When it comes to shopping for your wedding dress, this can actually become quite overwhelming, especially when you realize that you may have to listen to many people's opinions and expectations. Here at Mary’s Designer Bridal Boutique, our goal is make this experience as fun and stress-free as possible! What this means is that we want to help you understand how to set boundaries with your guests and the role that we’ll play in this process.
We encourage all of our brides to be extremely particular about who you want to be a part of the wedding dress shopping experience! While all bridal boutiques are different, we allow up to 2 guests other than the bride to be a part of the gown shopping entourage. We feel that “the more, the merrier” doesn’t really apply in this scenario because it can get so overwhelming if you have 4 or 5 different voices and opinions in the room! Remember, this is unfamiliar territory if you’ve never shopped for a wedding gown before. You might discover that you don’t love being the center of attention, and having too many people in the room can make it even worse.
So, how do you set boundaries with your guests? Firstly, you know your guests better than we do. You know what drives you crazy about them and what things they can bring to the table. And you do have options here! You can opt to come in and shop alone, creating a comfortable environment for you and your bridal consultant to try on gowns without concern about anyone else’s opinion. You can have 1 or 2 people join you after you’ve chosen your gown to help pick accessories or even be there for alterations.
There are some different approaches to setting boundaries if you choose to have guests come with you. You can tell them prior to your appointment that you’d prefer them to keep their opinions to themselves until you ask them for it during the appointment. You can even call us ahead of time and let us know that you’re a little concerned - if you’re uncomfortable establishing those boundaries, we will do it for you in the most gentle way possible! Remember, we’re here for YOU! Our team is composed of bridal gown professionals who will do whatever they can to make this a positive experience.
Also, please feel free to give us a call beforehand as well if you have a guest coming along that’s more out of obligation. For instance, some brides have a mother-in-law or sibling that they feel obligated to bring along despite having some tension in the relationship. You can still appease them by calling us ahead of time and letting us know that you plan on bringing them for the first appointment, then scheduling a second appointment without that person so you can decide on your dress without them. Don’t feel ashamed to make that decision - this is your special day, and you deserve to have the best experience!
And you know what? When it comes down to it, the number one strategy to keep your wedding dress shopping experience stress-free is to keep everything a secret! When you’ve tried on gown after gown and keep changing your mind based on the opinions of those around you, that’s when it gets overwhelming. Consider keeping your gown choice a secret and doing a first-look at your wedding with your entire wedding party along with your spouse! As a result, no one can come in and mess with your thought process and give you their opinion. Usually, when brides decide to go this route, it’s because she’s overwhelmed by all the opinions people have given her. You can use this strategy at any point in your wedding dress shopping experience, and making ANY decision for your wedding, for that matter!
We hope that this advice eases your mind! If you’re ready to find “the one,” book your appointment with us at Mary’s Designer Bridal Boutique today!