In the current world of “FOMO” and fear of regret, the idea of dress shopping for modern brides feels intimating, overwhelming, and scary - we get it. But we also know that you’re no stranger to commitment, you are getting married after all! So our advice and reminder today for all modern brides is that dress shopping doesn’t have to be so intense and difficult. It’s actually very simple and fun with the right preparation. If you want this type of experience when dress shopping, keep reading to learn how you can successfully find your dress at your first appointment at Evermore.
1. Know your wedding vision
Truly, if there is nothing else you come prepared with besides this, you’ll be able to find your dress in one appointment. This is SO important. What do you dream this day to feel like? Do you have an idea of the type of location or venue that you imagine getting married at? What types of colors/florals/design elements are you picturing surrounding you & your love as you begin your life together? What are the most important things about this day to you and your fiance? All of these things embody your wedding vision and will help direct us to finding the perfect dress that fits your dream of this day. Without knowing your wedding vision, you will be caught up in just trying to choose the dress that is the prettiest and you feel beautiful in. The problem with this is that you're going to see SO many pretty dresses that you feel beautiful wearing. That’s when it starts to get overwhelming - having a vision helps bring you back to what you ultimately want to feel on your wedding day and helps us narrow down the dress options to fit this feeling. This vision or vibe should reflect who you and your fiance are as a couple and should showcase your own personality and style. A few examples of your wedding vision could be:
Minimal, modern, elegant
Relaxed, boho, intimate
Fun, cheerful, bright, playful
Romantic, moody, luxurious
Glamorous, formal, flashy
2. Book your venue
3. Know your priority items
Let’s just say it because we're all thinking it… weddings are EXPENSIVE. They just are. We totally understand that it's not always realistic for every bride to be able to spend whatever she wants on every item/aspect of her wedding day. This is why we advise you and your fiance to sit down together and decide on your top priority items for the day. These are the things you should allocate most of your wedding budget to. If your dress is on that list, allow yourself to spend a little more on it and a little less on something that isn’t on your top priority list. If it’s not on the list, choose an amount that you feel good about spending on your dress and only try on dresses that are within this price point. Deciding on these priority items will not only help you in your dress search, but also give you some reference for what to spend on all other areas of your wedding day too.
4. Be prepared to buy your dress
Of course this is necessary if you’re finding your dress at your first appointment… That is the goal of this day after all! Being prepared to buy your dress includes a few different things. First is knowing who will be paying for the dress - Will it be you? Your mom? Grandma? Your fiance? Or will the dress payment be split by a few people? Have a plan for who will be paying for the dress before you shop so that it’s already decided and everyone is prepared. If the person paying for the dress isn’t able to attend your appointment, know that Evermore can take payments over the phone, so have this person ready to call. Second is being prepared with how the dress is being paid - this means making sure that you bring whatever credit card or cash is being used, or even calling your bank ahead of time to let them know that a bigger purchase will be made that day for your wedding dress (sometimes banks will decline the payment if they aren’t aware that the purchase is coming). Knowing who and how your dress is getting paid for will help you leave your first appointment successfully with your dress ordered!
5. Have some inspo photos ready
It’s not always realistic to know exactly what dress you want before you start shopping, that is why you try on lots of options, but it is very helpful for your stylist to have a point of reference for what you are imagining and liking. Having some inspiration photo from Pinterest or other social media can help us find dresses to start with that are similar to what you think you’ll love. Bonus points if you bring in photos from our Instagram :) You might end up with something completely different than what you imagine before shopping and that is 100% OK, but showing us some photos is a great starting point to the dress search process!
6. Bring your MUST HAVE people to your appointment
Is there anyone who you absolutely must have at your appointment in order for you to say yes to your dress? Maybe it’s the person paying for the dress, maybe it’s your sister whose opinion you value the most, or a best friend who truly understands your style and vision. If there is anyone that you absolutely need at this appointment to say yes, bring them so that you can end with a successful YES. If they aren’t able to come, no worries because we FaceTime guests in at almost every appointment! Coordinating schedules is hard and sometimes impossible, so instead of having to schedule multiple appointments to show every person the dress before buying it, know your MUST HAVE people and invite them to this day whether it’s in person or via FaceTime so they can be there in your “YES” moment. Also, for any guests who can't make it to your first appointment, we recommend inviting them to your pick up appointment after your dress arrives. You can try it on again at Evermore and soak in all the feels with them as you stand in your actual wedding dress (in your size!).
7. Do your bridal shop research before booking your appointment
This is a big one… do your research on the shop you're interested in visiting before even booking with them! This is common and comes back to the original thing we said about “FOMO”... you do NOT need to see every possible dress option available to you. You just honestly don’t. If you know your wedding vision and have some dress inspo, go to the shop’s instagram and website before booking and make sure you see some options that reflect your style and are within your desired price point. If you don’t see anything that feels like it matches your wedding vision, skip this shop! It’s frustrating to go to a shop and try on multiple dresses that don’t feel like you. This is what causes confusion and leaves brides feeling overwhelmed with too many options. Research the bridal shop ahead of time and ONLY if you see something you love, book with them! You’ll find it there, we promise. :)
8. Don’t be afraid to SAY YES.
The last thing you need to know about how to find your dress at your first appointment is not being afraid to say YES. It’s not a success without the yes! Let us remind you one more time, you are no stranger to commitment! You chose your man, and that’s the biggest commitment of all. You can say yes to your dress. Once you find the dress that reflects your wedding vision, makes you feel the most beautiful and confident, embodies your personality and style, and leaves you feeling even more excited to marry the love of your life… SAY YES & STOP SHOPPING because nothing will top this! You won’t regret the dress that checks all of those boxes.
So there you have it - everything you need to know about how to find your dress at your first appointment. Nothing is better than finding it in one try & soaking in that special moment with your favorite people. We’re committed to helping you have that moment. Then you can spend the rest of your day celebrating, because there is SO much to celebrate. Ready to find your dress at your first appointment? Book with us & let’s do this thing. We can’t wait to meet you!
xx the evermore girls
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