Pre-Appointment Guide
so, you’ve booked your appointment. now what?!
congrats on taking the first step to becoming a #strikingbride!!! we are so excited to meet you + absolutely cannot wait to help you find your perfect dress! after an appointment is booked, we often get asked “now what do I do? what should I expect?”. we totally get that dress shopping can be a little overwhelming + want to give you the inside scoop prior to coming in. here are our striking stylists tips on how to prepare for your bridal appointment and what to do to make sure you have the most stress-free and successful wedding dress shopping experience:
who to bring
trust us when we say less is more when it comes to who you bring to your bridal appointment! depending on the type of appointment you booked, we do have guest limits to ensure each group has plenty of space to relax and enjoy the full experience. if you booked a bridal styling appointment, please bring no more than four guests along with you. if you chose to upgrade with a bridal styling plus appointment, please bring no more than six guests with you. while we understand you want to include everyone in your dress decision, having too many opinions can quickly become very confusing and overwhelming, making it more difficult for you to choose a dress YOU truly love. bringing only a few people that will be supportive + encouraging throughout your entire appointment is so important!
we kindly ask that you leave the little ones at home. dress shopping is a ton of fun, but unfortunately can feel long and boring to kids. we love them, but a shop full of white dresses and delicate jewelry can be a recipe for disaster for the little ones.
what to bring
we try to provide everything you will need throughout your appointment, but there are a few things you will want to toss in your bag before heading out the door.
nude undergarments. these will be crucial in helping get the best fit + look in our gowns! no hate to your favorite hot pink lace bra, but it is going to be really distracting when trying to visualize the neckline of the gowns. we recommend wearing a nude seamless thong, or any other nude underwear you feel comfortable in. feel free to bring your shapewear, too, but they really are not necessary. on the day of the wedding, you will most likely be going bra-less to avoid straps showing and will have bra cups sewn directly into your gown so no bra is needed to try on dresses, either! that being said, keep in mind your stylist will be in the fitting room helping you change, so make sure you are wearing something you feel comfortable in.
accessories. this one is totally optional! are you planning to wear grandma’s necklace as your something old? or your best friend’s veil as your something borrowed? have killer heels you want to rock with your dress? make sure you bring them along! seeing everything together will help you better visualize your final look + if matching these pieces to your dress is important to you, you will want to make sure you have them with while trying on.
an open mind. ok, so you can’t physically toss this in your bag before heading out the door, but trust us when we say you will want to make sure you have this one with you! we LOVE when our brides come in with a good idea of what they want + tons of pinterest inspo, but keep in mind, they are just that… inspiration. you might be surprised what you end up loving on you and if you are SO set on one particular look, you will have a more difficult time making a decision because the dress you love isn’t “what you thought you would like”. that is totally ok! we like to think finding the dress is a little like falling in love and it might happen when you least expect it.
do your research
one easy way to guarantee you will have a successful appointment is to put in a little time and do your research! scroll through our instagram feed to get a better feel for what we offer + save any photos of dresses you are excited to try on. review the designers we offer on our website and narrow down to a few that really fit your style, the vibe of the wedding, and your budget. after doing this, make sure you complete the style questionnaire you received in your confirmation email. this information lets your stylist know exactly what you are (or are not) looking for in your dress + can have dresses pulled and ready for you at the beginning of your appointment. this will help make the most of your 90 minute appointment and keep us on track and focused.
set a budget (but be realistic)
the task of creating a wedding budget is a daunting one, but is SUPER important before starting to book vendors and of course, order your wedding dress. make sure you have the conversation about budget with whomever you need to before coming in for your bridal styling appointment. our best advice is to decide on a total wedding budget first, that final number you want to spend when all is said and done. from there, be flexible to shift the budget around in and out of different categories depending on what is most important to you. maybe the dress budget you initially had in mind, will not be able to give you the fully beaded silk gown you always envisioned yourself in. instead of being disappointed and settling for something you don’t love, you can select smaller centerpieces, do an e-vite instead of paper invitations, etc. to get the dress you love. on the other hand, we understand the dress may not be the #1 priority for every bride, which is why we offer sample gowns for a discounted price so you can splurge on the items that matter most to you!
we know weddings can be expensive and always want to respect your budget. letting your stylist know what your dress budget is prior to trying on is so important for two reasons. 1- falling in love with a $4000 gown when your budget is $2000 can be devastating and totally avoidable if we have that conversation up front. there is always a reason behind the price tag (hand beadwork, custom pattern, silk fabric, etc.) and unfortunately, that exact same gown will be impossible to find for half the price. 2- your stylist would never pull a gown for you knowing it is way over budget. that means, if you tell them you want to spend under $2000, but really the budget is $3000, you might be missing out on your perfect dress. it is always our goal to be 100% transparent when it comes to pricing and at the end of the day, want to make sure we are finding you a dress you are absolutely in love with and feel confident in regardless of what your budget is.
how will I know it is “the one”
to be honest, this is one of our favorite things to debunk. too often, we see a bride in “the dress”, but they are worried about saying yes because they are not crying like all the brides on “say yes to the dress” or it was not everyone in their group’s favorite. we cannot stress this enough… EVERY BRIDE IS DIFFERENT AND WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT REACTION.
when realizing it was “the one” we have heard…
”I don’t want to take it off”
”I feel like myself in this gown”
”I can’t even remember the other dresses I tried on”
”I feel so comfortable and confident in this dress”
”I can picture myself walking down the aisle in this gown”
”I look the happiest in this one”
”I can’t stop thinking about this dress”
your “yes” moment most likely will be different than your sister’s or best friend’s and that is totally ok! you know yourself better than anyone else and will know when you found the right one. & don’t worry, if having a big teary-eyed reaction is for you, we always have plenty of tissues on hand!