1. View Our Dresses + Pick Your Favorites

Register + create your dress wishlist

Did you know that you can view an inventory of dresses available at your nearest Lovely Bride before you book an appointment? Just visit the Dresses page on our website and register to access our portal! Once you’ve registered, you can add styles to your favorites wishlist so our stylists know exactly what you’re into.

See if Lovely is a match

If you are just getting started on the wedding dress shopping process, our dress portal is a great way to see if Lovely is the right match in terms of styles, designers, and price range. The online dress lookbook allows you to filter by designer, category, price, and silhouette. You can see every dress we have in-store and exactly how much everything costs. It’s a super helpful tool to make sure we’re the one for you! 

2. Book Your Bridal Appointment At Lovely

Easy booking on our website

Once you’ve accessed the dress portal and are getting excited to shop at Lovely, you can book your appointment at the Lovely location of your choice via the Book tab on our website! You can easily view available dates and times by toggling days and months on the calendar.

Check your timeline and price range

Wedding gowns take up to 5 to 7 months to produce, then you’ve got transit time, plus you want to allow 2 to 3 months for the necessary alterations! The sweet spot to start shopping for your wedding dress is around 1 year from your wedding date! We recommend buying your dress 9 to 12 months from the big day.

If you are on a shorter timeline, don’t worry! Lovely is still here to help. There are rush options for weddings under 6 months, but rush fees do apply and vary based on designer and timeline.

Have a firm idea of your price range, and make sure it includes the cost of the necessary alterations to perfectly tailor the fit of your dress!

3. Pre-Appointment Prep

Revisit your wishlist

Before your appointment, we recommend reviewing your favorites wishlist one more time to make sure it represents the styles you still love. Our stylists like to have an idea of what you’re loving so they can better guide you throughout your appointment. Communicate any changes with us before your appointment!

Come rested and ready

Get a good night’s sleep before your appointment, practice a little self-care, and dress to feel like your best self the day of! Remind yourself that it’s totally normal to feel nervous! We recommend bringing a pair of heels, wearing nude seamless underwear, and any undergarments you’ll want to wear on your wedding day.

4. At Your Bridal Appointment

Meet your pre-selected stylist

All of our stylists review their brides’ notes and wishlists, so your pre-selected stylist will know a lot about you already! Your stylist will take you to your fitting room, where you can get settled and chat with them on any changes or new ideas you have. Together, you will review your wishlist, and your stylist may even have one or two gowns already pulled for you to try on!

Communicate your budget

Factor in tailoring costs, accessories, and taxes into your wedding look budget. Communicating clearly with your stylist will allow you to relax into the appointment and trust that your stylist can complete your entire look while respecting your overall budget.

5. Trying On Gowns

What to know about our sample sizes

Most of the gowns on our showroom floor are sampled in only one or two sample sizes, most ranging in size from 8-12 and 18-20. Therefore, the gowns you try on might not be in your size, but never fear – we have our magic ways to show you as close as possible how the dress will look in your perfect size. We might use pins, clips, clamps, and panels to give you an idea of the overall fit and look after alterations.

A few gowns at a time

You may be surprised that we only pull a few gowns into your fitting room at a time. Not to worry – this will not limit you from trying on what you want, it just helps to keep the gowns and our shop tidy and your decision-making sound. Your stylist is there to help by only pulling gowns in your price range and style preference, troubleshooting logistics, offering moral support, and answering any questions that may come up.

Pay attention to how you feel

Be sure to walk around and move in the gowns you try on. Seeing how the dresses move and appear in different lighting can really help you envision how you will feel in it on your wedding day. Give honest feedback about the gowns and pay attention to what aspects or details you like or don’t like. Don’t be afraid to ask about customization options if there is something about a gown you wish you could change!

6. Choosing The One (Yay!)

Trust your stylist and the process

Your stylist is listening and pivoting your try-on selections based on all the feedback you’ve been providing. Sometimes the gown you came in for is far from the gown you thought you’d end up with, but it doesn’t mean it’s the wrong gown or a departure from “yourself”. It’s a collaborative effort based on all the things you’ve expressed to your stylist and their expertise. We know our selection best, so trust the process. We just want to celebrate you and find the dress that gives you all the feels!

Continue to narrow down the options

Dress shopping can be overwhelming, so we recommend constantly narrowing down your choices as you continue to try on different gowns. We like to use a ‘sudden death’ approach by eliminating any runner-up choices that don’t meet the feeling of being in your top choice!

Have grace with yourself

Remember, this process is solely about YOU! Brides often fail to realize this moment is about you, your partner, and your love. Finding your dress is such a big part of making sure you feel like your best self on such an important day; but it also will be perfect because you chose the dress based on this special moment in time. Try to have grace with yourself – what’s most important is that you find something you love, can picture yourself wearing on your wedding day, and makes you feel beautiful! If you don’t want to take it off… you are in a good place! Trust in yourself that you made the right choice.

7. The Hard Part Is Over

Let’s talk accessories

Now that you’ve found the one, it’s time to complete the look and make it your own with accessories! We offer a variety of veils, jewelry, hair accessories, and add-ons such as sleeves, toppers, and overskirts. Now is a great time to select your accessories, while the total look is fresh in your head. Plus, an accessories order can sometimes take as long as a gown, so it’s good to get your order placed with your dress.

Welcome to Our Lovelies!

You did it! It will now be in your stylist’s hands to cover the last few logistics to special order a gown and any accessories that will be made to order just for you. This includes taking your body measurements, reviewing order details, and taking payment. This is the time to be vocal on any questions or concerns since changes cannot be made once ordered. Placing your order confirms that you agree on size, color, alterations, delivery timelines, and any additional details. And that’s it – you’re officially a member of our bride club #OurLovelies! We will be in touch next when your dress arrives.

Want to learn more?

You can read more about our bridal appointment process in depth here.