What happens after You said Yes the Dress... Boutique POV

So I’ve toyed back and forth with sharing this post as to be honest its a bit of a personal one, and not only for The Bottom Drawer Bridal!

Before I start, it goes without saying that this information is directly related to me and how I work within my business, if you bought your dress somewhere else, it could be and is more than likely to be completely different! While this post is about the logistics about what happens after you said Yes to the Dress, it’s also just a little insight into me and how you saying yes makes me feel.

YOUR APPOINTMENT

I know I said this post was about what happens after saying Yes but my journey with you starts with the moment you slide into the DM’s, call the boutique or your confirmation email drops into my inbox. While you get your own confirmation email and are encouraged to have a look at the collection available on the website, I will have already had a cheeky little social media stalk to see what you look like and if possible what your everyday style is like. I’ll go through all the details that you have left when booking your appointment, have a browse through your venue’s website (if I don’t already know where it is) get excited that you have booked some/all of my favourite wedding suppliers and start to imagine what you would look good in from what you have told me about your dress likes and dislikes.

In the days leading up to your appointment, I will do a cheeky slide into the DM’s and I’ll ask more about your likes and dislikes, as well as more about the wedding. It’s not just about the dress you know.

the actual appointment…

This is the good part right? We’ll chat some more, I’ll crack the gin out if your so inclined or put the kettle on and we’ll have a look through the dresses. So for those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure of time with me in the boutique, I won’t reveal too much about what happens next as I don’t want to spoil the surprise but if I’ve done my job properly* and hit you in all the feels, hopefully you’ll have said Yes to the Dress!

This is where I will then take your measurements and use them against the designers size chart to work out what the best size for you would be (PLEASE NOTE these number vary from designer to designer and are VERY different to what goes on on the high street. The number is just a number, something for me to tell the designer. No one else needs to know what that number is, not even you if you don’t want to! It is not a reflection on you.)

You will pay your deposit to confirm your order and you will also be asked to sign your order. This is just as much for your protection as it is for mine. We’ll go through all the ins and outs of what happens next, when you will need to come back, when to get in touch with my recommended seamstress and whether or not you would like to book in for my dressing service for your wedding day.

You will then have your photo/boomerang in front of the mirror, receive your very own “bottom drawer” and I will then send you off to continue your celebrations, and then go on right ahead with a little happy dance of my own in the fitting room!

AFTER…

In the days after your appointment I will have placed your order with the designer of YOUR gown, sometimes that’s by email or their own online booking system. Your order will also be added to my own system for me and then once your confirmation comes back with approx delivery dates and confirmation numbers, this is all added on so that I can keep track of when your dress is due to arrive. and then we wait…

In the time that it takes for the dress to arrive, please know I am always available to you, if you want to ask me about any of the many aspects of your wedding day, get my opinion on your hair and make up trials, even if you want to talk about the suits, I’m always at the end of a DM (although apologies if it takes me a while to reply)

ARRIVAL

In the days leading up to the due date of your dress, I will be on constant email watch waiting on that all important notification to say there is a delivery on its way… this is where it gets all a little stressful, well perhaps that’s not the right word but if there is more than one dress from that particular designer I won’t be sure which dress is in the box until she is unwrapped from her packaging. Once she is safetly hanging up in her dress bag with your name on, it will be checked off on my little bridal system and you will get… The email you’ve been waiting for!

TRY AND PAY APPOINTMENT

In that all important email, you will be asked to book your appointment to come in, try your dress on and of course make that final payment so that she is fully all yours! Now I know you get excited by this appointment and maybe a little nervous but I cannot tell you the overthinking that goes on in my head the night before said appointment. It’s been known that I have not slept on several off those nights. Deep down I know that you are going to love your dress, perhaps even more than you did the first time, but the ‘will they still love her?’ ‘did I order the right size?’ ‘did I check the dress properly when she arrived?’ Now I just want to add in the 6 years that I have been finding dresses for all you gorgeous brides, not a single one of you has not fallen in love even harder with your dress and I have never ordered the wrong size and each and every dress has been completely perfect.

I cannot even begin to explain the joy and gratitude I feel, being able to see your face’s light up when you get back into your dresses, in fact just when you see her again for the first time. This is absolutely one of the best part’s of my job and makes all the overthinking and worrying completely worthwhile.

Obviously this is where all the alterations come in (around 8/10 weeks before the wedding but as this is something i’m not always part off and as I’ve written far more than intended, I won’t bore you any more.

Thank you if you’ve made it this far and you’re still with me, if there is any other part of the process that you would like to have more of an insight into please do let me know!

All my love

Victoria

* Just wanted to add that there is absolutely no obligation for you to buy your dress at your first appointment, It doesn’t mean I have failed at my job and you of course have not failed at finding the one, these things do sometimes take their time.