Everything you need to know before your Bridal Appointment

Help, I’m going wedding dress shopping soon, what do I need to know?

At & Wolf Bridal Studio HQ, this question is often asked across social media. Though often well-intentioned, the advice isn’t always that accurate as it’s not coming from a bridal boutique. Everyone can speak from experience and offer their opinion, but read on for what you need to know; after all, we are the experts at bridal styling.

Before you do anything, It’s time to turn to the ‘Gram’ or Pinterest.

Our very first piece of advice is to do your research. Look for dresses you like, find out who the designer is, and the price range for that designer. If it is around your budget, then look for stockists nearby. 

Appointments.

Check out bridal shops’ web pages and only visit bridal boutiques that carry your favourite designers. Trust me; you will get dress blind before you have even started; just because Aunty Flo says you should visit the shop your cousin got her dress from doesn’t mean you have to. 

Find your top 3 places and book your appointments with them. You may have to travel and likely have to pay for your appointment, as many bridal boutiques now charge, especially those like us that stock premium designers. This is a different blog that you can also read on our website. 

When to go shopping

When you visit a bridal store, you should be ready to say yes, whether it’s your first or last shop. Ideally, book your appointments 10-12 months before your wedding day; this will give you plenty of time to visit 1-3 shops, do any revisits and place your order.

Shopping less than seven months before your wedding is a rush, and ordering with less than 26 weeks till your wedding day will likely incur a 10-20% rush order fee that the designer sets.

If you must visit a few shops, don’t see more than two bridal shops in one day. Shopping for wedding dresses can be tiring, and you may get hangry, so make sure you build in time for lunch.

If you haven’t found the one by shop number 3, take a few weeks to break, clear your mind and refocus on what you want. The dresses are not going anywhere. 

Don’t be afraid to return to a shop you have already been to, not try on your favourite but a fresh new appointment. If they have had the dress closest to your dream dress, it may be there; you just didn’t get to try it on.

Girls often come back to us because they know the dress is with us. Even I went back to the first shop I visited as they were the closest, and I found the one on my second appointment with them.

Most bridal shops that carry the designer you love will carry other designers that complement each other. This means that if the chosen designer isn’t quite hitting the mark, they will have other dresses that may be more than perfect for you. Just keep an open mind.

At & Wolf Bridal, we have a carefully curated selection of bridal designers that have been chosen because they work well together. For example, Jesus Peiro's wedding dresses are minimalist and clean, with unfussy lines, plain fabrics and structure. Yet, we also stock Enzoani, which are lacey, fitted, glitzy, and, dare we say it, a little sexier. 

Shopping for your wedding dress should be entertaining, but it’s not a TV Show.

When it comes to deciding how many people to take with you to find your wedding gown, less really is more. Just because your chosen boutique may let you bring 5 people doesn’t mean you should. 

At & Wolf Bridal Studio, we allow a maximum of three guests. This is because our viewing area is small, and we offer a calm and relaxed appointment that will enable YOU to focus on yourself and what YOU want. 

Remember that choosing your wedding dress is all about you. When you bring too many people, not only do you have to listen to all of their conflicting opinions, but all too often, it becomes about them and what they would/would not wear. Hey, it’s a bridal shop full of pretty things, so they can be forgiven, but remember this appointment is about you and not entertaining your tribe. 

Is Everyone on the Same Page?

This is so important! Before you go dress shopping, make sure that everyone is on the same page as you. If they aren’t, leave that at home and don’t give them the option to provide an opinion. 

If you think super sexy strapless Pnina Tornai style and your mum / MIL / Granny says you should wear something completely covered, traditional Kate Middleton style, they will never like what you like. They will also be honest with you and give you their opinion; after all, it’s why you brought them in the first place.

If you need their approval before saying yes and purchasing, leave them at home until you find the ‘one’, and book a retrial to ‘show’ them the dress you have chosen. When you love it and are talking about the dress as if it’s yours, and you are not asking them for an opinion, 99.9% of the time, they will love it because they will see how happy you are about it.

If you can’t get them on the same page, inform your consultant before the appointment. We can then do a mum’s pick and talk about why it’s every shade wrong for you. Be warned, though, this has often backfired, and we have to admit that mum was right all along! 

Who should you bring

A little caveat to the above, if there is someone that you can’t say yes to the dress without them, you need to bring them to EVERY appointment. If you find the ‘one’ and get emotional, or teary-eyed or super excited that it’s the one, you probably won’t get that same rush of emotions the next time you try it on. It doesn’t mean it’s not the one, but you’ve already had your moment.

