Our L Prestigious Events team knows that shopping for your wedding gown is a memorable experience regardless of where you live. It's something many brides dream of from when they first started playing dress-up.
However, the excitement can be multiplied for brides living in the New York City metro area! New York is one of the world's fashion capitals, and the wedding dress options can seem endless.
Our Favorite NYC Bridal Salons
There are bridal salons across the New York metro area at practically every price point. Many carry famous designers, some hidden gems, and all offer incredible customer service.
Here are a few of our L Prestigious Events favorite bridal salons!
Things You Should Know When Gown Shopping
Wedding gown shopping is an exciting experience. And, we know if something you want to share with those closest to you.
Here are a few tips to help you prepare to have the best possible gown shopping experience wherever you are shopping.
1. Order Early!
In the past, our recommendations would be to start wedding gown shopping eight months before your wedding. However, we're seeing more and more salons with the advice of 8-14 months from your wedding.
Shipping for gowns made overseas or even American-made dresses with lace or embellishments from overseas seems to take longer. This time frame allows a little extra time for manufacturing and shipping. But pads the timing a bit to allow for shopping and alterations appointments that might be a bit more spread out.
If your wedding date is close than that there are still plenty of options to buy out of sample collections or pay for rush orders.
2. Prepare for your shopping experience.
You can do several things in advance of your appointment to set yourself up for success.
Start by coming with some inspiration. Sharing photos of some of your favorite wedding gowns help the sales team get an idea of your style. But, we also suggest coming with an open mind. Often the sales associates will recommend a style that wasn't something you considered for yourself that might be The One!
Beyond inspiration and an open mind, come with a budget in mind. You want to set a realistic budget for your entire wedding look. Accessories, veils, and even shoes can change what you are able to invest in the wedding gown.
Having a wedding date and location can also help in the preparation process. Sales associates can recommend the perfect fabric for the season or length of the train for the ceremony venue.
3. WHAT to bring gown shopping.
This one area adds more to the shopping experience than you might think.
First and foremost, bring a pair of shoes with a heel the same height as you are considering for your wedding day. If you've already found amazing wedding shoes, bring them. This helps in measuring for a gown when you make a decision. But, it also gives you a better idea of how you can walk when trying on dresses.
Bring a nude strapless or convertible bra as well as nude body shaper or undergarments. This will give you the most realistic view of what you'll look like in the gowns you are trying.
Along the same line, don't forget to bring along some hair ties and hair clips. You may want to pull your hair back or up to see how a particular wedding gown looks with your hair up or off your shoulders.
4. WHO to bring gown shopping.
We know that there are many people in your Bride Tribe that you'll want to include in your wedding gown shopping experience.
In general, we've always recommended that brides limit their entourage to one or two people whose opinions matter. Obviously, if a family member is paying for your wedding gown, they should be included. Too many opinions seem to complicate the decision-making and make things more stressful.
Additionally, we're seeing that COVID restrictions limit the number of people you can bring to many salons. We're also seeing salons recommending connecting to their WIFI and virtually sharing the experience with others.
Regardless of which fantastic salon you choose, we know these tips for wedding gown shopping will make wedding gown shopping a pleasure!
Our L Prestigious Events team looks forward to guiding you through gown shopping and the wedding planning process.
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