Oh, my stars. A shop full of breathtaking wedding gowns? It’s a ladies dream environment.
But it also comes with mixed feelings of nerves about finding “the dress”. No pressure…right? Well I sat down with one of my favorite bridal boutique owners, Rebecca of Something White, in my hometown of Independence, Ohio to talk bridal gowns, preparation & getting ready for your first meeting.
Check out what advice she had to give as well as a little sneak peek at some real brides & their dresses from Something White.
YAY! You got engaged!
Super exciting and maybe a little overwhelming? First, take some time to savor it, this planning process will fly by! Then after you’ve had some time let it sink in that you are really getting married let the fun begin- and for real this process should be fun!
But where to start? We always say the top three things you should do after choosing a wedding season (spring, fall etc) is choose:
A venue– this will set the tone for your wedding and help you make additional decisions including your gown.
A photographer– they fill up quickly
A gown– this is obviously what we get really excited about and have expertise in
How to start preparing:
Start looking at Pinterest or The Knot or Instagram to get ideas of gown styles or designers you are drawn to that you think will coordinate well with your venue. Getting married in The Tudor Arms? You might want something a little more classic. Getting married at Gervasi Winery? You might want something a little more romantic. Then begin to find shops that carry that style or designer.
We like to work closely with all our brides from the beginning (we strive for quality over quantity!) and ask them to send us photos of gowns they are loving or their Pinterest boards so we can start compiling gowns we think our they will love even before they step foot in our door. We like to get to know our brides and help them in all aspects of their wedding day look, not just their gown.
Begin to start thinking about who you want to bring with you.
Having 1-2 people with you is always great as long as they have your best interest in mind and aren’t projecting their style onto you. There is nothing more sad than seeing a bride light up over a gown in the dressing room only to have her mother or sister say whens she walks out “I don’t love that gown, but it’s your wedding so wear what you want.” That deflates and overwhelms anyone especially a bride so choose your companions wisely!
Start preparing your mind.
We know trying on wedding gowns is super fun because who doesn’t love and appreciate GORGEOUS dresses? But that exciting feeling you have at your first and second store starts to wane by the third or fourth store and gown shopping starts to turn into a chore.
This is what the industry calls “wedding gown fatigue” and it is real! We want brides to enjoy the gown shopping experience and not get to the point where they feel overwhelmed and stressed. We find a way to combat “wedding gown fatigue” is by being strategic in your gown shopping and not trying to go to every shop in town.
Choose 1-2 store you feel fit your aesthetic and don’t be afraid to say yes to a gown you feel amazing in! Because ultimately the goal is to find a gown! Brides will also find that planning goes smoother and is less stressful once their gown is selected since the gown will help you make decision on other aspects of your wedding- flowers, invitations, linens, furniture- and other vendors will start to ask what your gown looks like.
Last- Don’t stress!
This should be a fun experience; don’t put so much pressure on this decision- there is no wrong decision when beautiful gowns are involved! If you feel confident and amazing in your wedding gown at the shop you will feel confident and amazing on your wedding day and confidence is beautiful on a bride!
There you have it – tips for saying “yes to YOUR dress!” Want to set up an appointment with Rebecca at Something White? We can help you do that.
Schedule an appointment HERE
Find more information about Something White in the links below:
