At The Bridal Emporium, we have over 26 years of experience in working with beautiful brides on their journey to find their dream wedding dress. In our Exeter Bridal Boutique, we have helped literally thousands of brides, so it’s safe to say that we are something of “bridal experts” here. We understand and recognise that for many, wedding dress shopping is an entirely new experience and for most can be rather daunting! We have curated a list of our top “Do’s and Dont’s” to help you with your wedding dress journey!
So…
- DO your research. Whilst it is of course not essential to know anything about wedding dresses prior to your appointment, it is absolutely invaluable for us as bridal consultants to have a vague idea of your likes and dislikes. With us, you can browse our collections and add your favourites to your wish list. This really helps us to prepare for your appointment as well as gives you a great starting point prior to shopping. Now, we are firm believers that you have to try all options if you are a bit stuck and don’t know where to start. Your bridal consultant will pick out designs that they believe you will love based on your suggestions but also based on our experience. So, have a look online at key wedding dress shapes beforehand if you can!
- DO keep an open mind! You would be so shocked by the number of brides that we see who are set on a certain idea and then end up falling in love with something completely different! Listen to your consultant and accept their suggestions, chances are they will pick out something you’re not so sure about. Embrace it and explore some different looks, you may surprise yourself! Remember, some dresses look different on the hanger to how they do on!
- DO ask questions! We are here to help you every step of the way and your bridal consultant is your personal guide. Feel free to us anything and we will do our best to help. You can contact us via phone, email or social media, or even better pop in and see us in person! During your appointment, take advantage of our wide knowledge of all things wedding! It is important that you have answers to all of your questions.
- DO remember that you never know when you’ll find the one. It isn’t uncommon for it to be at your first appointment so make sure that those whose opinions really matter are by your side. Be warned that taking more than one or two shopping companions can often cause unnecessary bridal stress, you might think it will be great fun but actually most brides just find the varied opinions of a larger group hard to manage and stressful.
- DON’T book too many appointments! Yes, I know it is easy for us to say, but all too often have we seen cases of “dress fatigue” where the enjoyment of dress shopping is ruined by exhaustion! This often leads to a less than productive appointment and you feeling despondent and somewhat deflated. Our advice would be to book one or two, see how they go and if you really wish to book more then do so. Although tempting, booking several appointments means seeing several dresses and this can ultimately lead to confusion. Manage your appointments and manage your favourite dresses.
- DON’T fret about losing weight or having a facelift before embarking upon shopping! Find a dress you shine in now and you will feel a million dollars by the wedding day itself. Please don’t put heaps of pressure on yourself before you come and see us. There’ll be gorgeous dresses that you feel amazing in we are quite sure. In our 26 years of dressing brides and helping to find the one, it has been very rare for a bride to simply not like anything or feel good during an appointment with us.
- DON’T rely heavily on images. Although great to show you a snapshot, they will never represent how you felt when looking in the mirror, so try to avoid photos wherever possible! The much sensationalised “bridal feeling” when you have found “the one” is very real and a photo will not capture this moment. If you love a dress, rather than sitting staring at a photo, pop back into store and retry it, we will only be too happy to help!
- DON’T let budget blind you. We pride ourselves on our quality wedding dresses from top designers but we do cater to every price point. We have sale dresses (available to take home on the very same day) from £150-£899 and dresses to order from £295. We are by no means the “cheapest” but we are fortunate to have the space to stock a collection for every budget, so don’t let the fact that we are a bridal boutique rather than a big chain store deceive you. Just let us know your price range and we will do our very best to stick to it!
- DO ensure that you empower yourself to lead on the dress decision and tell your #bridetribe how you feel. Remember this is your day! Your dress! Your celebration! YOU got this! Have fun and enjoy, we’re right with you.
The Bridal Emporium is Exeter’s Finest Bridal Boutique and we have been established for over 26 years. We offer a full collection of wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, prom dresses, mother-of-the-bride wear, and accessories. We pride ourselves on our extensive knowledge of all things bridal! With us, we are with you every step of the way, from your initial point of contact to your wedding day itself. that’s because we’re #inlovewithweddings!