Wedding Dress Shopping During The Holidays

Are you a bride planning your 2023 wedding? With so many engagements happening during the holidays, this is also the time when you’re thinking about THE dress! After all, what’s the first question everyone always asks? “What are you going to wear?” “Have you started looking for your dress?”

However you look at it, your wedding dress is truly front and center of your wedding. You’ll spend time shopping for it, doing alterations, coordinating all your accessories around it. It also sets the tone for what the mothers of the wedding, bridesmaids and groom/groom party will wear. Most importantly, your wedding dress will be in virtually every single picture of your wedding day. So yes, this is a big deal.

Why are holidays such a popular time to go wedding dress shopping? As we already mentioned, over 40% of engagements happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day, with many of the weddings following that same year. It’s also the time of year when you’re visiting family and friends, and how fun is it to include everyone in your gown search! The holidays are often a time when we all take extra time off and take vacation time. It’s the perfect combination of circumstances!

Here are our top 5 tips for shopping during the holiday season!

TIP #1

Do your dress homework. Before you start calling stores or booking appointments, do some research. Do one internet search for “wedding dresses” and you’ll be inundated with gowns. Save images that look like something that might interest you. Start getting an idea of what is out there and what you like and don’t like. Walking into a store filled with gowns will immediately overwhelm you if you don’t have a starting point. While our bridal stylists are very knowledgeable in gowns, we don’t yet know you. When you come in with some of your likes and dislikes, it gives us all something to begin with. Keep in mind though, you will definitely be trying and loving gowns that you never expected!

TIP #2

Now that you’ve gotten an overview of dresses and styles, you can begin researching the stores in your area. Check out their websites and instagram. Do they match the feel of what you are looking for? Does their vibe match yours? If yes, be sure to make an appointment. Most bridal stores require an appointment to try on dresses. Some charge a cancellation fee, some charge for appointments. Be respectful of the store’s appointment policies.

When you book your appointment or call the store, please be honest with your situation. Are you a local bride getting married locally or are you visiting the area and want to get ideas? Are you getting married in the area or are you having a destination wedding? We’re here to help you have a great experience, but at the same time, our stylists are working hard to help you find your dream dress.

TIP #3

Bring the people whose options matter most. We get it. Everyone’s in town and let’s have some fun! While we want you to have a great time, it’s also important to remember that you’re going to be trying on what could be the most important dress you’ll ever wear. You’ll want the people around you who want the best for you. In all honesty, too many people and opinions are not going to be helpful. If anything, you’ll leave the shop confused and overwhelmed. Keep the in store group very select and then, after the shopping, invite everyone else to a celebration lunch!

TIP #4

Know your wedding dress timeline. Many holiday engagements have wedding dates the same year. Or in the case of Thanksgiving/Christimas, the wedding is the following year. What may seem like a long way away (“my wedding isn’t until the fall/winter”), that is just around the corner in the wedding world! Gown deliveries can take up to 9 months! Some sooner of course, but it’s important to not overestimate how much time you have. We advise ordering your gown up to 12 months before your wedding. Our boutique does offer rush deliveries (based on availability) and hundreds of new gowns in stock for immediate purchase.

Whatever your date is, we’ll lead you through the process. Our goal is always to make sure you get the gown of your dreams, no matter how far or how soon your wedding date is.

TIP #5

Be ready to find your THE DRESS! Wait, what?? You’re just getting ideas, right? But it happens, more times that you can imagine. You put on a gown and your heart skips a beat. Your friends and family pull out the tissues. All you can think is, this wasn’t supposed to happen. “I’m just here to get some ideas and have a girl’s day out.” But here you are. In THE dress.

What happens now? Maybe you’re just visiting and the store is not even in your town or where you’ll be getting married. Perhaps your wedding is still a year away (which in the wedding world is NOT that far!) What do you do? We know that many of our brides live over 2-3 hours away and some across the country. It IS possible to find your gown and say YES in the most unexpected of stores. Wondering how the process works for out town or out of state brides? Drop us an email and we’l be happy to walk you through the process. We promise you, it can and will be a stress free experience.

About Epiphany

Epiphany Bridal Boutiques are located on California’s Central Coast. With locations in Carmel by the Sea and San Luis Obispo, we are proud to service brides from all over California. Brides from all over the U.S. have said YES to their dress at our boutiques! For more information and to visit us online, see us at EPIPHANY-BOUTIQUE.COM