'Tis the season for the holidays and wedding dress shopping! Are you newly engaged or a bride-to-be who is ready to begin shopping for your wedding dress during the holiday season? The holiday season, meaning the months of November, December, January, and February is a very busy time of year for many and it is also a popular time for my brides to try to book wedding dress shopping appointments in the hopes of finding their dream bridal gown. Many brides are off of work or home with their family and friends for the holidays and it's a great time to go wedding dress shopping when everyone is available! Many brides become engaged during the holidays and wedding dress shopping is one of the first things to do when it comes to planning! No matter your reason, the holidays are a great time for many brides to go to a bridal dress store to try on wedding dresses. Because it is such a popular time to go dress shopping, we're going to give you all of our expert tips for how to shop for your wedding dress during the holidays. We'll talk about what brides can expect during the holidays and how they can be prepared for a stress-free bridal store experience during this busy time of year.
For many brides, shopping for their wedding dress is one of the first tasks to be tackled on the wedding planning checklist. Call us biased, but we couldn't agree more! We love helping brides find their dream wedding dress and it's one of the most fun parts of wedding planning. In addition to the enjoyment of finding your dream bridal dress, there are a few other reasons why brides go dress shopping early on in their planning. You want to be sure to purchase and order your bridal dress at least eight months to one year before the wedding day. Your wedding dress can also help set the tone for the type or style of wedding you envision.
As we head into the holiday season, we wanted to talk about wedding dress shopping during the holidays to help any bride heading to a bridal dress store during the holidays to find their dream wedding dress. We will cover what to expect in bridal stores during the holidays, give you some holiday shopping-specific tips and tricks, and share everything you need to know when it comes to wedding dress shopping around the holidays.
Video: Wedding Dress Shopping During the Holidays - Tips & Tricks
Before we give you all the expert advice that you need, be sure to check out this week's advice video on wedding dress shopping during the holidays.
Family Time
During the holiday season, many social media feeds will likely be filled with newly engaged couples. It is so common for people to get engaged during the holiday season, so it makes sense that a lot of brides-to-be would be looking to begin their wedding dress shopping during the holidays as well.
After getting engaged, we know that many brides want to start wedding dress shopping right away. It is one of the fun parts of wedding planning - who doesn’t like to play dress up in gorgeous wedding gowns?! Wedding dress shopping can also be a really fun bonding experience for friends and family. It is also a great way to get everyone excited about the upcoming wedding and planning tasks.
You are likely spending the holiday with friends and family - many of whom may not be in the same city year-round - as well as taking time off of work. If you are spending the holidays with your loved ones, it makes sense to fit in some wedding dress shopping when you are with the important people you would want at your wedding dress appointments.
What to Expect
If you are wedding dress shopping for the first time, you may be wondering how the process works and what to expect during your wedding dress shopping appointments. We have some important do’s and don’ts to consider when wedding dress shopping, particularly during the holiday season and busy times of the year.
The first thing to keep in mind when wedding dress shopping is that the majority of bridal dress stores are open for shopping by appointment only. This means that you won't be able to walk into a bridal dress store anytime that you want. In order to try on wedding dresses or browse a bridal dress store's inventory, you'll need to make an appointment.
Many bridal dress stores operated with requiring appointments for years, but post-pandemic, the majority of bridal dress stores require an appointment to come try on dresses so they can limit the number of people in the store at the same time. You should also know that some bridal dress stores charge a reservation fee when you make an appointment, to be sure you are serious about your wedding dress shopping timeslot.
Many people travel for the holidays, so bridal dress stores can be quite busy during the holiday season, especially if you live in or near a large city. You will want to be sure to book your appointment as far in advance as possible.
For more on how to have a relaxing and enjoyable time finding your dream wedding gown, check out our past post on stress-free wedding dress shopping during the pandemic.
Be Honest With The Store
At Lovella, we often have brides come into our bridal dress store who have already found their favorite wedding dress and want to just show their choice to their loved ones. Or they want to be sure their loved ones have a chance to see the wedding dress before they make the purchase. If you are a bride who has already found your dream wedding dress and you just want to make an appointment with your family over the holidays to show them the dress in person, we ask that you are upfront about this with the bridal store.
