting silhouettes and styles. You may even be lucky enough to adore the first ever ensemble you put on: “Some brides think they can’t fall in love with the first dress they try, and that something better will always be out there. But is it a risk you should take? Probably not, because what happens if that dress isn’t there when you return?” says Shaw. That being said, if you do end up having a strong reaction to the first ensemble you try on, it’s also worth trying on a few other styles just to confirm that it’s the right one for you, and as previously mentioned, there’s no reason why you can’t retry it at the end of your appointment before you say yes!
What Happens Once You’ve Said Yes
Once you have finalised your choice of ensemble for your big day, it is then time to focus on sizing. If you have decided to opt for a made to order garment, your stylist will need to take your bust, waist and hip measurements, in order to figure out your closest pattern size according to the designer’s size chart. It is extremely common to be in between sizes, and in this case your stylist will always recommend the size which accommodates your largest measurement, and to have other elements of the gown taken in during your fittings.
When your outfit arrives, most boutiques will require you to come in and try it on as it is, without any tailoring. This is also an opportunity to identify areas in which the outfit needs to be altered, and even to select your bridal accessories that will complete the look for the big day.
Following your try on appointment, the next (and final) step will be perfecting your dress with alterations. Your fittings process will ideally begin 6-8 weeks before your wedding, with most brides requiring 2-3 visits to ensure a great fit. If you’ve lost weight, please don’t panic: the vast majority of bridal gowns can be altered up to two sizes down. Alternatively, if you have gained weight, many bridal gowns are created with excess fabric at the side seam, meaning that they can be let out to provide more space. There is truly a solution for everything!
During your fitting, you can also speak with your bridal tailor about any potential changes you’d like to make to your outfit, such as adding a strap, extra embellishment or an off-the-shoulder sleeve. “We have a trusted team of seamstresses that work in-house and a dressmaker at London Bride that can make any custom change, making sure that every bride has that one-of-a-kind, unique feeling,” says Shaw. That being said, it’s also important to remember that you fell in love with the original design for a reason, so you definitely don’t want to change it too drastically. “I would say don’t change a dress beyond its original shape or structure, as it’s probably not the one to begin with,” explains Jacobs. “But things like adding sleeves, removing layers in a skirt, tweaking necklines are generally feasible, and a tailor can do a lot if the designer of the dress won’t.”
So there you have it, that was Bridal Style’s ultimate guide to bridal shopping. Whether you’re just starting your journey or nearing the finish line, remember to stay true to your personal style, trust your instincts, and enjoy the process. This is your moment, so make it yours, unapologetically.
