Before You Arrive

Revisit your wishlist

Did you know that you can view an inventory of dresses available at your nearest Lovely Bride before your 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 wishlist so our stylists know exactly what you’re into. Before your appointment, we recommend reviewing your wishlist to make sure it represents the styles you still love. Communicate any changes with us before your appointment.

Check your timeline and price range

We recommend buying 9 months to 1 year before your wedding date. Gowns take 4-6 months to produce and with transit and alterations, this timeline gets longer. A dress can be ‘rushed’, but that will add fees which will add to your overall wedding dress cost. Speaking of cost, don’t forget to set money aside for alterations to perfectly tailor the fit of your dress! Basic bridal alterations often start at $500+, and we can recommend our go-to talented local tailors.

Confirm the guests that will join you

Call your ‘I Do’ crew and celebrate! Get them prepped to join IRL or virtually. Make sure to let your crew know what kind of support you want while dress shopping. We know bringing along family and friends means a lot of opinions are involved, but remember that the dress you ultimately choose has to make YOU happy first and foremost!

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! Be sure to wear nude seamless underwear and bring any undergarments you’ll want to wear on your wedding day.

Meet Your Welcome Committee

Grab a welcome card and have a seat

We may have multiple appointments scheduled at the same time, so once you come in, have a seat and get comfortable with your crew! We may step away to help another bride, but rest assured, your stylist will greet you shortly.

Meet your pre-selected stylist

All of our stylists review their brides’ notes and wishlists, so your stylist should have learned 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!

Clean hands, please!

We want to keep our gowns in their best condition for you, so be sure that you and your guests wash your hands or grab a wet wipe before perusing gowns.

Trying On Gowns

Let your stylist take the lead

We’ve spent years training for this very moment! We like to think of our stylists as the brides’ advocates, so 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.

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 own 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. No 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.

Choosing ‘The One’

Take a tour of the space in the gowns

Be sure to walk around and really 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.

There is such a thing as too many options

We recommend constantly narrowing down your choices as you continue to try on different gowns. We like to use a ‘sudden death’ approach, where, in sports, play ends once a competitor is in the lead. It’s helpful to eliminate any runner-up choices that don’t meet the feeling of being in your top choice!

Don’t forget about customizations

Is there something about a gown that you wish you could change? Ask us! You’d be surprised by the customizations offered by many of our designers. Your stylist will try to get an answer during your appointment so there will be nothing from stopping you from saying ‘Yes’.

Take a minute for you

Dress shopping can be overwhelming and the only way to clear your head is to ask for a minute alone or with your trusted few. We won’t be offended – if you need, tell us to ‘get lost’ for a bit! Many brides second-guess themselves, but trust in yourself that you made the right choice.

After You Say ‘Yes’

Create a look that feels totally ‘you’

Now that you’ve found the one, it’s time to complete the look and make it your own! We offer a variety of veils, jewelry, hair accessories, and add-ons such as sleeves, toppers, and overskirts. You may think that you do not want a veil or headpiece, but accessorizing, even just for fun, can help you feel like you have a complete look, which will make you more prepared to say ‘yes’ to your dress. And you could surprise yourself and find that you love the complete package, veil and all. The time to buy accessories is NOW while the total look is fresh in your head. Plus, an accessories order can sometimes take as long as a gown, so get your order placed with your dress.

The hard part is over!

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 just for you.

We’ll take your body measurements

Since the dress you try on is not made to your specific measurements, we will measure you so that we can compare it to the designer’s size chart to select a standard size that will fit you best. Don’t be surprised if your measurements fall across a few different sizes – this is very common! Our designers hail from all over the world, so don’t get caught up on the numerical size being ordered as size charts can vary greatly. You’ll make an informed decision with our advice, trusting that alterations will give you an absolutely perfect fit.

Review your order thoroughly

Placing your order confirms that you agree on size, color, alterations, delivery timelines, and any additional details. This is the time to be vocal on any questions or concerns since changes cannot be made once ordered. You’ll also need to read and sign off on our policies.

Last step of the day is payment

We charge 100% of the order total up front to get your dress in work right away. We send your order to the designers the same day so they can start making your dream gown! For this reason, all sales are FINAL.

This Isn’t Goodbye For Good

Pics or it didn’t happen

We love when our brides take ‘yes’ photos with their crew! Our shops have the perfect Instagram-worthy walls, so don’t forget to take a picture before you go and tag us online!

Leave us a review

If you loved your experience at Lovely (we really think you will), it makes a big impact when you write a review for our stylists. Be sure to mention them by name – it makes their day, it helps future brides get to know a bit about us, and supports our small business.

Looking for bridesmaid dresses?

Did you know that Lovely has collaborated with The Dessy Group to create playful and modern bridesmaid dresses? You can shop our collection online, which is not available in Lovely Bride shops.

Need to get in touch?

Email is best for any other inquiries after your appointment, as our shops are appointment-only, and we are often away from the phone during bridal appointments.

Welcome to Our Lovelies!

You’re officially a member of our exclusive, inclusive bride club #OurLovelies! We will be in touch next when your dress arrives.