Bridal shopping is a retail experience unlike any other. The process takes much longer than a typical shopping experience, and the decision is much bigger—after all, you’re shopping for the dress you’ll get married in, and it’s a big decision. To help you be as prepared as possible, we’re sharing everything you should know before you come in.
Start Early
Buying a wedding dress usually takes 10-12 months, so it’s a good idea to start shopping as early as possible. This takes so much time because your designer needs several months to construct your gown, as it is made to order. From start to finish, sewing a high-end garment like your wedding dress takes several months to complete. Most wedding gowns require some degree of alterations and many seamstresses prefer an 8-12 week window to ensure the perfect fit.
Wear the Right Underwear
This may seem like a small detail, but it makes your appointment much easier if you wear white or nude underwear and a strapless bra. Most gowns will have bra cups loosely sewn into the sample gowns, so while a bra is optional, some ladies prefer to bring a strapless bra. The goal is to see yourself in the dress as close as possible to what you’ll look like on your wedding day, so wearing underwear that doesn’t distract from the dress is key.
Get Inspired
Ahead of the appointment, look at wedding dresses within our inventory, which can be found right on our website and/or through any of our social media channels for the latest updates: @beckersbridal on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest are all places we share our favorite new designs! At the start of the appointment, show your stylist your saved inspiration photos so they can best assist you while searching in the racks. This helps us get a better sense of your personal style and what dresses you may like to try on, so that we can find dresses you like earlier in the appointment.
Bring Guests
We love for our brides to bring guests to their appointment. It helps to have a trusted second opinion, and you’ll be glad they’re with you when you find the dress. However, we also recommend bringing a limited number of guests, so that you’re not overwhelmed by too many opinions while trying on dresses. We currently allow for the bride to bring five guests in addition to herself (6 people in your party in total).
Ready to find your dream dress? Book an appointment at Becker’s Bridal, and come find your dream dress.