Bridal

Bridal Journey: What To Expect Wedding Dress Shopping

The wedding dress shopping experience can be a daunting process, but our knowledgeable stylists love nothing more than sharing their expertise to help you find your dream wedding dress. You’ll be welcomed into an elegant and intimate space and made to feel comfortable as we help you find the one. So what can you expect from your first bridal appointment? We chat to our Somerset store manager Kristine to help you feel prepared for your first experience trying on wedding dresses.

Sassi Holford Somerset store team

What happens during the first wedding dress shopping appointment?

Our appointments are an hour and a half long where you will get a one-to-one consultation with one of our expert stylists. Our stylists will discuss your wedding, the vision you might have about your wedding gown as well as getting to know you.  If you are not sure what you want, please do not worry as this is where our stylists can guide you. Together you will select a few gowns and begin trying them on. If you have not tried gowns on before, we will advise you on different silhouettes, necklines and fabrics. We have a range of sizing within our store (sizes 10-20). Veils and accessories can also be tried to tie your bridal look together. All of our gowns are made-to-order in our Somerset atelier, so your Sassi Holford dress is made just for you.

If you are interested in creating your own bespoke gown, whether that be from scratch or taking elements from other designs to build your own wedding dress, your stylist can take you through the process.

Should brides do research before their appointment?

We recommend using social media and Pinterest to save styles, shapes and details that you like. We love to see your mood boards or a list of the styles you are interested in either before your appointment, or on the day. We also recommend brides to consider their price point prior to their appointment and if you have a maximum in mind, do let your stylist know so they can work to this. Discover our Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration.

Do you like brides to come with an open mind or a clear idea of what dress they want to try?

It is good to have an open mind as so often brides pick something they wouldn’t have expected to choose. We recommend picking out a few dresses that you are initially visually drawn to get a feel for what you like. Details like fabrics, types of lace (modern or traditional, floral or geometric), pearls or sparkle, can really show off your personality.

What would you like them to bring?

If you have already purchased your wedding shoes, please bring them along. Otherwise, we provide bridal heels to try on with our gowns. We recommend to wear seamless skin colour underwear or any shapewear if you plan on wearing it. Most gowns will not require wearing a bra. If you have any sentimental veils or accessories, you are more than welcome to bring this along to your appointment. We ask brides to please be mindful of wearing foundation or fake tan for their appointment.

Sassi Holford Somerset Store

How many guests can a bride bring along?

We welcome up to three guests to accompany the bride. We encourage brides to bring only those who are supportive of their vision and the most important people for the big day. If there are any more members of your bridal party you would want to include in your dress journey, we recommend to bring them along to your following fitting appointments so you can show them the gown.

Can the guests take pictures of the bride in the gowns?

We welcome brides to take photographs, however we do appreciate it if you ask first. Your stylist will be happy to take pictures for you so that your bridal party can be present during the appointment and not have to worry about taking photos, we know all of the best angles and lighting in the store!

Ready to begin your bridal journey? Book your appointment here.

Discover the collections here or get your real bride inspiration here.

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