“Feel Good” Boutique! How to find the right Bridal Boutique. Part 1.

1. “Be sure to have a venue and a date chosen.”
2. “It is important to find a shop that is willing to work with your schedule and changing needs.”
3. “Be conscious about the advice they give.”
4. “Always be honest about your needs and expectations; your consultant should tailor your appointment for you.”

We’ve collected expert tips from fellow wedding and event industry professionals to help newlyweds-to-be on how to pick the right bridal boutique.

JESSICA HALEY BRIDAL

1. “Be sure to have a venue and a date chosen.”

Jessica Haley Bridal Boutique married their love of weddings together with their passion for fashion.

Haley, the boutique owner, worked for five years at the headquarters of a designer in NYC while Jessica, the co-owner, photographed five years of weddings and dozens of designer runways.

They believe the right gown is more than just a dress, its’ a true expression of who you are! It sets the tone for the entire wedding!

A local, sister-owned boutique just north of New York City who loves to bring the fashion of the city to their brides in an intimate, private, and exclusive space where they have the entire shop to themselves.

This boutique loves to help brides find their perfect wedding gown and discover the bride they were meant to be! 

EXPERT ADVICE:

“Before shopping, be sure to have a venue, and a date chosen! This will greatly help in the process, to make sure you can picture yourself wearing the gown in the place of the wedding and the season!

A wedding on the beach in the summer may be a very different wedding gown than a winter wedding in a ballroom.

Having a vision for the day is very important to help determine the bride you want to be on the wedding day! 

Be open to styles! Don’t be surprised if you try something completely different than what you anticipated wearing and falling in love!

It happens all the time! You won’t know how you look or feel in gowns’ styles or silhouettes until you actually try them on.

Trust how you feel when it’s on you! When it’s the right dress, you will feel differently; whether it’s tears, excitement, joy, or relief, there will be a difference!

So once you find it, go for it!”

– Haley Visk, Owner of Jessica Haley Bridal, www.jessicahaleybridal.com

DESIGNER LOFT BRIDAL

2. “It is important to find a shop that is willing to work with your schedule and changing needs.”

At Designer Loft, they understand that choosing a bridal gown for your dream wedding is a difficult task.

Having a wide collection of beautiful wedding gowns, plus size bridal gowns, and bridal accessories to help you on your perfect wedding.

As a leading bridal shop in NYC with the widest collection of wedding gowns and wedding dresses in the NYC area.

They provide a passionate guided, pressure-free shopping experience yet.

The sheer choice of designers from different continents and their creativity and knowledge to produce the gown you need with the customizations you desire, and in the time frame you require.

From the Rosa Clara Group known for her elegant, classic understated gowns, to the beautiful lace and silk crepes of the Pronovias collections, or are cutting edge International designers, you will have plenty of choices to find a dream gown in soft, luxurious styles that flatter brides of all shapes and sizes at Designer Loft.

EXPERT ADVICE:

“Especially, in these uncertain times, it is important to find a shop that is willing to work with your schedule and changing needs.

We have Virtual Appointments for brides who are quarantining or have any health risks.

We have fewer appointments, more spaced out, and socially distanced appointments and are requiring all brides and staff to wear masks at the moment and wash hands before entering the shop. 

Find a boutique that serves a wide range of customers.

Our boutique serves a wide range of customers. We have brides from age 18 to 80.

We have brides that want traditional Aline princess gowns to those who want a slinky sheath, a jumpsuit, or a non-white gown.

Prefer a boutique that works with designers that can do modify their gowns.

We have always worked with designers who can do custom gowns for our brides who have a strong vision of what they want but do not see it in any bridal shops.

Some of our best designs have been these concept dresses created by a designer and one of our brides.

Our brides must have a huge selection of fabrics and beading, and laces to create their dream gown. 

Check if your bridal boutique carries your size.

We also cater to larger size brides and have invested in size ranges so our brides can see a selection in size 16 or 20-24.

