How to Prep for Your Bridal Appointment

A guide to what research is helpful and what is not

3 To-Do’s before your Bridal Appointment

Wedding dress shopping is different than any other type of shopping, and it can be hard to know what to expect! Don’t worry, everyone feels this way—most brides are first-timers! Here at Bella Brides in Bend, OR, we recommend these 3 steps to prep for your bridal appointment.

#1 Figure Out Your Timeline

What is “your timeline"? When someone says you have a long timeline, or short time frame, this just means the amount of time before your wedding. Know your wedding date before your appointment.‍ ‍

Your wedding date (or at least a ballpark) is a very important detail to have figured out before you come to your bridal appointment for two reasons: dress production time and alterations. In general, you need 6 months for dress production time and then you need at least 2 months for alterations.

6 Months for Dress Production

Here at Bella Brides, we have two ways to shop in our store. You can either take a dress directly from our collection off-the-rack, or you can special order your dress if you need a different size or color. If you choose the special order route, wedding dresses can take up to 6 months to come in. This is industry standard across the board. Remember, once we order your dress, a person starts sewing it from scratch!

Reasons to special order a dress:

If you want the most amount of dress options, you may want to special order. Because you can try on any dress in any size and then special order your size, this will give you the most amount of options and is standard practice for brides.
- Side note: If you want customizations on your dress, keep in mind that they are generally less expensive and look more polished when they come done directly from the designer.
If you have fashion-forward taste, we recommend having time to special order. It is certainly possible that you will find a fashion-forward dress available to take off-the-rack, but sometimes there are restrictions on which dresses can leave the floor if the style is brand new.
If you are outside of the “average” sample size of 8-20, you may want to consider special ordering. This way your dress is closer to your measurements and you have to do less alterations.

Reasons to take a dress directly from the collection off-the-rack:

If you have less than 7 months until your wedding, you will likely be taking a dress directly off-the-rack. Sometimes there are rush options for special order dresses, but most styles do not offer this.
If you are on a tight budget, consider taking a dress directly from our collection off-the-rack. Many times, sample dresses are sold at a discounted price and you don’t have to pay the $200 special order fee.
If the dress you try on in-store fits you perfectly, we recommend you take it home with you! This way you avoid the extra fees and don’t have to wait 6 months for your dress (and experience all the uncertainty that comes with that).

2 Months for Alterations (at least)

No matter if you special order a dress or purchase it directly from the collection off-the-rack, virtually every wedding dress will need alterations, and this takes time. It is important to allow at least 2 months for alterations. If you don’t have that kind of time, alterations are still possible! But your seamstress will likely charge you a rush fee. It is our recommendation to take your dress to alterations as soon as you have it.

But why does every dress need alterations if some of them are special ordered?

Contrary to what some people believe, most special order wedding dresses are not made custom to your measurements. They are made to a designer size chart with specific measurements for each size. When your stylist measures you for your dress, she is comparing your measurements to the size chart measurements and helping you choose the closest option. The vast majority of people are between sizes, or their proportions do not align exactly with the size chart—that is totally okay and totally normal! Each human body is different is their own way, and your alterations person will alter your dress to fit you absolutely perfectly. The average cost of alterations in Central Oregon is $800-900, but alteration cost will vastly depend on what you need done to your specific dress.

Side note: Some couture designers do offer custom measurements, so if you have the budget for that, it could be an option!

Our favorite alterations professional in Central Oregon is Scissorbird Sewing and Alterations. We think she’s the best and is probably the busiest. The bottom line for finding your alterations professional is making sure they do wedding dresses all the time. Wedding dresses should be the bread and butter of their business, not something they do every once in a while.

Quick note about most seamstresses: They are artists and creatives, so they usually have the biggest and best personalities. Make sure you are your own advocate for what you want. They don’t know unless you tell them. Don’t let it be that bad haircut, where you just smiled and said thank you. The seamstress will make your dress exactly how you want it, you just need to tell her.

#2 Find Inspo

Once most brides are engaged they immediately grab their phone are start Pinteresting, Instagramming and TikToking their hearts out! This can be mostly helpful but sometimes hurtful, so here are a few tips for finding inspo that is both helpful and realistic.

Pinterest — great for images, horrible for pricing

Pinterest is an amazing place to gather inspiration! We just recommend to focus on dress elements you love most, like a flowy skirt, soft lace, clean satin, or a specific neckline, rather than obsessing over one dress. This will make finding a dress in person a million times easier and more fun, because you have the flexibility to find something that makes you feel amazing. Remember: your wedding dress is not just a photo on the internet. It’s a real garment that has to fit your body, move with you, photograph beautifully, and make you feel amazing in real life. That feeling matters more than Pinterest perfection.

