10 bridal “do’s” and “don’ts” every bride should know before their bridal appointment
Picking out a wedding dress can be intimidating, but our Stephenson’s Bridal Team has made it simple with the top 10 things every bride should know going into her first appointment.
consider limiting
the size of your entourage. We are happy to accommodate large parties, but sometimes more opinions make the decision difficult.
shop on a weekday
rather than the weekend. Our bridal salon is almost always fully booked on Saturdays, but throughout the week we are much more open. If you want a very personalized, laid-back appointment weekday bridal appointments are perfect for you.
trust your consultant
when they say a gown looks different on. Be open minded to styles that you don’t necessarily adore on the hanger, as they almost always look entirely different when you try them on.
do consider
ivory, champagne, or cream. The traditional “white” is beautiful, but sometimes variations of off-white look much better with your skin tone.
trust your gut!
The most important thing is that you feel beautiful in your gown. Listen to advice from your entourage, take lots of pictures and videos in your gown to get a preview of what the wedding day will look like, but above all else listen to how you feel in the gown.
do research
on what you like. Look through images on Pinterest, in bridal magazines, or on celebrities and note what you like (and don’t like!) Do they all have long trains? Sleeves? Lace? Pretty soon you’ll begin to notice some trends in what you want in a dress. However - keep your mind and options open, you never know!
don’t look at the size
of the dress you’re trying on. Bridal gowns run notoriously small, most brides have to go up at least two sizes from what they normally wear. Trust your consultant to pick out the sizes for you, and only worry about how the dress fits on your body.
shop early
rather than waiting. Most ordered gowns take at least 4-5 months to come in, and you’ll want to plan for another 3 months in alterations. However, at Stephenson’s we do have a good selection of gowns in stock. So if your wedding is in a few months don’t panic, but do make an appointment to come see us ASAP.
have a budget
in mind. If you are on a tight budget we do not advise trying on gowns out of your price range, that will just lead to heartbreak. Do keep in mind that we have layaway and other payment options should you choose to go that route.
think ahead
about the not-so-obvious costs, and work them into your budget. Between shoes, a veil, a garter, and jewelry the cost can add up quickly! Make sure you’re prepared so that there’s not an unpleasant surprise at the cash register.