You don’t need special knickers.

 We see many posts about what underwear to wear, and every bridal shop is different. We don’t care what colour your knickers are. If you can wear nude awesome, but genuinely please wear some! 

This is a whole different game when it comes to bras. If your girls stand up front and centre and are not fighting gravity, you don’t need to wear a bra to try on dresses. But if gravity is starting to win, if they are a bit jiggly, wear a bra, and even more controversial, at & Wolf Bridal, we ask our brides to wear one with straps. These can be slipped off the shoulders if on show, but strapless bras are rubbish at supporting and giving a good shape unless you have had the help of a bra fitter who has sized you properly.

 We’ve seen it all before.

There is no judgement here. We think every body is beautiful, and I know it’s easy to say try not to worry about it, whether it’s scarring, acne, cellulite, wonky boobs and mum bods; we genuinely have seen it all before. At & Wolf Bridal, we will help you in and out of dresses but will do our very best to make sure that you are not left feeling uncomfortable or exposed.

Talking of pinning, be prepared that the dresses will not fit you.

Wedding dresses are for giants or at least women that are 5ft9, so they will always be too long.

It’s also doubtful that all or even any of the samples you try on will fit you, but we can work our magic to either pull or pin the dress to show you how it will look. 

Most shops only carry one of each sample, and these can fit on a human body in 2 – 3 sizes each way. Our sizing is from a UK 8 to a UK 16, with most sizes being 10,12 and 14.

Don’t expect tears.

When you find your dream wedding dress, don’t expect to cry or even feel an overwhelming sense of emotion. If you are not a crier or someone who gets emotional, it’s doubtful that you will tear up. The same goes for your mum or anyone else in your bride tribe. Self-doubt is awful; people question themselves because they aren’t emotional about the purchase. Still, it’s infrequent for people to cry. I know we see it on TV programmes like Say Yes to the Dress, but remember these are TV programmes, and they keep rolling the film until they get the reaction they want, the bride, the mum, the whole gang sobbing the truth is after 8 hours trying on five dresses you would be crying too.

If you say anything along the lines of ‘I love it’, ‘I wouldn’t change a thing,’ ‘It’s just what I imagined’, ‘I feel like me’, ‘this is so me’, ‘it’s perfect’, ‘I can see myself getting married in this’ then you have probably found your dress. These are much better indicators that it’s actually the one than tears.

We see more tears on the actual day or when your dress has finally arrived and you try it on for the first time.

This is going to hurt.

Okay, not physically, but it is a hefty blow to the old bank balance, as most places require a minimum 50% payment to order.

Wedding dresses are not cheap. Okay, yes, you can get inexpensive dresses, but you get what you pay for; a dress from ASOS or Wed2B for £100 is not going to be the same quality as one that is £500, and that won’t be the same quality as one that is £1000.

Before you go shopping, make sure you know your budget, and make sure you include alterations (budget £300+) veils, shoes and accessories in this.

Good reputable bridal boutiques will have a price range on their website, so you know what to expect. We are entirely open about our pricing. Our bridal gowns start at £1500 up to £3500, with the majority costing around £2200. We will ask you what your budget is. While we wouldn’t stop you from trying on any gown you wanted, we want to help you stick to your budget for our picks.

Brides on a budget

While discussing budgets, if you are on a tight one before you head off to Wed2B, check out your local bridal shop to see what sample sales they have or if they have an Off the Rack policy. Sometimes it seems that there is a stigma to buying in this way, and brides on a budget always recommend W2B first when someone asks where to go, but there is no shame in buying your dress this way, and it means that you can grab yourself an incredible genuine designer bargain. Remember that the dresses from W2B are no different from any other dress sample you will try on. They are not new and will have been tried on in the store by countless other brides before you.

If you are on a budget, then & Wolf Bridal has a couple of ways to purchase one of our designer samples.

Sample Sales

We hold two main sample sales a year, a 4-day sale from Wednesday to Saturday on Easter weekend, and then a month-long sample sale over August, where we discount almost every dress between 50 and 80%. The only dresses that won’t be in the sale are those we have had for less than six months. 

If you want to know when our Sales are sign up to our mailing list here

Off the Rack.

The sample’s age will depend on the off the rack saving, we have set prices as follows:

New - RRP / 6 months to 1 Year – 10%, / 1 -3 Years 25% / 3+ Years 50%

We love selling off the rack, even our new dresses, because we constantly lust after the latest designs, which helps us make room for new gowns. So don’t be afraid to ask.

