What to Expect, Bring, and Avoid at a Bridal Consultation

As a follow-up to my last post about my David's Bridal dress shopping experience, this post is going to be all about what to bring, expect, and avoid at a bridal consultation. I've watched countless Say Yes to the Dress episodes over the years, and in some ways, it's not that far off...just less cameras, drama, and generally less staff helping you out! 

What to Expect

* Depending on when the consultation is, the store can be very busy, so you should expect to have to be patient at times. It's not really all that much to ask for since there are so many beautiful dresses to look at while you wait. Even when you're in the fitting rooms, they provide iPads so you can browse through their inventory at your leisure. I brought a list of dresses that I had picked out from the website, and I am so glad I did because it provided my consultant with a clear idea of the style of dress I was looking for.

* Expect to be stripping down in front of your consultant! Those dresses are not exactly easy to get into, so don't think for one second that you'll be shimmying into them all on your own! The consultants do this for a living, so don't worry...they see half naked bodies all the time and yours won't faze them in the least. 

What to Bring

* Since you'll be getting half naked for your appointment, I would really recommend that you don't wear the wrong kind of underwear. What I mean by that is, you're going to want to either wear or bring a pair of undies that are discreet enough to hide underneath your dress. If you're wearing bright pink undies and you're trying on a light, form-fitting dress, you are probably going to be able to see your underwear and it will inevitably distract from your perception of the dress. 

* Make sure someone in your group brings a camera to take pictures of every dress you try on! I only tried on 6 dresses, but I can imagine after 10+, things would start to get confusing, so it's always good to have pictures to look at later when you're making the final decision. 

* I brought my wedding shoes with me to my appointment, but I didn't end up wearing them. Instead, I used a pair that they had in the store, which worked out better because they were much easier to get on and off between dresses (mine have tiny little ankle straps). In any case, I would recommend bringing your bridal shoes with you anyway, just so you can get a better idea of how they will look with your dress. 

What to Avoid 

* Wedding dress shopping is a very significant moment in a woman's life, and certainly a special event worth sharing with friends and family. However, that being said, it's important to not lose sight of what you want from your dress! Having the love and support of family and friends is absolutely wonderful, don't get me wrong, but if you've brought 10+ people with you for the appointment, it might get a bit overwhelming with so many opinions swirling around. At the end of the day, it's all about what you are comfortable with, so don't feel too badly if you can't invite every woman in your address book!

* If you have a price point, stick to it as much as you can. Wedding dresses can be VERY expensive, so if your budget is $900, don't bother trying on that $1500 dress unless you are fully prepared to hang it right back up afterwards! 
* Be considerate! Your consultant is there to help you, and your group is there to support you...but you can't be a bridezilla! If your bridal consultation is scheduled for an hour and a half, don't be difficult and stretch it out over your allotted time. Not only are you making your consultant late for her next appointment, but you're also forcing the next bride to wait until you're finished. General rule of thumb: be considerate and avoid excessive demands. 

*Finally, avoid feeling guilty if you don't buy a dress. Finding the right wedding dress is a very big decision, so it really shouldn't be rushed. Even if you think you've found the right one, sometimes it's a good idea to step away from the situation and give yourself some time to think it over. Just because you don't make a purchase during your appointment, doesn't mean you won't ever buy a dress. It will all come in time, and you will find the perfect dress! 

Wedding Dress Shopping

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend because I know I certainly did! After having to re-schedule due to a cold a few weeks ago, I finally went to David's Bridal to try on wedding blessing dresses! Initially, I will admit I wasn't completely sold on the whole ritual, but now I am so happy I went and really excited about finding a dress! 

I am so thankful that my mum and aunt drove up from Kingston for the appointment, along with my mother-in-law and grandma, who came from Richmond and Kanata respectively! It was really special for me to have them all there, and I really appreciated their support and insight.

