I have not revealed this until now but I am moonlighting as a bridal consultant as I continue to grow The Budget Brides Handbook as well as my event planning company, Sharise Finley Events. As a wedding dress consultant, I encounter brides everyday who come to their bridal appointment unprepared or just a complete mess.
Below are six tips that will help you to be a PREPARED BRIDE for your bridal appointment.
- Pick up a few bridal magazines. If you see some dresses in there that you like rip them out and hold them until you go to your bridal appointment. This will help the consultant to see a visual of your style. (Sometimes brides come in with a style in mind but they cannot verbalize what they want which can waste valuable time.)
- Do your homework!!! I was watching Girl Meets Gown yesterday and a bride came into the bridal store looking for a specific dress. However, that particular bridal store did not carry that particular line. So she spent her bridal appointment time trying on dresses that she really couldn't decide on because she just had to try on the dress that the store didn't have. Lesson: Call ahead and ask the bridal salon if they have the particular dress you are looking for if not keep moving until you find the store that carries that dress.
- It is always nice to bring your whole family to the bridal appointment but it is definitely not necessary. I typically suggest that brides bring the people's whose opinion mean the most and the one who holds the purse.
- If you are going wedding dress shopping on a day that you have made multiple appointments, let the consultant know up front. This will allow the consultant enough time to pace themselves and you while trying on wedding dresses.
- Have some type of idea of what type of wedding that you are going to have. This will help the consultant to be able to pick the right dresses for you. For example, if you are having a morning wedding at the Botanical Gardens, you definitely should not wear a ballgown.
- Never come to a bridal appointment without any money. At least have half the money that you are expecting to spend on your wedding dress. I cannot tell you how many brides I meet that fall in love with their wedding dress but do not ANY money to put down on their INVESTMENT.
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1 comment:
This is great advice, and I'd love to hear more about your experience, since I've considered moonlighting as a bridal consultant on the side, as well. I always tell brides to bring no more than one or two people, if they can. Too many times, the more opinions there are, the harder it is for the bride to focus on what SHE really wants.
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