What To Expect at Your Wedding Dress Appointment at Aisle & Veil
Engaged and ready to find your dream wedding dress? Here’s what you need to know before your bridal gown appointment at Aisle & Veil
Wedding planning can bring on a slew of emotions – from excitement to nervousness and maybe even stress. Shopping for a wedding dress might also bring jitters, but we at Aisle & Veil we think it should be a reason for celebration!
At Aisle & Veil, we are all about inclusivity and self-love, and take pride in having stylists who are approachable, not judgmental, and shops that are stylish, never stuffy. We want our brides to feel comfortable and confident while wedding dress shopping. That said, we’re here to break down the steps of your bridal gown appointment with us.
We believe that mindset matters when coming to shop with us so read on and you’ll walk into your appointment at Aisle and Veil feeling ready to say yes! Once you’ve scrolled through and exhaled a sigh of relief, it’s time to find your dream dress!
First up, check out our 5 biggest tips before coming to see us!
BEFORE YOUR SPECIAL DAY WITH US
The Mindset
Because we’re an off-the-rack shop with all of our designer gowns marked 30-75% off MSRP, our dresses sell quickly! Come ready to buy, otherwise your dream dress may become someone else’s.
If you know you’re the kinda gal who needs to see allllll the options before making any final decisions, we recommend shopping around before visiting & making us your last bridal stop. (Trust us, we don’t mind the comparisons!) While you can always return to another shop to place an order, at A&V, all gowns are marked down to $899 & sold OTR, so what’s here today could be gone the next.
The Inspo
Wait to schedule your bridal appointment until after you’ve secured your venue & wedding date! The location & time of year impacts the overall feel of your wedding, including your gown.
Bring pictures of dresses you’ve seen or tried on that you love. This will help your stylist pull gowns that match your vision! With over 600 designer gowns on our floor, we have one of the largest collections of wedding gowns in the state — so if you have an idea of what you’re looking for, there’s a good chance we have something similar.
The Hype Squad
Be sure you have anyone you need to say YES there with you! If they can’t attend in person, you can always FaceTime them in so that you don’t risk losing the gown you love. On Saturdays, we can accommodate 4 guest pre-bride, or join us for one of our Wednesday Private,s where you can have up to 7 guests with you!
Your squad should be encouraging, build you up, and have your best interests at heart! Keep in mind, often times too large of a group can feel a bit overwhelming, with lots of opinions to juggle. Remember: this day is about you, and what you feel most confident & beautiful in, so only bring those who will build you up!
The Canvas
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! Have your body fresh and clean! No freshly applied self-tanner (this stains the dresses), and keep to simple, everyday makeup. Stay away from bold lips, as this may not match your wedding-day aesthetic, and you risk staining the gowns. If you’re planning to wear an up-do, come with your hair up, or bring a hair tie/clip!
Wear skintone seamless thongs, boy shorts, or shapewear shorts if you already have them. If not, try to avoid bold colors that are opposite of your skintone as they may show and become distracting.
Only wear undergarments that you already have, as it’s difficult to determine the type of shapewear you’ll need prior to selecting your gown. Once you’ve determined the gown you’ll be wearing, you can select the right shapewear to complement the construction of your dress.
And most importantly, remember you are beautiful exactly as you are! You don’t need to change anything about your body. As women, we can often look in the mirror & find things we don’t like or want to change. But these are lies from the enemy. You were created in God’s image, and you are beautifully & wonderfully made!
Come on in
We’re located at the back of the building near City Antiques, once you arrive, come on it. 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 to begin your appointment at the scheduled time!
Meet your stylist
All of our stylists review their brides’ dress inspiration form, so your stylist should have learned a lot about you already! Your stylist will take you our bridal salon, where you can get settled and chat with them on any changes or new ideas you have. Together, you will review your vision and then you get to spend a few minutes shopping our racks yourself!
The Big Day
The Process
The Sizes
Bridal sizes can be confusing and all over the place, so we’ve taken them out of the equation and instead use colors! You’ll have your measurements taken when you arrive and then we will give you a few sizes to shop!
Dresses can be taken down a few sizes so we give you a few colors to shop to give you more variety! Since we’re off the rack we dont use clips, instead your stylist will hold the dress to help you visualize!