When we arrived at the bridal store, I was surprised to see quite a few groups of people all huddled outside waiting for the doors to open. I guess I hadn't expected it to be so busy at 11:00 am on a Sunday morning! Since we had arrived about twenty minutes early, we took the extra time to grab a coffee, before returning to the store for the appointment. Unfortunately, this is when my mum discovered that at some point earlier that morning (likely when they had stopped for gas), she had lost her bank card! Luckily, my mother-in-law was kind enough to offer to take my mum to the bank and sort the whole thing out, so they left just as soon as we signed in for our appointment at the front desk. Since it was so busy, they had us browse around through the racks while we waited for our consultant to call my name over the intercom. After about 10 minutes, we met with the consultant and headed back to the fitting rooms to start the appointment. 

I had done my research, so I actually came prepared with a list of my favorite designs featured on their website, complete with style numbers to make them easier to find on their inventory system (those of you who know me well enough won't be surprised by this!). I tried on 6 dresses in total, but was feeling really anxious since neither my mum or mother-in-law were there to see the first 4 that I tried on. I was thankful I wasn't alone, but I was starting to get pretty anxious that they were going to miss the whole thing. Thankfully, they arrived, and I was SO happy to see them standing there when I stepped out of the fitting room with dress #4 on!

There were so many beautiful dresses in the store, and it was a bit overwhelming at first, but I must say, the consultants are very knowledgeable and helpful! Of the 6 dresses I tried on, it was pretty easy to nix three of them right away, but once we narrowed the decision down to two, things got a lot more difficult! We didn't end up buying a dress, but I'm not the least bit upset, because first of all, I know that we will, and second of all, I really needed some time away from the bridal store to process everything and really think about exactly what I wanted anyway. 

After I got changed back into my regular clothes, the five of us headed over to Scores for some much needed sustenance! There aren't a whole lot of choices when it comes to restaurants in the Trainyards, but Scores is actually a pretty great place to go! They are kind of like Swiss Chalet to me, in that they both pride themselves on rotisserie-style chicken. In any case, the food was great and it was nice to sit down and relax a bit! Once everyone finished eating, my mum and aunt left to drive back to Kingston and my mother-in-law drove me back home to Ryan and Rocky! 

Now that I've looked at the photos over a hundred times and had the chance to sleep on it, I am much more decided about which dress I want! That being said, I don't have another appointment until mid-December, so we'll see if I'm still in love with my current choice when I try it on again! I never thought I would say this, but patience and time will really be the determining factor here! Of course, there's always that gut instinct, but I honestly think that if it's the right dress, I'll love it and know it's the right one when I try it on again in a few weeks! I am VERY excited to try it on again, that's for sure!

I am so happy that we went to David's Bridal to try on dresses, and I would highly recommend the experience. I'm planning on doing a follow-up post about what to "expect, bring, and avoid" at a bridal consultation, so stay tuned for that! 

Wedding Weekend Activities

Good morning! I hope everyone had a nice weekend! Despite the rain here in Ottawa, I had an amazing weekend, which centered around wedding related activities on both Saturday and Sunday. The weekend kicked off with my wedding shower, followed by the Wedding Palace Bridal Show in Ottawa on Sunday, where Ryan and I picked up lots of goody bags and signed up for plenty of contests!

The spread! Beautiful and delicious!

After moving some furniture in preparation for our move at the end of the month, I headed to Kingston with my mother-in-law, her sister, and their mum to attend my wedding shower. Even though driving conditions weren't ideal, it was a really fun car ride, both to and from Kingston!

My mum planned the event for weeks and put so much love and attention into every little detail! We arrived right on time and headed into my parents house to join the party. The spread was fantastic and the house was perfectly decorated for the shower. I had such a wonderful time chatting and catching up with everyone in attendance. There were plenty of fun wedding shower games and prizes to be won, and everyone had a really great time! 

Cutting the cake!

The party was such a whirl of excitement that it felt like it all went by so quickly! The cake was beautiful but with everything else going on, I barely had the chance to have more than two bites of it! 

