When should I start shopping for my gown?

We recommend starting your search about 1 year before your wedding. Start by looking at different styles in magazines and online and envision what type of gown suits your personality, location and style. You should start setting up appointments 9-12 months before your wedding.

 

Do you require an appointment to try on wedding dresses?

We prefer our bridal clients to have an appointment so we can provide them with the exquisite customer service our reputation demands. We like to treat each of our guests with one-on-one personal service and devote our full attention to helping our customers find the perfect bridal gown and help them make informed decisions when it comes to style, fit and cost. Making an appointment will insure that our consultants are properly prepared and staffed to meet your needs. Also we discourage people from buying off-the-rack without proper consultation, as sizes vary greatly between each designer and often there is no return option available. Above all, selecting a wedding gown should be all about you and the excellent service that you deserve! We do accommodate walk-ins, but appointments are given top preference. Make an appointment today by calling (919) U.S.BRIDE.

 

Can I try on wedding gowns without an appointment?

While we will not turn away walk-ins, please understand that our first priority is to clients with appointments. If we are busy when you arrive, we may not be able to give you our highest level of service at that given moment. If you happen to be in the area and wish to browse our store to get a feel for our selection, please do so, and then make an appointment to return and get the royal treatment you deserve. Our top priority is your satisfaction and we want you to walk out with the gown of your dreams that makes you look your best.

 

May I bring my children?

We love children! However, we strongly advise you not bring children to a bridal store. Choosing your wedding gown is one of the most important decisions you will make for your wedding. For the rest of your married life you will be looking at pictures of yourself in that special gown. When shopping for that gown you need to be able to focus and concentrate without distraction. A bridal salon is not a fun place for kids and they will get bored very quickly and totally distract you from this important mission. A bridal salon is also NOT a safe place for children due to loose pins, breakable items and other hazards. Children will also distract other future brides on this important day and we will ask that crying babies be taken outside.

 

Who should I bring gown shopping with me?

When shopping for a wedding gown, all the experts advise not to bring too many people. Your mom and one or two other trusted individuals seem to be the perfect mix. We have seen that too many people can often confuse the bride because everyone has different tastes. Pick only a few people who love you to come and your experience will be a lot more enjoyable. You will have a better chance of being successful in your quest. It is great to have one or two people who are close to you to give you honest opinions, but bringing too many people to “poll the audience” is a recipe for disaster that may make you miss out on your perfect gown. In the end, the only opinion that truly counts when picking a wedding gown is YOURS! You will be the center of attention at your wedding. You want a wedding gown that will make you look awesome and feel amazing. You are the only one who will really know when you have found the gown that accomplishes this.

 

Can I bring in pictures to show my consultant?

Definitely! But, we strongly advise that you remember two things. First, the models used by the bridal designers average 6' tall and wear a size 4, so the gowns may not look the same on you. You will definitely want to see yourself in the gown in your size before you buy it. The second thing you should know is that many designers sell gowns that are not advertised in the magazines and are not available online, so keep an open mind when you are shopping. We will be able to select gowns for you to try on that will flatter your figure, match your style and budget requirements, even if it was not the exact gown in your picture. There have been countless brides that have come in with a picture of a certain gown that have left purchasing an entirely different gown - all because their bridal consultant worked to find the gown that made them FEEL perfect. If we don't have the exact gown you are looking for, we almost always have one that is very similar.

 

Do you have one of every dress in your store from every designer you carry?

Unlike a department store, we cannot and do not stock every gown a designer carries in every size and every color. One of our designers alone create up to 75 wedding gowns per season! If we are an authorized retailer for a designer you like, and we do not have the gown you desire in stock, we are certainly able to order it for you.

 

What sizes are your dresses?

Our gowns are between size 2 and size 30, with a higher concentration around sizes 14 and 22. If a gown you like is too small or too big, we can usually clip you to give you a general idea of what the gown will look like in your size. Please be understanding that since we are a bridal boutique and not a department store, it is impossible for us to stock each gown in every size and color. Please note that most bridal gowns are sized differently than street wear. Depending on the designer, a person who usually wears a size 8 dress, will require a size 10 or 12 in a bridal gown. Don't get hung up on the numbers. Trust your consultant to pull the right size gown for you. Never buy a smaller size because you intend to lose weight. Generally, alterations cannot increase the size of the gown, they can, however, make a loose gown fit perfectly.

 

Will I be able to see gowns at A Bridal World that I haven't seen everywhere else?

Definitely! Many of our designers are not carried at any other salon in Raleigh. We pride ourselves on our unique and beautiful selection. We specifically choose designers that have closed markets and will not sell their dresses to every store in the area. To you, it means you won't be wearing a dress that looks like every other wedding you have been to. Your dress will be yours.

 

What about gowns for encore brides, second weddings, re-affirming vows, etc.?

Almost 20% of the brides we see are looking for this type of gown. These women tell us… I don’t want to look like an 18 year old all poofed out and covered with beads and sequins, but I do want to look special and beautiful so that when my fiancée sees me he will say “thank God I got her.” With this many customers coming in for encore weddings A Bridal World is ready. We have an extensive selection of “informal” wedding gowns which are simple, less expensive gowns with either no train or a little sweep train. We also have many “cleaner” less complicated styles of traditional type gowns that our encore brides have fallen in love with.

 

What about beach weddings, destination weddings or for a pregnant bride?

Not a week goes by when we don’t have several requests in this category. A Bridal World has choices for our beach and destination customers – a truly awesome selection of wedding gowns designed to look free flowing, elegant, sexy and exciting for just this type of wedding. As for pregnant brides, not only do we have great choices of gowns that will accommodate this special need, but we have the experienced consultants that will be able to guide you to a beautiful dress that will truly enhance your special day. Please visit our destination gowns section for more details.