The Shopping
After we give you your color size you get to spend the first few minutes shopping the racks! Grab dresses you think are beautiful. Maybe they match your vision, maybe they dont but it’s caught your eye! We love a good wildcard! Don’t worry, these aren’t the only dresses you’ll try on. Throughout your appointment, we’ll pull more as we narrow down what you are loving!
The Try-on
After you pick out your first few dresses we’ll head to the dressing room & then comes the fun part, it’s time for the try-on! You’ll find the appointment slows down as it goes but then initial try-on moves quickly. We want to know if you love it or not! We move quickly so we can spend time in the ones we love, we dont need to worry about those we dont! If we love it, it stays in the room. If we don’t it goes back on the rack!
Your BFF
Your stylist is here to be your BFF! 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 style preference (sometimes a wildcard or two), troubleshooting logistics, offering moral support, and answering any questions that may come up. Shes here to help you find your dream dress and hype you up along the way!
The Feelings
Tell us what you’re feeling! Do you love it… do you hate it.. can you tell us why? This will help us pull more dresses that match your vision! Some things like sleeves, additional tulle, changes to the neckline can happen in alterations and our team can let you know if it’s possible or if theres a dress that better fits what you’re looking for!
Choosing ‘The One’
The Favorites
We’’ll spend the last 10 minutes trying back on your favorites! This is where we get nit-picky and really compare the dresses. This is where is helpful to look at photos your guests have taken too! Dance around, picture yourself walking down the aisle, visualize your day. This is when we’ll add veils for that final touch! Trust us, the veil does something special!
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 ‘if it’s not a yes, it’s a no’. We’re not going to talk you into a dress, so let an I don’t know be a no, and a yes be a yes! We try to keep you in the sweet spot of seeing just the right number of gowns, our goal is always to stay in the joyfilled excitement of trying on and not hit the overwhelmed and confused from seeing to many feelings. Focus on the gowns you have on and not what else is out there. Your stylist will ensure you have the best of the best in the room with you!
Make it yours
Is there something about a gown that you wish you could change? Ask us! You’d be surprised by the customizations that can happen in alterations and what a little imagination can do to make a dress prefect for you!
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.
Saying your second best “Yes”!
Now it’s time for the moment you came here for….Do you feel beautiful? Do you feel confident? Can you see yourself walking down the aisle?
If the answer is YES then it’s time to say it! Bring on the tears, cheers, and sequels! The dress is going home with you!
After You Say ‘Yes’
Complete the Look
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, capes, and add-ons such as sleeves and overskirts. You may think that you do not want a veil, 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.
Last step of the day~ make her yours!
You did it! Now the dress goes home with you! We charge 100% of the order total up front since it goes home with you the same-day! For this reason, all sales are FINAL. If you loved your time with your new BFF stylist at checkout, you’ll have the opportunity to bless your stylist with a tip!
This Isn’t Goodbye For Good
Pics or it didn’t happen
We love it when our brides take ‘i said yes’ photos with their crew! We’ll even snag one of the whole group! Our shop has the perfect photo-worthy wall, so don’t forget to take a picture before you go and tag us!
Leave us a review
If you loved your experience with us (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.
The Perfect Fit
Your gown selection is based on your measurements, but we can almost guarantee that your dress will need alterations to get the best fit. Though we don’t offer in-house alterations, we work closely with a local seamstress who we absolutely trust & recommend. The alterations specialists will be able to provide you with the most accurate information on pricing and timelines.
To book your alterations appointment with Lace Alterations, call 770-695-0958, and be sure to let them know that “you are an Aisle & Veil bride”. They understand we work primarily with budget-conscious brides, and will do their best to provide priority scheduling.
Welcome to the family, Girl!
After your big day make sure to email us your entire gallery so we can celebrate the day with you and share across our social platform
See You Soon!
We are honored you chose to shop with us & let us be a part of your special day! We are excited for this next step in your life as you join together as one.
“In his own beautiful image, he created his masterpiece. And God blessed them in his love” -Genesis 1:27-28
We simply can’t wait to see you soon!
Love, joy, and many blessings
Team Aisle & Veil
