Follow these 10 suggestions and enjoy better service and less stress when shopping in your local bridal salons. 

1-       Make An Appointment.  Yes, the store may accept walk-ins, but trust me, make an appointment.  Many salons give priority to customers with appointments, which can leave you waiting (sometimes for upwards of an hour) while customers with appointments are served.  Even if you’re just browsing, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.  Nothing is more frustrating to a bridal stylist than having someone walk into the store on a busy day and say “I don’t really know what I’m looking for, but I want to try on some things.”  By making an appointment, you are reserving yourself an allotted timeframe, store associate, fitting room, and attention!  This will make your shopping experience less stressful, and run more smoothly. 

2-       Do Not Walk In Unannounced.  This may seem like repeating the advice above, but it still needs to be said.  If you find yourself out and about and you discover a bridal salon you didn’t know about before, do not walk in and assume you’ll be helped.  Instead, walk in and ask if you can make an appointment to return, even if it’s an appointment for later that day, you will be giving the staff time to prepare for you.  Even if you’ve already purchased your gown from a salon, and you simply need to return to the salon to pick up your dress, make a payment on your dress, see the seamstress, match your dress to certain accessories, or just try on your dress to show a friend or family member, you should CALL AHEAD to let the store know when you are coming.  Ask if they suggest an appointment for any of the above needs.  It may not occur to you that these little things still require time and attention, so give the staff an opportunity to prepare for you, and you will be gifted with an efficient, pleasant visit! 

3-       Research What You Want.  DO NOT go into a store with no idea what styles you are interested in.  Whether you’re shopping for a bridal gown or bridesmaid dresses, you should have an idea of what you’re looking for.  Browse styles online and in catalogues and make note of what you’re drawn to.  What are the silhouette, neckline, fabric, embellishment, and overall style that you find you keep coming back to while browsing?  Print pictures of your favorites to take with you to your appointment.  If you know which designers your local store carries, browse those designers and write down the style numbers or names of the dresses you are interested in.  Also make a note of what you DO NOT like; it is just as important to tell your stylist what you love as well as what you hate.  It is important that you do your homework AT HOME; DO NOT walk into a bridal salon and browse for ideas.  It can be extremely frustrating to stylists who are trying to pull dresses for other customers when you are thumbing through their racks. 

4-       Dress Appropriately.  When you’re shopping and trying on garments, wear appropriate underwear (modest coverage, strapless bra, etc).  If you’re intending to wear shapewear (such as Spanx or other hosiery) wear some for when you go shopping so you will get an idea what you will look like in the dresses with the proper undergarments.  Shave where needed.  Do not wear heavy makeup.  Wear comfortable heels about the height you intend to wear on your wedding day.  Do not apply self tanner.  Wear deodorant or anti-perspirant.  Many salons have sales associates who stay in the fitting room with you and assist you in putting on the dresses in order to avoid damage to the garments as well as help you fit into the various sizes and styles (such as laceup back dresses).  The associates may also need to take your measurements.  You want to experience the least amount of self-consciousness and embarrassment. 

5-       Know Your Details.  Your sales associate is going to want to know all about your wedding, from your desired colors and flowers, to your ceremony and reception location, to your budget.  If you do not know these things about your wedding, you probably aren’t ready to make a decision about your wedding gown.  All of these details contribute to your overall wedding gown style.  For instance, a beach wedding with warm tropical colors and a small budget will coordinate with a certain style of wedding gown, whereas a ballroom evening reception with a subdued color palette and larger budget will coordinate with a completely different style of wedding gown. 

