Now that you’re ready to visit Isabelle’s Bridal and other bridal boutiques to try on dresses, here are some hints to help you during your visit:

1 Make an Appointment

Make an appointment one to two weeks in advance with the bridal boutique that you would like to visit. Isabelle’s Bridal tries to accommodate walk-ins, but can not do so all the time. Isabelle’s along with most bridal boutiques will request that you make an appointment before coming in.

2 Allot Enough Time

Allocate approximately 1-2 hours to try on dresses. Dress shops are very busy on the weekends and may only allow you to try on dresses for an hour. Weekday appointments not quite as busy and ideal if you want to spend more time trying on dresses and talking with your sales person.

3 Your Entourage

Try to limit the number of people you bring with you to do your bridal gown shopping and again to your fittings. Too many people means too many opinions and can be very stressful for the bride. Your appointment will be counterproductive trying to please everyone. It is suggested to bring a maximum of 2 people with you to your appointments in search of the perfect gown. Bridal Boutique dressing rooms are generally only large enough to accommodate 1-2 guests. It is best to bring the people who may be involved in the purchase of your dress to minimize the number of visits needed to find the perfect dress.

4 Your Budget

Be prepared to discuss your price budget with your sales person. This will allow her to bring you dresses that are in your price range. 

5 Getting Dressed

Because dresses can be heavy and even delicate/fragile, the sales person will likely assist you with the dresses. Please do not allow someone shopping with you to assist you in the change room or to pull dresses from the showroom to bring to you. The gowns are a cost to Bridal Boutiques and need to be handled with care.

6 Cameras

Do not bring a camera to take pictures of yourself in different dresses. Even if your intentions are honest, bridal boutiques need to guard against customers who are trying on dresses with the intention of having the dress copied by a dress maker.

7 Accessories

Although most bridal shops will have bras and shoes that you can wear with your gown, it’s always best to bring a strapless bra and shoes (approximately the same as what you intend on wearing for your big day) with you.

8 We Will Do The Note Taking For You

Isabelle’s will note the dresses that you are interested for yourself and to keep on file at the store. Make sure all the dresses you’re interested are noted for reference. After visiting many bridal boutiques and trying on so many dresses, it can be difficult to remember which one is which.

9 Dress Purchase Procedure

All sales are final in a bridal boutique. Dresses are made when ordered and can not be returned. Expect Bridal shops to request either a non-refundable deposit or payment in full. You will be asked to sign a contract to verify that the size and style and to ensure you understand the purchase agreement.

If you have purchased a dress off the rack, it is also a final sale and is sold to you “as is”.

10 Alterations

Alterations are an additional charge at most bridal boutiques. It is best again to minimize the number of people you bring with you to your fittings as the seamstress requires space to work with you. You may also run into trouble with too many opinions with your fittings if you bring to many people.

11 Dresses Are Not Custom Made

Dresses are ordered according to the size that will fit you best and are not custom made according to your measurements. Most dresses will require some sort of altering to custom fit it to your body once the gown arrives in store.

12 Looking Pretty

You will feel better trying on wedding dresses and it will make it easier to picture yourself in the dress of your dreams if you dress up for the event! Come in dolled up so you can feel your best in your dress! If you think you might wear your hair up on the big day, wear it up for trying on dresses. The better you feel, the better you will look in wedding dresses!

13 Footwear

We do ask all of our guest to remove their footwear before entering the showroom to help us ensure that our gowns stay in pristine condition. We do provide slippers for your comfort. However you are welcome to bring your own.