When going down the Pinterest rabbit hole, ignore the prices. Pinterest has no rules or restrictions on what prices (real of fake) can be posted on their platform, so many Pinterest images are designer gowns reposted by knockoff factories advertising very low prices. Unfortunately, those listings can be misleading or flat out fake.

Side note: Keep an eye out for AI images. While these can be fun inspiration, they can create unrealistic expectations of what the structure of a dress can actually do. AI can make the impossible possible, so be extra vigilant.

Instagram and TikTok

These platforms are goldmines for inspiration! Our tip? Research bridal shops versus designers. While wedding dress designers are the direct source, it is challenging when brides find a dress on a designer feed and there are no shops even close to them who carry that dress. Instead, research bridal shops near you that match your energy and vibe, then dive deep to see the dresses they carry. Most bridal shops carry 5-10 designers, so there will be incredible variety within that any one shop! Take screenshots and describe to your stylist what you like about the dresses. She will have a whole variety that meet your vibe.

Another AI side note: AI images and videos are even more common on Instagram and TikTok, and they perpetuate unrealistic expectations. Be extra, extra vigilant and know what is real versus what is fake.

#3 Decide Your Budget

Your budget plays a big role in the types of gowns, fabrics, customization options, and shopping experience you’ll have. Wedding dresses can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to full couture $50k pricing, but most brides shop within the $1500–$3500 range. Here at Bella Brides, we have four distinct collections that each offer something different, and all have beautiful options. Read our resource guide devoted solely to deciding your budget here!

Adore Collection

$500-1500: These are dresses are the same designer dresses as our other collections, but they are available only off-the-rack. Because of this, they are usually priced at a discount, but remember to budget for alterations to fit your dress perfectly to your proportions. This is a limited collection, and the number of dresses in stock routinely fluctuates. Flexibility is key here, focusing on dress elements rather than specific dresses, so that expectations match reality.
- Reminder: Make a separate alterations budget, and make sure to shop within two sizes of your size so that alterations don’t break the bank.

Everly Collection

$1500-3000: This is the largest collection in our store, as our average bride’s budget is $2000-$2500. These dresses are quality, yet affordable. They are available both off-the-rack and for special order if you need a different size or color, and usually have some limited customization options.
- If you are interested in special ordering, make sure you have the 8 months (dress and alterations) that it requires! Read more here about special order timelines.

Couture Collection

$3000-$5500: These dresses are highly specialized and are made with the industry’s best fit and materials. They feel luxurious and fashion-forward, and are available with many customization options. These dresses are available directly from our collection or for special order.
- If you are interested in special ordering, make sure you have the 8 months (dress and alterations) that it requires! Read more here about special order timelines.

Hayley Paige Collection

$3500-8500: These gowns are hand-made with exquisite materials and thoughtful craftsmanship. Designed by bridal icon Hayley Paige, this collection is known for its thoughtful details and unforgettable style. These dresses are available off-the-rack or for special order, and are fully customizable.

A bigger budget does not make someone a “better” bride, and a smaller budget does not mean you can’t have an incredible dress. Every price point simply comes with different trade-offs, whether that’s customization, fabrics, designer exclusivity, timeline, or flexibility.

What You Don’t Need to Research

There are a few things that brides often think they need to research, that you can totally skip!

What “works” for your body shape
- Every bride is perfectly unique and don’t usually fall neatly into a "pear” or “apple” shaped category, so this isn’t super important for you to research. There is a huge variety within body shapes and dress shapes, so whatever the internet recommends for your shape, usually doesn’t prove to be true.
Dress names and style numbers
- As we previously mentioned, it is more valuable to research dress elements rather than specific dresses. That way you don’t fall in love with a dress that costs $50k and is only sold in New Jersey.
Designers
- Same idea as dress names and style numbers. If you research dress elements instead, you’ll learn so much more about what you love and how it makes you feel.

Breathe, this is going to be fun!

If you made it to the end of this, phew!! Great job! You are so ready for your bridal appointment and we can’t wait to meet you! If you have any more questions, feel free to call us 541-330-7090 or text us 541-368-2090 anytime! There are no stupid questions—we are here for you!

All photos graciously provided by MOT Photography and Bridget and Ryan Photography

(PS. they are both amazing)

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