What to Expect During Your Wedding Dress Shopping Appointment

Choosing a wedding dress is one of the most exciting parts of planning a wedding. Yet, the process can feel overwhelming if you don’t know what to expect. Your wedding dress appointment is a special moment designed to help you find the gown that makes you feel confident and beautiful on your big day. Knowing what happens during this appointment can ease nerves and help you prepare to make the most of it.

Before the Wedding Dress Shopping Appointment: What to Prepare

Your experience starts before you even step into the bridal boutique. Here are some tips to get ready:

• Research styles you like. Browse bridal magazines, social media, or Pinterest boards to gather ideas. Knowing what silhouettes, necklines, and/or fabrics appeal to you gives your bridal stylist a great starting point.

• Set a budget. Have a clear idea of how much you want to spend. This helps the stylist pull dresses within your price range.

• Alterations are not included. Most bridal boutiques, including ours, do not offer in-house alterations. Please know alterations will more than likely be necessary after your dress comes in to perfect the fit. This will require additional costs, and will be scheduled at a separate, off-site location. We will provide you with a list of recommended seamstresses/tailors that specialize in bridal alterations.

• Bring the right undergarments. Wear skin tone underwear, (And please DO actually wear underwear for sanitary reasons.), a strapless bra or any shapewear you plan to wear on your wedding day. If you are breastfeeding, please plan to wear a bra throughout your appointment, otherwise the dresses have bust cups sewn into them so if you're comfortable, you can try on the dresses without a bra.

• Limit your entourage. Bring up to 4 trusted people whose opinions you value, and those that are excited for you and have a positive outlook. Too many voices can make decision-making harder.

• Appointment timeframe. Our appointments are 1.5 hours. Your stylist will help you in selecting dresses (they know the inventory & how each dress fits, as well as the delivery timeframe for each different designer!). Your stylist will help you change in and out of the dresses, and as you try them on they will help you pinpoint all the design elements you're liking best, while narrowing down to THE dress that checks all the boxes, and makes you FEEL like a BRIDE.

  
  

Initial Consultation and Arrival

Once you book an appointment with us at Natasha Marie Bridal, we are fully invested in YOU and your LOVE STORY. A bridal stylist will contact you for a pre-appointment consultation. They want to learn about your wedding vision, venue, and personal style. This helps them recommend dresses that suit your needs. Upon arrival we will touch base on these details and see if any plans have changed. Then we will dive in, giving you a tour of the store. We let you pick out the first few dresses to try on and then your stylist will select the rest of the dresses for you from that point on as you give her feedback when you try them on.

Expect questions like:

• What type of wedding are you planning (formal, casual, outdoor)?

• Do you have a preferred silhouette or fabric?

• Are there any features you want to avoid or include?

• Any special traditions that will happen at the wedding? How do those traditions affect what style dress you will choose?

  
  

This discussion sets the tone and guides the stylist in selecting gowns for you to try.

Trying on Wedding Dresses

This is the heart of the wedding dress shopping appointment. The bridal stylist will bring dresses based on your preferences and budget. Here’s what to expect:

• Number of dresses. You might try on anywhere from 5 to 15 gowns.

• Assistance with dressing. The stylist will assist you in putting on the dresses and adjusting them with clips to give you the best idea of how it will fit when it's your size.

• Mirrors and photos. You’ll have access to full-length mirrors to see yourself from all angles. We welcome you to take pictures in the dresses that you do like to look back on to help when narrowing down to your favorite.

• Feedback. Opinions from your entourage are great but remember to trust your own feelings most.

• Veils & Accessories. We try these on at the end of the appointment when we re-try on your favorite dress.

  
  

Tip: Try different styles even if you think you know what you want. Sometimes a dress surprises you by looking better than expected.

Making Your Decision

When you find the dress you love, let's get it ordered! Here’s what happens next:

• Payment in full. We require payment in full regardless of if you're purchasing a dress straight from our collection and taking it home the day of your appointment OR if you're special ordering your dress. All sales are final.

• Order timeline. Wedding dresses take anywhere from 4 to 8 months to come in depending on the designer and time of year you order. Keep in mind any bridal portraits.

• Alteration appointments. You’ll schedule fittings at a separate off-site location closer to the wedding date or bridal portrait date to ensure the dress fits perfectly. Alterations typically take 4-6 weeks.

• Ordering timeline. We recommend ordering your dress 10-12 months before your wedding date. If you don't have that much time, don't stress. We do also offer most of our dresses in store to be purchased directly from our collection and taken home the day of your appointment. Also, most of our designers offer rush production options for an additional fee.

  
  

What to Avoid During Your Appointment

• Bringing too many people who may overwhelm you with opinions.

• Wearing heavy makeup or hairstyles that might interfere with trying on dresses.

• Forgetting to bring photos or inspiration for your bridal stylist.

• Don't stress or overwhelm yourself by booking too many bridal appointments. You want to feel accomplished at the end of the day, not completely exhausted.

• Not coming prepared to fall in love with a dress at your first appointment or on your first day of dress shopping. We hear it all the time, "I wasn't expecting to find a dress today!"

Tips to Make the Most of Your Appointment

• Be open-minded. Try dresses outside your usual style to discover unexpected favorites.

• Stay hydrated and eat a bite beforehand. You’ll feel better and have more energy.

• Communicate clearly. Share your thoughts and concerns with the stylist.

• Have fun! This is a once in a lifetime experience. Enjoy every second of it!