Buying your wedding dress is quite different from shopping for other clothes. Leading bridal boutiques stock precious gowns that must be handled with extra care. Thus a more formal approach whilst shopping is required. 

It is highly recommended that you arrange an appointment with one of their advisers. This way you will be certain to receive all the personal attention and service you require.

Finding the Right Bridal Boutique

Start by going through local bridal publications and take note of any advertisements for boutiques that cater for the style of dress you want. Ask around; see where your married friends and work-mates shopped for their wedding dress.  Word-of-mouth recommendations are helpful when looking for boutiques which have provided excellent service to their customers.

You should stagger your sorties, as it is all too easy to become confused as to which gowns were where!

Timing

Do not, on any account, procrastinate this important selection. In Malta it is very common for brides to shop for their dream wedding dress a year before the big day. Anything less may possibly lead up to a disappointment.

Once the dress is bought it is usually kept at the boutique and all you have to do is go for alterations and accessory shopping. This will avoid all the hassle of having to lug the dress around every time you have an appointment at the boutique.

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Shopping by Appointment

Although some boutiques don’t require appointments, it is nevertheless recommended that you do visit by appointment, especially in the evenings or Saturdays, which are peak times. This will guarantee that you will receive full attention and service, and avoid having to wait unnecessarily to try on dresses.

Unlike regular fashion stores, established bridal boutiques only stock one dress of each style.  Malta is such a small island that several brides would prefer exclusive gowns, without the risk of having their best friends getting married in a similar gown. Having one dress of each style means that the dresses must be well taken care of.

Bridal boutique consultants assist their clients in trying on dresses. From their expertise and experience, consultants also give valuable advice as to how the dress would look like once alterations are ready and which accessories would most likely look best with the particular design.  Many dresses have what is called the hanger effect. A dress looks much nicer on you than on a hanger, and this makes catalogues pale into insignificance.

Busy Work Schedule?  Go Prepared!

If you have a busy work schedule and it’s impossible to take the afternoon off, you should go through bridal magazines and select the styles you prefer. Once at the bridal shop, you will be able to narrow down the options immediately and progress to trying the dresses of your choice.

Continue to Part 3…

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Inside the Bridal Boutique

Normally, selecting and trying on wedding dresses would take around one to two hours. It would be helpful if you know what style of dress, whether formal or informal, modern or traditional, you require. But if you have just started and have no particular dress in mind, bridal boutique consultants are there to help.

You would probably already have a price range in mind. Ask the boutique assistants what is available in that bracket. This way, the consultant will not waste time showing you dresses which are beyond your limitations.  It could well be that you might find the dress of your dreams, which is outside your budget, but decide to economise on other wedding expenses in order to obtain it. After all everyone will be looking at the bride on the big day and you want to look fantastic!

Once a couple of styles are chosen from a catalogue, you are usually led to a private fitting room to try them on.  This is usually a large room surrounded by mirrors and with enough space to fit the mother of the bride and maybe a close friend or sister. Don’t ask too many people to accompany you to the bridal shop. Your mother or a close aunt should be enough.

People tend to have different opinions and you certainly don’t want to hear conflicting point of views. Different opinions may tend to generate doubt and you may end up being unsure about every dress you put on!  You certainly don’t want to leave the bridal shop frustrated and further away from actually choosing your wedding gown.

It is imperative that brides who intend to try on gowns do not wear any make up or perfume in order to keep them as clean as possible. Most boutiques have impeccably clean carpets for their wedding dresses.

The shop assistant helps you select gowns that fit your measurements and suit your shape.  You should try on different styles as you will not be sure whether a style suits you or not unless you see it on yourself.  Bridal boutique advisors are usually experts in choosing the right dress that will flatter your figure.  They will also suggest what type of undergarments should be worn under each particular dress.

Continue to Part 4 >>

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Alterations & Fittings

Established boutiques usually include any necessary minor alterations in the price of the wedding gown.  An experienced seamstress will usually do these. Other alterations, such as extra beading or neckline adjustment, are usually charged for.

Usually two fittings are scheduled. One is held two months before the wedding whilst the second is held a few weeks or days before the big day. Consult the boutique assistant as to when these appointments should be fixed.

Settling the Bill

Paying for the wedding dress is easy. Established bridal boutiques offer quite a number of options to make it easier for their customer.  Usually once the dress is bought, all the accessories would be chosen from the same establishment.

Some bridal shops offer favourable deals for their customers who decide to pay for the ensemble immediately.  Yet it is ultimately up to the customer to decide the method of payment.

Other customers prefer buying the bridal dress way before and pay by installments. One must keep in mind that a couple has other wedding expenses. Paying a fixed amount every month means it is fully paid up by the wedding date.

Find a list of wedding dress salons in Malta (new window)

Article courtesy of Weddings & Homes