Finding the right boutique for you...

I’m not being dramatic but finding the right bridal boutique for you is legit the difference between finding that dress with ease and having a dream experience and hunting through various shops, trying on far too many dresses and finding the whole experience overwhelming and just simply not fun any more!

So how do we find the right boutique, for you and your style for YOUR wedding day?

RESEARCH

As with anything, a shed load of research is always going to help the situation, so first off you need to know or at least have considered what you want your wedding dress to look like, I mean, I get it in that you will have been told several times by anyone that has purchased a wedding dress in the past that they will have gone in looking for a certain style and left with something completely different and 90% of the time from the opinion of someone who sees this day in and day out, it is true. Just because you think you like it and think this is what you want to walk down the aisle in, doesn’t necessarily mean you will actually be walking down the aisle in it.

What I mean is, in terms of a general style, you need to know what you are looking for? Are you more free spirited and thinking that a boho-esque dress is more you, or are you looking for something really modern and sexy to wear on the beach or that gorgeously chic city centre hotel, or are you a traditionalist and want that classic princess ballgown to walk down the church aisle? What I’m saying is you don’t have to have pinpointed an exact dress, just a vibe; and once you have an idea of the vibe you are looking for, its going to be easier for you to narrow down the boutique search.

So if you are looking for something that little more boho, a little bit more niche, then perhaps the boutique that your auntie went to in the 90’s and still raves about might not be the one for you. It might also be that you are looking for a particular designer, in that case why waste your time trawling endless boutiques when you can find the ones that stock your dream designer and just go straight there! (Apologies if I’m preaching to the converted here!)

Friends and Family

When I say, ask friends and family, I mean ask those that have recently bought a wedding dress, not your auntie who got married in the 90’s, I mean to be honest you’re probably not going to have to ask as I’m sure that since you announced your engagement you will have been bombarded with helpful advice (all with the most genuine of intentions, of course!)

With this one you are able to get into the nitty gritty of the boutique and why they bought their dress there, did they like the stylist? Why did they like the stylist? How did they feel during the appointment? Were they treated like the only bride in the world or did they feel like they just needed to get on with saying yes? Were they pushed into buying extras, like veils and jewellery, or where they able to try them with the dress and then make a decision later?

Reviews

A bit like an Instagram feed this could be curated in that you only see the good ones, and of course on the boutiques website, you will only see the good ones (you can see mine here btw!) but make sure you also check Facebook and or Google as these could well be different. Obviously on the website, you are also going to be able to see a lot of the other information that you are going to need, i.e. FAQ’s, what to expect from your appointment, where to park etc… whereas with your Google/Facebook, these are going to be just the opions of what other brides have experienced from the boutique in question.

Make sure you bare in mind, if all the reviews are consistant and saying similar things, whether it be good or bad, it’s likely to be a fairly good picture of whats to come should you book your appointment there. I mean I don’t know about you but when your trying to book a holiday and you see reviews for a hotel and each one is the complete opposite to the last, I find it all very confusing and to be honest a little off putting.

Budget

We all have a budget, no matter what we like to tell ourselves (I’m telling myself this here incase you couldn’t tell!) I would always suggest that you be mindful of your budget, especially if you are on a tight one, you’re only going to dishearten yourself by visiting boutiques out of your budget and trying on dresses that are out of the question. That being said, majority of the time the boutique will have gowns available to take away on the day so don’t ever be scared to ask if you do have your heart set on a particular boutique.

location

I’ve had Brides not book appointments with me at a wedding fair before as it would have been a 45 minute drive to the boutique and I’ve had Brides come to me from Southampton, Leeds, Manchester, London and even Malta, so this is going to be a deciding factor for some and not even be a consideration to others. I would always bare in mind that if you are travelling to say yes to the dress, it isn’t going to be a one off trip, you will need to go back to collect your dress, perhaps have a styling appointment to choose accessories should you wish to have everything from the same place and if they offer in house alterations as part of the purchase, you could be heading back there at least another 3 times! I mean your dream dress is worth the journey though no?

get in touch

Even if after all your research, advice from friends and countless hours scrolling through reviews your still not sure if a particular boutique is the one for you (FYI it never has to be just the one boutique and you can always go back, you don’t have to say Yes to the dress on your first go and it certainly isnt the end of the world if you don’t say yes the first time!) then get in touch, whether thats an email, a cheeky DM on instagram or you’re old school and want to pick up the phone, talk to the stylists/owners, tell them how you feel and what you think you are looking for, I would hope that, even if they didnt think they had what you was looking for, they would be able to point you into the direction of someone else/another boutique that would be more suited to you! Being completely honest with you, I have done this in the past, I’ve had brides get in touch and genuinely thought I don’t think I have what you are looking for and offered suggestions as to where or who else could be more help, while I will always still want to invite you into the boutique, it’s not about making another sale, It’s about finding you the right dress. If I really thought you were certain as to what you wanted and I didn’t have it, why would I want you to waste your time and mine in trying on dresses that you’re just going to say no to!

This all being said, if you ever want to ask me a question, even if you have already bought your dress (even if it wasn’t from me!) PLEASE do not hesitate to get in touch. I’m always at the end of an email/DM/or the phone for you and more importantly if you now feel you need to book your appointment with me… You know what to do!

All my love