What To Expect at Your Aisle & Veil Bridal Appointment
Engaged and ready to find your dream dress? Here’s what you need to know before you visit us.
Wedding planning can bring on a slew of emotions — from excitement, to nervousness, or maybe even stress — but at Aisle & Veil, it’s our mission to make your bridal shopping experience fun, stress-free, and affordable!
At Aisle & Veil, we embrace inclusivity and body-positivity. Our Stylists are approachable, knowledgable, and non-judgmental; and we’ve cultivated a shop that’s stylish, never stuffy. It’s important that our brides feel comfortable and confident while wedding dress shopping.
We carry over 700 gowns, and every dress is sold off-the-rack & marked down to $999 — yes, Every. Single. Gown. Brides from all over the country have traveled in to save thousands on their dream dress — but when it comes to our unique off-the-rack model, mindset is key to finding success. So we’ve put together a few tips & tricks to help you prepare for your visit, and leave with your dream dress in hand!
First things first: checkout the video below to learn our 5 biggest tips before coming to see us!
BEFORE YOUR VISIT WITH US
WAIT TO VISIT UNTIL YOU’RE READY TO SAY YES TO THE DRESS.
If you fall in love with a gown, be prepared to act fast — with off-the-rack inventory, what’s here one hour, may be gone the next.
MAKE US YOUR LAST BRIDAL STOP.
If you already know that you need to visit a few shops before feeling confident in a decision, we encourage you to make us your final bridal stop.
Since most of our gowns are one-of-a-kind, leaving without it means risking your dream dress becoming someone else’s.
ARRIVE WITH AN IDEA OF THE BRIDAL STYLES YOU LIKE.
With over 700 gowns in stock, we have a little bit of everything. Knowing which styles to focus on will help us make the most of your hour-long appointment.
BRING THE PEOPLE YOU NEED BY YOUR SIDE TO SAY YES.
It’s heartbreaking when a gown sells before you have a chance to return with your guests. FaceTime is always an option, if needed!
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR DEPOSIT.
Our booking deposit is only applied against a same-day gown purchase, so don’t waste your time or money “browsing”.
Come ready to find your dress, and we’ll help with the rest!
The Mindset
Because we’re an off-the-rack shop with all of our gowns marked 30-75% off MSRP, our dresses sell quickly! Brides travel in from all over the country to save thousands on their wedding dresses — and on average, over 80% of our brides find their gowns during their visit. Inventory changes hourly, so come ready to leave with your dress in-hand, or you may risk your dream dress becoming someone else’s.
If you know you’re the kinda gal who needs to see allllll the options before making any final decisions, we encourage you to shop around before visiting & then make 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 $999 & sold OTR, so what’s here during your appointment, 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 700 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 by your side! 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 the bride + up to 4 guests, and during our Wednesday Private Appointments, we can accommodate the bride + up to 7 guests!
Your squad should be encouraging, build you up, and have your best interests at heart! Keep in mind that often times, a large group can feel a bit overwhelming, with lots of opinions to juggle. Remember: this day is about you, and what you feel most confident 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 your best! Arrive with a fresh & clean body — no freshly applied self-tanner (this stains the dresses), and keep to simple, everyday makeup. Stay away from bold lips, as 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 undergarment colors that are opposite of your skin tone, 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 on the backside of the building, and we share a parking lot with City Antiques. Once you arrive, come on in! We may have multiple appointments scheduled at the same time, so once you arrive, 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 your scheduled time!
Meet your Stylist
Before you even arrive, our team has prayed and prepared for you. Your Stylists has reviewed your Dress Inspiration form, so heading into your appointment, we’ve already learned a lot about your bridal vision! Once your Stylist greets you, she’ll take you back to your fitting room, where you can get settled & chat with them about any changes or new ideas you may have. Together, you’ll review your vision, and then you’ll 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 removed them from the equation, and use a color-coded sizing system instead! When you arrive, we’ll take your measurements & assign you your designated color sections.
Dresses can easily be taken down a few sizes in alterations, so to give you more variety, we’ll give you a few “color” size-sections to shop! To help protect our off-the-rack inventory, we don’t use any metal clips during try-on, so your Stylist will help hold the dress snug to help visualize how alterations will look in varying gown sizes.
The Shopping
After you’re assigned your color size, you + 1 guest will get to spend the first few minutes shopping the racks! Grab ~5 dresses you think are beautiful. Maybe they match your vision, maybe they don’t — but it’s caught your eye! Don’t worry, these aren’t the only dresses you’ll try on. Throughout your appointment, your Stylist will pull more styles as she narrows down what details you’re loving — so feel free to pull some variety!
The Try-on
After selecting a few initial gowns, we’ll head to the dressing room for the fun part! The appointment slows down as you get into it, but the initial try-on moves quickly — think of it like speed-dating! We’re trying to determine what you like & don’t like, so we can focus our time on the styles you love most. If you love it, it stays in the your dressing room. If you don’t, it goes back on the rack for another bride to try!
Your BFF
Your Stylist is your built-in-BFF — we’ve spent years training for this very moment! Our Stylists are truly your advocate, so if you hate a gown, we hate it too. We’ll pull gowns that match your vision (sometimes a wildcard or two), troubleshoot logistics, offer moral support, and answer any questions that may come up. We’re 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, or changes to the neckline can happen in alterations. Our team will be transparent about whether those changes are possible, or where there’s a dress that might better fit what you’re looking for!
Choosing ‘The One’
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 the saying: ‘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 joy-filled excitement of trying on, and not hit the “overwhelmed-and-confused-from-seeing-too-many-options” feelings. Focus on the gowns you have on, and try not to overwhelm yourself with the thought of “what else” could be out on the showroom floor. Your Stylist knows our inventory inside & out, and will ensure you have the-best-of-the-best in the fitting room with you!
The Favorites
We’ll spend the last 10 minutes re-trying on your favorite gowns! This is where we get nit-picky, and really compare the dresses. It’s helpful to look at photos, dance around, picture yourself walking down the aisle, and visualize your day. This is also when we’ll play with veils to add that final touch! Trust us, the veil does something special!
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 fit your vision prefectly!
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 our best advice is to trust your gut in knowing 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 squeals! 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, overskirts, bows and boleros. You may not necessarily think you’re a “veil gal”, but accessorizing, even just for fun, can help you feel like you have a complete look, which will give you more confidence saying ‘yes’ to your dress. And you never know — you could be surprised & find that you love the complete package, veil and all. The time to buy accessories is now — we offer a 10% day-of discount for our veils, and it’s always easiest to determine length, fit and color-matching while you have the gown on, and the complete look is fresh in your head.
Last Step of the Day-Make her Yours!
You did it! Now the dress goes home with you! The total cost is due in full at checkout, since everything goes home with you the same-day! For this reason, all sales are FINAL. If you loved your time with your new BFF Stylist, you’ll have the opportunity to bless your Stylist with a tip at checkout!
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 Google 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 it 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 to atlanta@aisleandveil.com so we can celebrate the day with you and share across our social platforms!
See You Soon!
We are honored you chose to shop with us & let us be a part of your special day! We are excited to celebrate 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
