Your Perfect Wedding Attire

There are so many aspects to planning a wedding. One of the very first items brides tend to check off the list is purchasing their dress and choosing menswear, but this is no small task. Trying on wedding dresses is probably one of the most special moments in a women’s life, surrounded by loved ones preparing in the most real way.

We totally understand that some of the planning process is not so fun. From trying to make such a BIG decision, to the waiting game for your dress to arrive, to some stressful alterations appointments, and then add in the rest of your wedding planning process, oh and keeping up with normal life as well…. We get it! We completely understand that this is the most fun but also hair-pulling process of your life (besides buying a house or having kids). When a bride comes to the realization that she is doing this because she wants to share her love for her significant other with all the other people in her life and that everything will turn out just fine (even if the caterer arrives thirty minutes late and the flowers are the wrong shade of pink), she is still at the end of the day going to be married to the love of her life; that is the best part of this process to us.

As for the dress process, the most fun part to us is when the bride gets "that look” when she finds the one. Most people think that crying or becoming very emotional will be the answer to them finding their dress, but sometimes people just become so overwhelmed with the whole process that they become emotional when they try on that first dress because... holy crap! It's becoming real! In our store, we can tell when someone has found the dress based on “the look”. It’s hard to explain, but once you’ve seen it, you will totally get it! The bride looks at this dress in a completely different way than any of the other ones she has tried on. She starts to imagine how the rest of the wedding day is going to look and be based on the way she feels in this dress. Watching someone get into that mindset is an amazing experience and reminds us of why we do this job!

Here are a few tips and tricks for finding your perfect gown, accessories, and menswear for your special day.

Timeline & Logistics

How long does it normally take to find the perfect dress? This answer always depends on the bride, of course! Our appointments are ninety minutes, and we have found that this is ample amount of time to pick the perfect one. Of course, we get so many different types of people in our shop. Some brides know exactly what they want and are in and out of our shop in forty-five minutes. Some brides need a bit more time and take up the full ninety minutes. Everyone is different, and we are here to help along this process with them. We do our very best to make sure this process is not overly stressful and never push our brides to make this big decision if they are not ready. On the other side, we are very practical with our brides as well. Sometimes people do not realize that wedding gowns take 4-7 months to arrive in shop, and then we recommend 3-4 months for alterations. With this timeline, buying your wedding dress one year to eighteen months prior to your big day is not unrealistic.

The best time to choose the groom’s wedding attire is within 4-5 months before the wedding day to get styles picked out and get measured. We then like to have the entire wedding party measured and ordered 2-3 months out from wedding day. Because we work with Jim’s Formal Wear and they are available all over the country, we like to secure the bridal party styles as far out as possible, as some of the more popular styles might become unavailable the closer we get to the wedding date.

Procedures

It’s always a good idea to read over the procedures of each bridal store before you visit. Most do not allow outside food, and many now have policies in regard to children, particularly under the age of 12. Most stores also have policies in regards to the proper undergarments to wear to their appointment, so brides will want to take notice of those so that they can always come prepared for a great fitting!

Check with each store to see how many people each bridal suite can accommodate.  Typically, it is anywhere from four to seven people. Our store offers a “Blush After-Hours Experience” for those parties that are larger.  That being said, too many opinions can sometimes get overwhelming. We are of the adage, that less is more.

If for any reason you need to cancel your appointment and reschedule, call the bridal store and let them know at least 24-48 hours in advance. If it is during busy season, this is particularly important. We have reserved a room for you and your group and when a bride doesn’t show up or calls at the last minute, that is a room that we could have given to another bride. It is not uncommon to have a waiting list, particularly on weekends.

Finding the Best Dress for You

We always love to hear from our brides about what they have always hoped and envisioned for their wedding day dream dress.  Most, if not all, brides bring in their Pinterest boards of image inspirations, and then we go through our studio with them and show them similar styles. On a few occasions, brides do try on the style that they had always dreamt of and then end up loving a completely different look, and that is what we are here for! We always encourage a bride that is first trying on dresses to try on one dress in every style. You never know until you get a dress on if you will love it or not. It’s different for every bride coming in, but it is fun for us to see the reactions of future brides when they start to figure out what they truly want to wear on their big day. Sometimes it can be stressful for them to say the least, but we are always "team bride" and try our very best to help them realize that this is their big day, and they need to feel the best version of themselves.

Be sure you have everyone at your appointment that you will need to help you make this big decision.  Brides should go in to their appointments with the expectation that they will be finding their dress, so they will want to have everyone that is important to them there for that special moment!

Have a firm budget going in to your appointment. Prices can vary from store to store, so having a firm budget will not only help the bride, but it will help the stylist who is trying to help find the dream dress.

Don't overschedule yourself! Shopping for your wedding dress should be exciting, fun and relaxing!  Attending several appointments in one day can be exhausting. Be sure to pace yourself, eat a good breakfast or lunch to ensure that you enjoy every minute of this amazing, unforgettable experience!

Author Bio: Hello! We are Jennifer and Madison, mother-daughter team and owners of Blush Bridal & Tux Shop located in Eugene, Oregon. We purchased Blush a little under two years ago. Madison worked for Blush for two years before the purchase of the store, which has been in business since 2011 and is currently the only locally owned bridal store in the Eugene/Springfield area. Check us out on Instagram @blushbridaleugene, and call us today to book an appointment!

Photography by Kirsten Wilson Photography