5 Things You Should Do Before
You Book Your Appointment
Finding your wedding dress can be one of the most memorable times of your whole engagement! The wedding dress search should be about the experience of finding the right dress and accessories. When you follow these easy tips, you’ll find your jitters will ease and you will be able to find the one even if we are your very first shop!
Follow these accounts for inspiration.
We all find inspiration through different resources including: Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and the old fashion way of tearing out magazine photos. Whatever your resource of choice is, dive in. Make sure to follow these trusted fashion accounts while you research: Ines Di Santo, Monique Lhuillier, Sareh Nouri, and Berta Bridal.
Take some time, even if it’s just an hour, to find visuals describing features of dresses you like. Gather the photos together and see if you can find similarities between them.
2. Study your personal style.
Time to discover your personal style. If you already know your personal style, you are one step a head, but no fret if you are learning like most of us. Take a look at your closet. Look for commonalities in brands, necklines, fabrics, silhouettes of skirts, and patterns. Your wedding dress should represent you.
My brides who shop at Lily Pulitzer tend to gravitate towards a totally different dress than my brides who wear solid black on the daily. While what we wear to work eventually influences our style throughout our life, try to focus more on what you wear for a fun date night. This brings us to the next step!
3. Find your bridal boutique.
In Orlando alone there are over 20 bridal shops! There are endless options when it comes to wedding dresses. You could shop for days if your heart desired. A new way to shop is to find the right boutique from the start. It’s about quality over quantity. Putting a little research in will avoid you from traveling all over town on an empty stomach all while trying to keep your guests happy. We promise, there is an easier way. Just like you would search for a nice hotel to vacation at, go to a trusted review source like google.
Call or email the boutique to ask questions about styles, sizes, prices, and what the process is like from beginning to end. Every bridal boutique offers something a little different. Why not save yourself the headache and find the right boutique from the start.
At The Bridal Finery we style one client at time in our intimate boutique spaces. There is always an owner ready to help style. We love to provide our brides with tips on how to style the dress with accessories. We love creating in-store experiences for our brides during their shopping journey and throughout their engagement!
4. Decide who should shop with you.
Consider who knows your style best. This is a decision about who should go shopping with you, not who should decide on the dress for you. Feedback is great, but we all think different people are cute and besides you are the only one trying on the dresses. Some brides should shop alone and some should shop with a party.
Ask yourself how you normally shop. If you are someone who likes to consult with a team of people before you make a decision, then invite a team. If you are someone that knows what you like or can be easily influenced in the wrong direction, then you may want to shop solo or bring one person with you. After you purchase the dress you, can always invite guests in for a dress reveal. They don’t need to be with you the day you find it. One thing is for sure, never feel pressured to invite someone just because they think it’ll be fun.
5. Plan your day.
Here are recommendations on what pairs well with a bridal appointment in the Orlando & Winter Park area:
Stay the night at The Alfond Inn. Pick up a tea or coffee at New General. Make it a relaxing morning by booking pedicures at Beautique. Grab a pastry at Buttermilk Bakery. Enjoy your bridal appointment. Stop by the Heavy to see their flower bar. Have a celebratory dinner on the lake at Hillstone or a casual dine at The Porch.