Getting engaged is so exciting, and you've got one thing on your mind:
The Perfect Dress!
But where do you begin? What should you expect?
We've put together a checklist to make the search for your perfect gown easy and fun!
Before You Start Shopping:
1. Visualize your wedding.
When? Where? How many guests? What's your budget?
Knowing where your wedding will be, and what mood you'd like to create will help in finding your dress. Even if you don't have the exact location booked, a good idea of the atmosphere will help your bridal consultant at Bustle know what gowns will suit your idea of the perfect wedding.
What's your budget?
A beautiful wedding gown can be purchased for any price, but it is a good idea to know what you are comfortable spending before going into the appointment. Gowns at Bustle range from $1,000 - $4,500 with most gowns falling into the $1,500 - $2,900 range.
2. Start your search 9-12 months before the wedding.
Some gowns take as long as 7-8 months to arrive!
Are you taking bridal portraits? If you are, your gown must arrive 2 months before your bridal portraits, which are typically 6-8 weeks before the wedding. Keep this in mind when deciding when you will order your gown. At Bustle, we have found that our brides who are the most laid-back, the least stressed-out, are those who order at least 10 months before their wedding date.
Don't have the luxury of time?
Depending on the designer, rush options may be available. Your consultant at Bustle will discuss your options and help you decide what will be the best choice for you and your wedding date.
3. Gather pictures of styles you may like.
Yes, we love seeing pictures torn from magazines and printed from websites! Use our Designers page to research the styles offered by our unique designers. (Keep in mind we do not have every gown from each of our designers, but we do have a very good representation!)
At Your Appointment:
1. Who should you bring?
You will probably want to bring your mom and/or 1 or 2 trusted friends.
We know that lots of your family and friends are anxious to share this exciting time with you - and they absolutely have your best intentions at heart. But, finding your wedding gown is truly a personal event - you'll really need to be able to hear yourself and your own thoughts.
Our advice is to bring only those who will be honest, positive, and most of all, supportive.
2. What to wear to your appointment:
You may need help getting in and out of our gowns - make sure you wear pretty undies so there are no awkward moments in the dressing room. Also bring with you a comfortable, well-fitting strapless bra. If you do not have one, we can provide one for you.
It is a good idea to wear your hair in a similar style to what you envision wearing for your wedding day. We'll also provide you with a pair of heels to wear while trying on gowns. This will help you to get a more accurate picture of the "whole look."
We do ask that you wear a minimal amount of makeup as we try our best to keep our sample gowns as pristine as possible.
3. The fun part - getting your hands on those gorgeous gowns!
One of our consultants will help you browse the racks and answer questions about the gowns you see. When something catches your eye, your consultant will flag it and pull it for you to try on. It may not be your size, but your consultant is knowledgeable on how to fit it to you so you can see the true shape of the gown. Typically, you will be allowed to flag up to 10 gowns that immediately appeal to you. After you start trying some of those gowns, your consultant will get a much better idea of what styles you are drawn to, and what styles will look good on you. She will probably return to the rack and pull gowns that we feel may suit your taste and style.
4. Narrow it down.
The sad part is that you can only wear one!
If you're like most of our brides, you'll end up with at least 2 favorites by the end of your appointment. This is the hard part. When trying to decide, look at them and ask yourself:
"Is this the gown I want to wear when I say my vows?"
You will drive yourself insane trying to decide which gown is more beautiful. That may be an un-answerable question! They are both beautiful in their own unique way, but ultimately there's only one of them that you would feel truly comfortable wearing on your wedding day!
You've Found the Gown!
1. Ordering the right size.
Your consultant will take your measurements and compare them to the designer's size chart. If your measurements fall between two sizes, we advise to order up. Gowns can always be taken in if they are a little too large, but it is often harder to let them out if they are too small.
Note: Bridal gown sizes are completely different from regular clothing sizes, so don't be surprised if the size you end up ordering is a higher number than what you typically purchase off the rack.
2. Arranging payment for the gown:
Bustle offers different payment options for ordering your gown. Incentives are given for paying for the gown in full at the time of purchase, but there is also a deposit/balance option. Your consultant will discuss this with you so you can choose your best option.
3. When your gown arrives:
Someone will call you as soon as your gown arrives. We ask that you make an appointment as soon as you are able to come in and try on the gown. You are more than welcome to come in on a Saturday, but please make an appointment at least a week in advance. Saturdays can be slightly hectic, and we want to be prepared for you!
4. Having the gown altered:
Alterations are not done at Bustle - we interviewed several seamstresses and tailors in the area searching for someone to do alterations in our store. The result was - we could not find anyone we liked anywhere near as much as the independent tailor we currently refer to. We understand that bringing your gown to a second location may be slightly inconvenient, but we feel this tailor's years of experience and knowledge in bridal alterations, and incredibly reasonable pricing more than compensates for it!
Remember - we are here to help! We welcome any questions you may have at any point throughout the ordering process. We are at your service whenever you need us! And congratulations on your engagement!
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