What to Expect at a Wedding Dress Fitting?
Dress Shopping with David's Bridal
Hey lovelies! Like any bride to be, dress shopping and finding the perfect dress is #1 on my list! Because they are so reliable and literally have the largest inventory, my first stop was David's Bridal! There is this misconception that their dresses are not 'boutique' enough, but let me be a voice in the sea of those in agreement with me in saying that, "That is a lie!". Their in store and online selection offers a wide variety of dresses from numerous boutique designers like Vera Wang and Oleg Cassini. The two visits (and only Bridal visits so far) I've had at David's Bridal have been so pleasant and I must say, I think I may have found the one (not pictured). In this post, I just wanted to delve into what to expect when going in for a dress fitting. My first time around, I was so nervous and a little bit unsure. Believe it or not, I have some body image issues (like most women and men out there) and just wondered what would look best and if the possibility of finding a dress was in the cards for me. Thanks to the team at David's Bridal, both of my dress fittings have been seamless, easy, and comfortable. Scroll down for more...
When you first walk into your appointment at David's Bridal, you are greeted by a team member at the front who has you fill out some paperwork so that they can get to know you better. This includes wedding date, number of bridesmaids, colors, wedding location, and a couple of other related questions. There is a comfortable desk area that you can sit at and go through the paperwork which took me less than 10 minutes to complete. After you hand the paperwork over, a team member guides you to the dresses and allows you to walk through the countless rows of gorgeous gowns and swoon over how good those mannequins look with a "gown you could never pull off" on. Within moments, a lovely stylist walks up to you and introduces herself and tries to get a better understanding of what you are looking for. The first time around, I had a very loose idea which was to try each style on until I find one that works. The second time, I followed the same concept and tried styles on that I didn't before to see which one works. Thankfully, David's Bridal has a silhouette guide online that is easy to follow and perfect to get acquainted with the dress lingo for beginners like me. You can find it here: Silhouette Guide.
"Within moments, a lovely stylist walks up to you and introduces herself and tries to get a better understanding of what you are looking for. "
If you are like me, each bride or mother of the bride has a vision for what they want to look like on their wedding day. For me, I want to be ethereal elegance with a bohemian vibe. I'm getting married outside in the natural elements and I just want whatever I wear to fit the occasion perfectly! So materials wise, I'm definitely into lace, intricate beadwork, tulle, and/or organza. For silhouettes, I knew going into it I loved the ball gown, sheath, and mermaid style. For colors, I wanted ivory but my mom insisted on white so we met in the middle with soft white. And as far as necklines, I was not too particular, just any neckline that was not too revealing and also accentuated my lack of chest. Because I'm a blogger, I am pretty detail oriented and somewhere out there, I have a wedding Pinterest board for almost everything surrounding my wedding. Some people though have no clue, my stylist was really good about taking my ideas and guiding me to the right designers who would have dresses similar to what my vision was.
"For me, I want to be ethereal elegance with a bohemian vibe."
After going over my vision and goals, my stylist took all that and funneled into a plan for my appointment. She set out to try on a maximum of five dresses which was beyond reasonable. At the time of my appointment, I was her only client. We went rack to rack, dress to dress searching for the perfect dresses to try on. My job was to simply pick out dresses, and she would gather them together and get a room started for me. After we picked out the five dresses, we went over a game plan of how we would get these dresses on and off! Seriously guys, it is a task depending on the dress! Most dresses are not a simple slide in and out type of situation. There were many times I would step into a dress and yell help and my stylist would be right there to zip me up or button me up. They truly have your undivided attention for the time you are there (which was about two hours). The funny thing is, there are no mirrors inside the dressing rooms, only on the outside which was fun and interesting for me because it like promotes community involvement! You can't put a dress on and see yourself and bail on it before anyone else sees it.
THINGS TO BRING TO AN APPOINTMENT:
The first time around I was such a novice. I came in boy shorts and a regular bra. Thankfully the bra was not a big deal as they have this corset bra that brides can use during their fitting. However the boy shorts showed in most of the mermaid dresses. My only suggestion would be to come in underwear that shows no lines and with pasties on so that there is no restriction or limitation. I also wore a body shaper the 2nd time around just to hold my gut in place.
The most fun part was trying on the dresses and coming out and seeing the reactions on people's faces. The first time around, I went with my mom who is undoubtedly the most important person in my life. She was so opinionated and also so incredibly wonderful and I'm so blessed to have had her with me that day. I really took her opinion seriously and as I grow older, I realize that my mom is usually right even if my narrow mind can't see it! The second time, I went with my dear friends. It was a fun difference but so well worth it. They took had opinions that I valued and made the experience so fun. So I will say, who you take with you to your appointment really adds to the experience. With each new dress I came out in, there were either gasps and wow's or if there was silence, I would be like ummm, what's wrong guys? From the moment you step out with each new dress, your stylist is your right hand and is helping you see the dress from your best angles. This includes clipping it to make it fit as best as possible, fanning out the train, having you turn around and use a hand held mirror to see the back. Also, it is also nice to have a professional point of reference who gives you an unwavered and kind opinion on what looks best. I would suggest pulling out your phone and taking pictures. After an appointment, it is nice to have a point of reference and look back on what you tried on to see if you still feel the same about it later.
"The first time around, I went with my mom who is undoubtedly the most important person in my life."
By dress number four, I was still in it to win it but now becoming overwhelmed. I then fully understood why my stylist suggested five dresses for the day. At the end of my appointment, my stylist gathered my final thoughts on what we tried on. She then asked me to note the dresses I liked the most and she would add them to my profile so that next time, everyone knows what dress I tried on and liked. For instance, one of the ball gown dresses I tried on at my first appointment and loved was no longer on the "love it list" after trying it on again the second time around. From what I understand, this is totally normal. I would highly suggest trying on dresses at least a couple of times before committing because I totally did not expect to not like that dress that I loved the first time around.
A special thanks to the team at David's Bridal for accommodating me and being so awesome. And a mighty thank you to the lovely ladies at David's Bridal in Manchester, CT for being so accommodating for both appointments. This is a sponsored post brought to you in collaboration with David's Bridal. Honestly guys, I absolutely loved my experience there and the dresses are gorgeous. The store has such a large selection and there is literally something for everyone at a very affordable price. In addition, I didn't show you all the dresses I tried on because I'm pretty sure I found the one but I have to go back for another fitting after my mom gets back from Africa before I commit 100% to it. Also, if you have no idea what kind of dress will work of you, David's Bridal has this super fun wedding dress finder quiz that can help. Please be sure to check out David's Bridal online and also via Instagram here. My favorite stop on www.davidsbridal.com is the blog which you can find here. Want to know more about the store, here is a store Q & A. Thank you all and I'm so excited to take you all on this wedding journey with me. Until next time, big Bisous!
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