What to Expect from the Ashley Renee Bridal Experience

Ashley Renee' Bridal Experience

Shopping for your bridal gown is arguably one of the most exciting and potentially stressful experiences for a bride. At Ashley Renee Bridal, we aim to make your shopping experience the most streamlined and most effortless decision in your wedding planning process. We are here to help you throughout every avenue of planning, and we pride ourselves on being a resource for brides to lean on in planning their future nuptials. 

We know that finding your bridal gown can be overwhelming and that there is so much pressure on finding the perfect dress. Your wedding dress is not just a dress – it’s the embodiment of your love story, the physical representation of the beginning of your marriage. Your gown will always hold a special place in your heart; thus, finding the perfect one is quintessential in planning your big day!

Before purchasing your bridal gown, being aware of the shopping timeline is crucial. Sticking to this timeline as closely as possible will ensure you have enough time to order your dress, schedule alterations, and take bridal portraits. With careful planning with Ashley Renee Bridal, you can avoid having to compromise your bridal vision or exceed your budget. Below, you will find our recommended timeline so that you may be better informed when scheduling your appointment to find your dream bridal gown!

Before Shopping for Your Gown

Before you begin shopping for your gown and scheduling your bridal appointments, we always recommend curating your design inspiration for your bridal gown. Whether you make a detailed Pinterest board or have screenshots of gowns on your phone, knowing what you want to try will set you up for success at your appointment. Make sure you have an idea of the season and location for your wedding before gathering bridal gown inspo – these factors will affect the look you’re going for your wedding. Ideally, this can be done 12 to 18 months before your wedding. Around the 10-to-12-month mark, you’ll begin to shop for your bridal gown.

Below, you will find the recommended shopping timeline, a shopping checklist, tips and tricks for purchasing your bridal gown, and what to expect from the Ashley Renee Bridal experience.

The Wedding Gown Shopping Timeline

Depending on many factors, your wedding gown shopping timeline may vary from the list below. That’s okay! Below is just the average recommendation for brides to follow. 

12 to 18 Months Before Wedding: Research and Inspiration

• The early stages of wedding planning should be used to create ideas/visions for your big day! This can include creating a Pinterest board, looking at bridal magazines and blogs, or putting together a mood board. Keep in mind your budget, wedding venue, and overall theme, as these will all influence your bridal gown choice. 
  
  

10 to 12 Months Before Wedding: Bridal Appointment/Final Dress Decision

• This is when you will want to schedule your bridal appointment and purchase your bridal gown. Depending on the designer and if you are exploring a gown with customizations, a bridal gown may take anywhere between 6 to 8 months to arrive in the store. If you’re a bride with a closer wedding date, some designers are accommodating in keeping gowns in stock and ready to ship. Your bridal stylist will be able to guide you through this process seamlessly, and they will keep you informed of the shipping schedules for each gown.
  
  

4 to 6 Months Before Wedding: Finalizing Accessories

• If you still need to decide on your accessories (e.g., veil, headpiece, and shoes) after your initial appointment, now is the time to do that! While most veils and headpieces typically only take 6 to 8 weeks to arrive, others may take longer. Speak with your consultant to confirm timelines and ensure your perfect accessories arrive in time for your big day. 

The Wedding Dress Shopping Checklist

• Set a Budget: Before shopping for your gown, have a budget in mind. Be sure to include the cost of alterations, accessories, and taxes in your budget.
• Create a Vision Board: Gather inspiration from social media, wedding websites, and magazines to help you find your preferred style, silhouette, and overall vision. Be mindful of the season and your wedding venue as you browse potential bridal styles. 
• Choose Your Shopping Companions Carefully: Select a few trusted family members and friends to accompany you to appointments. We recommend keeping the group small to avoid too many opinions (our recommended number is between three and four guests). Many bridal salons have limited seating, so if you plan on bringing many guests, please confer with the salon before your appointment to ensure they can accommodate a larger group.
• Book Appointments: If possible, schedule appointments a few weeks in advance to ensure you can select your preferred appointment time. If you’re scheduling other appointments on the same day, we recommend spacing them out to give you and your bridal squad time to eat, drink, and discuss your bridal gown options. Too many appointments in one day can be overwhelming! Dress shopping fatigue is a real thing.
• Undergarments: Wear appropriate undergarments, such as a nude bra and nude seamless underwear. Many bridal gowns have bra cups sewn inside, so a bra may not be necessary depending on your comfort and the gown. We highly encourage a nude seamless panty or shapewear (though keep in mind shapewear may alter how a dress fits on the body—many modern bridal gowns have built-in support).
• Eat Before and Stay Hydrated: Trying on bridal gowns is hard work. Make sure you’re hydrated and not hungry before trying on dresses. It’s important to feel your best when trying on, especially if you have multiple appointments in a day.

Bridal Gown Purchasing Tips and Tricks

• Be Open-Minded
• While we’ve been preaching about putting together a vision board, sometimes it’s essential to think outside the box. It’s fairly common for brides to come in with one idea and end up purchasing a totally different and surprising gown. Trust your stylist if they pull a gown for you that is a wild card. It might just be the one!
• Be Honest with Your Consultant
• Being honest with your consultant is paramount in establishing trust between the bride and stylist. We're here to help you find the dress of your dreams. Be bold and tell us if you hate something or love something and would like to try additional similar styles. We're your advocates during your appointment, but we're not mind readers. Please don't be afraid to speak up.
• Look at the Gown from All Angles/Lighting
• If you’re getting married in an outdoor ceremony, looking at your bridal gown under cathedral lighting isn’t going to let you fully visualize how your gown will appear on your big day. We encourage looking at your gown from all angles, in lighting like at the time of your ceremony. We also encourage sitting or doing a little dance to see how the gown will move on the dance floor.
• Focus on How You Feel in the Gown
• It’s all about the fit. You may have found the dress of your dreams, but if the fit isn’t right and you’re not feeling your best, it’s not the one. We want you to feel your best and the last thing we want is for you to feel like you need to keep fidgeting or adjusting your gown to make it work. You can always speak to your consultant about potential customization options if available for that gown to make it perfect. 
• Hair and Make-up, Recommended but Not Necessary: 
• There’s no need to go all out with hair and makeup for your bridal appointment. However, if you know you have trouble visualizing how things may look on your wedding day, try to replicate what you think you may want for wedding hair and makeup so that you may better visualize how you will look walking down the aisle.