So, you’ve booked a bridal appointment, yay! We’re so excited to have you. But also—we totally understand the nerves, anxiety, and questions that can bubble up alongside excitement when shopping for a wedding dress. It helps to know what to expect.
To ease the nerves, we’re taking you step-by-step through a Grace + Ivory bridal appointment, and answering some the most frequently asked questions, here.
(If you’re not shopping with us in-person in our Chicago showroom, fear not: We have a guide for our try-at-home brides, too! Check out What To Expect When You’re Expecting…A Try-At-Home Wedding Dress.)
Prepare for Your Bridal Appointment
This stage is all about inspo! Pin your favorite looks, scroll Instagram, and most importantly, browse the Grace + Ivory collection online to select a few favorites! This will give your bridal stylist an idea of your initial vision, so she can have a few styles ready when you arrive.
If you’re unsure where to start, consider:
* the necklines and silhouettes you gravitate toward in your everyday wardrobe
* your wedding venue or theme or venue aesthetic
* what season and climate you’ll be saying “I do” in
Having 2–4 styles in mind is a great place to stary, and will leave time for your bridal stylist to make suggestions!
Read How To Find And Love Your Bridal Style for additional pre-shopping tips!
Once You Arrive…
We have two private appointment rooms in our showroom, plus a room for sample sale appointments. When you arrive, your party will be shown into a room to get settled and meet your bridal stylist.
First, we’ll get to know you and your wedding, and learn about where you are in your dress-shopping journey (if you’ve had other appointments leading up to this one, your vision may be a bit more honed in). We’ll walk you through our process, made-to-measure sizing, and social mission.
Now Comes the Fun Part …
We’ll start by trying on the styles you sent over in advance, or give you a few moments to browse the racks in our showroom and select a few favorites. From there, your bridal stylist will pull additional styles as you go and your vision becomes more defined.
We have showroom samples in sizes 4, 10, and 16, and select styles in size 22. Keep in mind: When shopping for your wedding dress, you aren’t shopping for a perfect fit. Your stylist will use clips to fit the sample to you and adjust straps or loose material.
We’ll chat about your likes and dislikes of each style once it’s on your body. Do you like the silhouette on you? How does the fabric feel? Is it missing the sparkle? These questions will help inform your stylist on which gown to pull next. Keep an open mind!
Pro tip: Have someone in your party (or your stylist—we know the best angles!) snap photos to look at later. That way, if you need more time to process later—which we totally get!—you can refer back to the photos.
Bring the Look to Life
When you’re in a style you love, your bridal stylist may suggest adding accessories to complete the vision. At Grace + Ivory, have a variety of veils, bridal capes, and belts on hand to elevate the look.
Note: That first veil try-on may bring on some emotion! And also, it’s totally OK if you decide to forgo a veil completely for your wedding day. This is a great time to get a sense of what feels the most like you (and that’s what we’re all about).
Make it Your Own
At Grace + Ivory, we do bridal a little differently! Here, there are a variety of customization options for the styles you’ll be trying. Often, we can change the underlay color, raise the necklines, add sequins or buttons, or extend or shorten the train, and more. We can also make many of our fitted dresses into an A-line silhouette, and vice versa.
Whether you are customizing elements or not, all of our Grace + Ivory wedding dresses are made-to-measure, which means they are made to order based on your exact measurements, rather than purchased off the rack, for a proportional fit. Once you’ve decided on your dress and placed an order, we’ll schedule you for a follow-up appointment, where you’ll work directly with one of G+I’s core designers to get measured and discuss customization options.
Next Steps
Whether you’ve found your dress or are leaving with a few favorites in mind, your bridal consultant will let you know the best “order by” date based on your wedding date, so you don’t miss out on walking down the aisle in a design you love.
Grace + Ivory wedding dresses take 3–6 months to create (depending on the style and customizations)—but keep in mind that you want to begin final alterations two months before your wedding date.
A note on alterations: Our dresses are made-to-measure for proportional fit, but still require a final fitting once your dress is on your body. A final fitting is imperative for a dress as important as this one (no matter where you purchase it). You’ll also need to get a bustle put in if your dress has a train.
Learn more about alterations here.
FAQs
Q: When should I shop for my wedding dress?
Start your dress search at least nine months to one year before the wedding (and at least 10 months for a fully custom design). This leaves enough time for production and alterations—and gives you time if you want to think on the decision.
Q: What should I bring to my bridal appointment?
Consider what you’re going to want to wear on the wedding day, but don’t stress too much about having the right items. Here are a few things to consider:
Shoes: Shoes aren’t totally necessary for your first bridal appointment (and we even have some in-studio if you need to try on. Heel height will come into play much more at your first fitting after the dress has arrived; that’s when it will be paramount to bring the shoes you plan to wear so the dress can be hemmed to the proper length. But to start out, standing on our pedestal will mimic having shoes on.
Shapewear: If you’re certain you want to wear shapewear on the wedding day, bring it along so you can get a sense of what it feels like under the dress (and see what shows with the specific dress cut you love. But keep in mind that our dresses are made to your exact measurements and feature built-in bra cups, so shapewear and bras aren’t totally necessary. Wearing or bringing nude underwear is a perfect starting point.
Hair: Make sure you have a claw clip or scrunchie on hand, especially if you are considering wearing your hair up on the big day. Different dress necklines call for different hairstyles, so it’s helpful to be able to throw it up or let it down throughout the appointment.
Q: How many guests can I bring to my appointment at Grace + Ivory?
We allow brides to bring 5 guests maximum to weekend appointments. If you have more than that, we encourage you to book on a weekday for the best possible experience.
Q: Do I have to say yes to the dress right away?
No. If you’re not ready to say yes to a dress at the first appointment, that’s OK. Your wedding dress is a big emotional purchase, and we understand that you may want to sleep on the decision. If that’s the case, you can book a second appointment to come back and try on you favorites one more time.
Hello. My daughter, the bride, asked me to choose some shops for her to visit. Your boutique seems (refreshingly) different.
I have one question. After her initial appointment and (one?) dress is ordered. Will she have another appointment to try the dress on and check for any needed alterations?
Thank you , Pat
Thanks for your comment! I reached out via email to explain the process 🙂