Beautiful women: My mum, aunt Rebecca, and aunt Linda

I tried to spend a bit of time with each guest, and it was so lovely to be able to see so many wonderful people. I am so appreciative of everyone's love and support! It's so easy for life to get in the way and make it difficult to spend time with family and friends, so being able to see so many people, some of whom I hadn't seen in years, was a really special treat!  

Oldest and dearest friends! Me and Jen!

Thank you to everyone who came to the wedding shower, and also to those who were unable to make it but still sent their love! I am so grateful to have such incredible family and friends and I love you all dearly! I will cherish these memories (and your insightful wedding advice!) for many years to come!

I Need Your Help Choosing My Wedding Hairstyle

Lately I've been putting a fair bit of thought into hair. I guess it all started when I realized that I am completely torn between wearing my hair down and wearing my hair up for my wedding this Friday. Wearing my hair down is definitely more in my comfort zone, but the style of my bridal outfit would look really lovely with an updo. Since our ceremony is first thing in the morning, I'll be having to style my hair myself, which ultimately means I'll need to decide on a style that isn't too stressful or difficult to achieve. 

On a daily basis, I usually wear my hair down, which means that I don't have a lot of practice doing updos at all. That being said, I have been putting a bit of practice in lately, and experimenting with low buns and dutch braids. There are so many things to consider, like whether I should do an off-center or a middle part, loose or tight curls, incorporate flowers or no flowers. One thing I absolutely need to keep in mind, is that it is going to be HOT. I've checked the weather forecast and as of right now, it's going to be about 30 degrees, and as usual here in Ottawa, quite humid. 

I will be completely honest and admit that whenever I see women walking around with silky smooth straight hair in the summer, I can't help but feel envious! There are plenty of things I love about my hair, but the way it tends to look after an hour or so in the heat, is not one of them.

In any case, all this adds up to is a bridal hairstyle that has a very big job to do! 

• If I wear my hair down, it'll be easier and less stressful to achieve, but will it stand up in the heat and humidity?
• If I wear my hair up, will I be able to make it look just right within the limited amount of time I have to get ready before the ceremony? 

Luckily I still have a few days to experiment and figure out exactly how I would like to have it on the big day! 

I would love any suggestions so please feel free to post your suggestions in the comments section below!

Throwback Thursday + Wedding Prep

Me and my mother 

For today's Throwback Thursday post, I wanted to have a picture of me and my mum! Judging by all the red we are both wearing, I'm guessing this picture was taken at my grandparents house over the Christmas holidays. The doll I'm holding must have been a freshly opened gift I imagine! 

I was very lucky to have my mum drive up from Kingston yesterday morning to spend a few hours here in Ottawa with me and Ryan. After she arrived, we had some tea and chatted a bit while we unpacked some of the things she had brought up for us. My mum is really quite skilled at sewing, so for as long as I can remember, I've gone to her for anything sewing related! Given my affinity for fashion design, I've had my mum's help with sewing on many, many occasions! 

Preview! Can't give away the whole
look before the big day!

The project my mum came all the way to Ottawa for was particularly special, since it has to do with my bridal outfit for next Friday! Rather than buy a pre-made bridal belt, I wanted to do a DIY project and pick out the sash color and embellishments myself. I can do a few basic stitches, but without my mum and her sewing skills, I can honestly say, my bridal belt would never have turned out! Along with sewing my bridal belt, my mum also brought up my bridal skirt, which I am SO excited about! I ordered it online so I wasn't sure about how it would actually look in person, but I was not let down at all! 

Even though it was only a short visit (mum left at 2 pm to drive back to Kingston), it was a really lovely way to spend the morning! I love that we live fairly close to both my parents and Ryan's parents, but it's still such a treat when we actually get the chance to spend time together! Getting my bridal outfit ready with my mum was really special to me and I am so happy we were able to do it together!