6-       Sizing is Different – Don’t Focus On The Number.  Bridal designers have size charts based on certain measurements that often do not correspond with traditional sizes, so DO NOT get caught up in the numeric size you are fitting into.  It is not uncommon for you to wear several sizes larger in bridal than you normally do.  Don’t freak out.  It’s important that your dress fit correctly, so let your sales associate recommend a size based on your measurements.  Every bride insists she will lose weight before her wedding, which is great, but not a guarantee.  You can always have a dress taken in by a seamstress if you get smaller and the dress becomes loose fitting.  Think of it as “celebratory alterations”!  Do not insist on ordering a size smaller than your current size, no matter how confident you are.  What if you are injured and cannot work out before your wedding?  Then you’ll have a dress that’s too small, and there is little you can do to fix that!  Also, often you will need to choose a size based on your “critical measurement” which is your largest measurement.  Sometimes one measurement will be a larger size than your other measurements (such as when you have a disproportionately large bust) in which case you will need to order the size that fits your critical measurement and then have the dress taken in elsewhere. 

7-       Expect Alterations.  No dress will fit you perfectly.  Everyone’s bodies are completely different, and the dress is make based on a pattern and size chart measurements, not custom tailored to your measurements (unless you are ordering a customer dress for big bucks).  Set aside money in your budget for alterations (usually a few hundred dollars).  Expect to need the dress taken in or let out in the sideseams (for example, to support your bust, cinch in your waist, and allow room to walk and sit in the hip area), in addition to a hem (custom length factoring in your shoes) and a bustle (to pick up the train to floor-length for when you’re dancing at the reception.)  You may want additional alterations done, such as sewing in bra cups, adding straps or a sash, or other custom changes.  When your bridal gown arrives from the manufacturer and you try it on and it doesn’t fit perfectly, DO NOT freak out – the seamstress will handle the little nips and tucks. 

8-       Bring Only A Few People.  DO NOT bring all of your sorority sisters, your whole family, all your bridesmaids, or any combination within.  There is no way you will all have the same taste, and you know the saying “too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth”.  Too many people in your entourage will only lead to confusion, headaches, and hurt feelings!  Bring only 1-2 people whose opinion you truly value.  These special people should have a true understanding of your style and you should be able to think “if I try on a dress that so-and-so doesn’t personally like but they know I love it, will she tell me I’m beautiful and support my decision to get it?”  The answer should be Yes.  And it’s OK, that person might not be your best friend, sister, or mom, so don’t get caught up in the tradition of it all.  Sometimes it’s even beneficial to go shopping your first time alone to get a clear idea of what styles you favor.  Then once you’ve narrowed your selection down to a few top choices, bring in your friends or family and make a selection.   

9-       Be Prepared to Purchase.  Everyone says they are just looking, and it’s their first day, and they have plenty of time, but that’s not always the case.  Sometimes the perfect dress presents itself.  Sometimes there’s a great sale, or sometimes it’s the only dress left and it’s discontinued, marked down, and in your size!  Sometimes it’s your prime opportunity to buy, and if you limit yourself by not being prepared to purchase that day, then you may leave with regrets.  I’ve seen brides walk away from dresses and return for them later only to discover the dress is gone and cannot be ordered or cannot be made in time.  And in hindsight the brides always wished they had followed their instinct and purchase the day they found the dress of their dreams.  So do what you need to do to prepare to purchase; know your budget and have a means of payment available in case you find “the one” and need to make a payment that day to guarantee it’s yours.  And allow yourself plenty of time – there is no such thing as too much time!  Ordering a gown 8 months to 1 year before your wedding is ideal.  Many gowns are custom ordered and can take months to be made, plus shipping time, plus you want to allow at least 3 months for scheduling your alterations with a seamstress. 

10-   Ask About Incentives, Nicely.  There are in fact ways to “haggle” in regards to the price of your dress, but they are limited.  Ask if there are any discounts available, or any sales coming up.  Ask if you get any discounts for purchasing your gown that day, such as reduced pricing on your accessories, bridesmaids dresses, or other purchases in the store.  Ask if there are any financing terms or payment options available.  DO NOT, however, expect to receive any discounts, and be prepared to pay full price if you really love the dress.  And remember, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar”, so be pleasant when inquiring about incentives.  The staff will only be less inclined to work with you if you are demanding or rude.  But if you are a pleasure to work with, the staff will be more inclined to help you with current and future purchases.