We think brides of all ages and sizes should be pampered and catered to on this most important occasion

If alerted in advance, we can also bring in a selection of sizes for a particular shopper.

Speak to a consultant first about your budget.

We have sample sales for our shoppers with more limited budgets where sample bridal gowns can be purchased at 30-70% off retail prices.

We also have weekly trunk shows with many of our designers where brides can receive 10-15% off retail prices.

Ensure that your bridal boutique will provide you with the best service and a positive attitude.

Designer Loft is trying to take the stress out of bridal gown shopping. We really want this to be a positive, enjoyable experience for all brides.

To that end, we have invested in a wide range of looks, price points, and sizes so that most brides can find a gown that will flatter her figure, be within her budget, and feel comfortable and appropriate for the type of ceremony she is envisioning.”

– Liz Sellassie, Owner | DesignerLoftNYC.com

AMY A. PEPPERMINT&CO.

3. “Be conscious about the advice they give.”

Amy A. is the Logistics Lead & Associate Planner at Peppermint & Co. Event Consultants.

With her 8+ experience in event planning and on the catering side, together with the logistics team, she shares her tips on how to pick the right wedding caterer and things that you should ask/discuss/go-over with your potential bridal boutique consultant.

EXPERT ADVICE:

Ask about time and “trial limits.

More often than not, you might have a 1-2 hour maximum visit. Or you might have a max number of dresses to try on.

In how to find the right bridal boutique, these limits make sense, as they want to help you narrow down your choices and not overwhelm you.

Knowing these limits will help you plan ahead and also if you have some friends/bridal party/family coming to your wedding dress shopping, they will know better not to be late and what can they possibly miss.

Also ask about the alteration time frames.

Great bridal shops should have told you from the initial call after telling them your wedding date and important deadlines. i.e., when should you decide on purchasing the dress to make it on time for your wedding after alterations, how long a dress will take to be received, etc.

Be conscious about the advice they give.

Generally, like with any wedding vendor, you would want to work with a professional vendor.

This includes of course their dress selection, demeanor, service, attention to detail, and more importantly the confidence that they give you while trying on dresses.

You can read reviews online before booking your appointment to have a better idea of what to expect.

If you have spoken to them on the phone initially for an inquiry, you should also have a “vibe” of the service they will provide.

This is one of the best experiences in your wedding planning, you want to ensure that no bridal boutique throws off your “wedding excitement” with some unprofessional and “non-confidence building” advice/comments.

– Amy. A & the logistics team | Lead Logistics & Associate Planner at Peppermint & Co. Event Consultants

HANA J. PEPPERMINT&CO.

4. “Always be honest about your needs and expectations; your consultant should tailor your appointment for you.”

With over 5 years of experience in events across the Americas and Europe, Hana J. understands that the secret to the best events is about meticulous preparation and the management of the unexpected. As well as adding that touch of creative sparkle!

Hana J. is a resident Event Planner and Coordinator at Peppermint & Co. Ltd. Event Consultants. Together with the planning team, she shares her tips on how to pick the right wedding caterer and things that you should ask/discuss/go-over with your potential bridal boutique consultant.

EXPERT ADVICE:

Whether you are looking for a vintage dress or Cinderella dress, the bridal boutique makes all the difference.

Do your research, look through wedding dress galleries and magazines, and find boutiques that stock up dresses you like.

Another good piece of advice on how to find the right bridal boutique is that you will want to visit a few boutiques near you as you don’t want to commute for hours every time you need to go for a fitting and try different styles and designers.

Make sure the boutique does in-house alterations.

If you think you have found your dress but you are not sure, come back another day. You want it to be perfect! 

Before you make any final decision, make sure it ticks all of your requirements.

If you don’t understand something or anything is missing, ask about it.

Always be honest about your needs and expectations; your consultant should tailor your appointment for you.

– Hana J. & the planning team | Event Planner and Coordinator at Peppermint & Co. Event Consultants

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There you are! How to find the right Bridal Boutique. Part 1!

Stay tuned for How to find the right Bridal Boutique. Part 2!