Being in LA, our bridal style consultants often have brides in from out of town who want to show off their favorite wedding dress they have chosen before purchasing the dress. We are happy to do this and most bridal stores will be as well, but be honest with the store staff that you do not intend to purchase your wedding dress or really shop for other bridal gown styles. Let them know that you have already picked this wedding dress and just want to be able to show it to your loved ones while everyone is in the same place. This will allow the bridal store to schedule with other brides who need more guidance in their appointment and may be shopping for the first time. Your appointment can be scheduled with a consultant knowing they just need to bring you one particular bridal dress, whereas other brides will need a more expert stylist to help guide them in finding their dream wedding dress.
In the end, just be mindful of the store’s time and the bridal stylist’s time. Be straightforward with your intentions, and the bridal store will be happy to accommodate you if you go about it the right way. If you wanted to go the extra step, you could consider purchasing your bridal veil or other bridal accessories at this time while you are showing off your chosen wedding dress, just as a way to make your appointment worth it for everyone involved.
Shopping Away From Home
Another scenario we see a lot at Lovella also relates to brides who are wedding dress shopping away from where they currently live. We see a lot of brides who have traveled to LA to visit family and end up shopping for their wedding dress while all their loved ones are in the same town. If you are a bride that has decided to wait on wedding dress shopping until you are with your loved ones, this tip will be especially helpful for you.
If you plan to shop for your wedding dress in another city than where you live, be sure that the bridal store you visit takes your measurements and keeps them on record for you. Perhaps you find a wedding dress you love while you are out of town wedding dress shopping, but don’t necessarily want to purchase your bridal dress from a store far away from where you live. We understand this completely, as it may require additional shipping or travel for you. But we want brides to be mindful that when you get back home and visit local bridal stores, they may not have the bridal dress you love in their inventory or may not carry that particular wedding dress designer.
We want brides to be prepared to purchase their wedding dress, even if that means from a destination you visited over the holidays and is not in the city you currently live in. If this happens to you, you will be able to call the bridal store where you found your dress and because they have your measurements in their records, they will be able to place your wedding dress order for you in the correct size. The bridal stores are there to guide you and help you through the process. The best thing you can do to ease wedding planning stress is to just be fully prepared and have your measurements taken so that you can order the dress from that store if needed.
As always, we encourage brides to have an open mind and to be prepared to buy their wedding dress whenever they go shopping because you really don't know when you will find "the one." It would be so great for you to say "yes to the dress" when you have all your loved ones with you. Remember to book your wedding dress shopping appointments early, especially during the holiday season, and be open with your bridal stylist so they can help you as best they can.
More Helpful Wedding Dress Shopping Advice
We hope this advice has helped prepare you if you plan to wedding dress shop over the holidays. For even more helpful advice when it comes to shopping for your dream wedding dress, be sure to check out our past posts:
- What to Expect When Wedding Dress Shopping For The First Time
- Bridal Store Etiquette: The Dos And Don'ts Of Wedding Dress Shopping
- Wedding Dress Shopping Without Stress During Pandemic Supply Chain Delays
About Lovella
If you're shopping for your perfect wedding dress, come visit us at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, CA. We carry wedding dresses in all sizes and styles, including plus-size bridal gowns and a full selection of veils and accessories. Lovella Bridal is the premier, luxury bridal wedding dress shopping boutique located in Los Angeles, California. Lovella features couture, feminine, modern and chic bridal gowns in all sizes from the best wedding dress designers. Schedule an appointment to find the wedding dress of your dreams at Lovella Bridal. We can't wait to help you!
About Wedding Fashion Expert
Our wedding dress shopping tips and advice are from Nayri, Lovella's own, in-house wedding fashion expert. Nayri is truly the expert when it comes to bridal fashion and wedding style. As the Wedding Fashion Expert, Nayri is the top bridal fashion stylist and the best-selling author of the book "I'm Getting Married And I Have Nothing To Wear," the ultimate guide to helping brides find their wedding day style and their perfect wedding dress. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel or listen to her podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