Enjoy the process but for the love of God, stop looking.

You have found the one you love, mum loves it, MOH loves it, and then this little voice pipes up and says, but you haven’t visited anywhere else.

But when you say yes to the dress, stop looking, and stop comparing, as you will always find something better if you keep looking; the odds are stacked against you, as there are 270,000 different wedding dresses out there to buy today. But it does not mean you have made the wrong choice if you listened to your gut, not your head.

Bridal Styling - Jewellery, The Finishing Touch

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No matter what your style is, be it traditional, modern minimal, or bohemian, there is a piece of jewellery that will complement your wedding dress perfectly. The key is to consider the neckline of your dress when choosing accessories. By selecting the right pieces, your bridal look will come together seamlessly.

Jewellery is a personal thing, some like bling, some like chunky, some like simple, and bridal jewellery is no different. So finding the best bridal jewellery to go with your wedding gown can feel daunting. Your accessories should complement and flatter your dress without stealing the show.

Strapless

A strapless gown provides the opportunity to be flamboyant and glamorous. It elongates the neck — and shows off a fabulous piece of jewellery! If your shoulders or collarbones are your favourite features, a strapless dress will frame them perfectly.

Necklines on strapless dresses tend to be either sweetheart (read on my friend, as we cover that next) or a straight neckline. The super stylish straight neckline on a strapless bridal gown goes well with a variety of different styles. Consider wearing a shorter necklace, for example, either a choker or collar length both are very flattering. For a simple, elegant look, consider a simple strand of pearls (your something borrowed, perhaps?).

The Sweetheart

Just like its name, the sweetheart is shaped like the top of the heart. This is a popular choice for brides because it flatters practically every body type.

A good choice is a simple pendant matched with a pair of stud earrings. There are many bridal sets around that will give you a coordinated look and are definitely something worth considering.

TOP TIP: For both these styles if you don’t want to wear a necklace, find a pair of statement earrings that speak to you. Add sparkle with long diamond earrings, or if you’re a minimalist, look for an interesting geometric shape.

High Neck, Halter or Bateau 

With any high necked dress, you need to keep it simple. We recommend skipping the necklace altogether and instead opt for statement earrings, choose something that compliments your dress. A pair of timeless sapphire earrings could be your something blue but don’t be afraid to go bold with a pair of chandelier earrings instead.

If you have your heart set on a necklace, go for something small such as a single diamond.

The V-Neck

You can style a v-neck bridal gown in so many different ways, dependent on the depth of the V.

For a deep V shape, think statement earrings or if a big bold earrings are not your thing, then go for either a choker or a lariat. Anything else such as a pendant will act as an arrow drawing peoples eyes to your breasts.

A more demure V that provides coverage works well with a short pendant that finishes 2 - 3 inches above the point of the V.

For both these styles, if you have an open back we recommend a ‘back necklace’ which will look fabulous.

Asymmetric (One Shoulder)

Since the neckline is the focal point, forget a necklace as it will take away from the drama and look unbalanced. Accessorise with simple, yet elegant earrings and add balance with a bangle or bracelet

Illusion

Our suggestion with this is to keep your accessories simple, especially since the fabric used for this neckline is usually quite delicate and easy to snag. If you want to wear a necklace, try a simple pendant style. For earrings, we like a classic diamond stud. Leave the embellishment to your dress! 

Tying it all together

So we have focused mainly on necklaces and earrings and haven’t really touched on tiaras, hair combs or vines, headbands or veils. However, we would like to leave you with a few top tips.

1.     Match your bridal jewellery to your dress, and not your wedding or engagement ring. Your dress is the statement piece so don’t worry about mixing metals, no one will notice if your rings are platinum, but your dress is a creamy ivory, maybe plump for more flattering gold tones. If your dress is off white, then silver tones work really well.

2.     You are not a Christmas tree, so go easy on the bling and the baubles. Consider wearing no more than 3 accessories and certainly no more than 4 (and yes we include belts in this). If you have a statement necklace, statement earrings (anything bigger than a 1p coin), skip the tiara or any hairpiece that comes around the front of your face. Instead, opt for a comb or pins in the back.

3.     Look at the overall shapes and stones. Are they ovals, pearls? Are the details spiky or floral? Your jewellery and hairpieces should complement each other, but they don’t have to be an exact match.