 

Will I be able to browse the racks myself and see ALL the dresses A Bridal World has to offer?

Absolutely! Many of our customers have complained that at other bridal stores they are put into a dressing room and the store employee goes to another room to select gowns she thinks the future bride will like. At A Bridal World you and your bridal consultant can through the racks together to review, discuss and choose the wedding gowns you will try on. You will be able to see every gown A Bridal World has to offer in every size. The gowns are all bagged and we do take special care of them. You will be asked to select 3 gowns you would like to try on. Before trying on any of our gowns you will be asked to remove all jewelry (whoever is with you can hold it). You will be given wipes to clean your hands with and a disposable make-up mask to put on. Then the consultant will open the bridal bags and put the wedding gowns on you. We go to extremes to make sure every wedding gown stays in perfect condition, and you will appreciate that we took such extreme care when you find that amazing dress you’ll fall in love with.

 

What are sample gowns?

Couture shops operate by having you try on gowns in the salon, which you then order your gown off of the style you desire. These samples are often sizes 8-10, and are tried on during bridal appointments. Technically, no store has “sample gowns.” Every gown a store has in stock must be paid for, at full price, in order for the store to receive it from the designer. At A Bridal World, we do not stock “sample gowns.” All of our gowns are ready for you to own and take home today, in pristine condition, with select gowns available to order.

 

How many gowns can/should I try on?

We usually recommend trying on no more than 6 gowns. Trying on too many gowns can confuse you and cause you to forget previous ones you’ve tried on. We will ask you to select 3 gowns you would like to try on. After trying on 2-3 gowns, our consultant will usually have a better idea of what gown looks best on you and might start recommending certain gowns for you. Our staff knows which silhouettes flatter your shape, and often a gown that may not look so flattering hanging in a bag may be the most fantastic dress of all!

 

How much time do I have to try on gowns?

We allot 1½ hour for each appointment during weekdays. Weekday appointments are more relaxed because the salon is not so busy, and we can devote more time to you. Due to the volume of brides on Saturdays, our Saturday appointments are 1 hour. All walk-ins are 1 hour. You will have a dressing room and someone’s attention during that hour. An hour appointment is usually enough time to see all of our collections, try on many dresses, and discuss pricing and timing.
However, there are a few things we ask of you:

• Recording devices of any kind are not permitted during your visit
• Please turn off your cell phones during your visit
• No drinks or food in the store

 

How will I remember the gowns that I tried on?

Before your appointment begins, we ask you to fill out our client registration form. After your consultation, your bridal consultant will write down the dresses you liked, including any accessories. From this point on, we have you on file so if your consultant is not available the next time you come back, another consultant can look at your file and know exactly which dresses you tried on and comments you’ve made.

 

Can I bring a camera and take pictures the gowns I like in your store?

Regrettably, due to copyright laws, in order to protect the integrity of the manufacturer's design, photos are not permitted. This is a common policy among bridal boutiques. It is not meant to inconvenience anyone – we realize that you want to show pictures to out of town moms and friends. Due to the rise in internet fraud of copies being sold as originals, we are unable to allow photos to be taken inside our showroom. We have contracts with our designers that as authorized retailers, we honor and uphold the integrity of their designs.

For these reasons, we ask that you honor the privacy of others and leave your cameras, video cameras, camera phones and recording devices of any kind in your vehicle during your appointment. Once you own the gown, you may take as many pictures of your gown as you’d like.

 

What if I find the gown of my dreams and I’m not ready to buy it yet?

(I'm not ready financially or I want my mom to see it.) By leaving an appointment with a dress you love, but not purchasing it, you risk a few things. The dress may be sold off the rack and you will not have the opportunity to show your mother later or to try it on again. Another risk is that a gown may be discontinued by a designer and unable to be reordered. In that case the only dress available will be the one in the store, and if it isn't in the color and size you need you'll miss the opportunity to have the dress you fell in love with. We suggest that before you set an appointment you ask yourself, "If I found the wedding gown of my dreams in my budget can I buy it today?" It's best to be ready at A Bridal World by bringing your mom or whoever you want with you so if you find that perfect dress you won't have to leave it behind. We do have payment options where a deposit can have the dress ordered or taken off the rack.

 

Should I look for my wedding gown and the bridesmaids’ gowns on the same day?

Don't try to do too much in one day. We suggest you not try to shop for bridesmaids and a wedding gown all in the same day. Finding that perfect gown can be harder, more time consuming, and more mentally exhausting than you think. We suggest you focus on your wedding gown first, check out our entire selection of bridesmaids before you leave, and plan a separate day for the bridesmaids shopping.

 

When should I shop for bridesmaids gowns? Who should I bring?

Almost every Bridal expert today advises future brides to pick the bridesmaids dresses WITHOUT the input of their bridal party. Why? Because the experts feel that it’s your wedding, and you have a vision of the look and feel you want for it. Every maid, no matter how good a friend, will have her own agenda, and it will be hard for you not only to accommodate each maid’s preferences but also to achieve the look you had envisioned as well. The majority of our bridesmaids inventory is samples, so unless you have a party of one or two maids the gowns will need to be ordered. Although we have some that are available in as little as 2 weeks, the majority can take up to 16 week (four months) to arrive. You want your girls to have them in their hands for alterations at least a month before the wedding. Some of our lines offer rush options for faster turnaround times, but this option also incurs additional fees. Therefore, we recommend that bridesmaids be ordered four to five months before the wedding if possible.

When looking at bridesmaids dresses, look at the styles of each sample, and don’t focus so much on the colors they came in. Every dress can be ordered from a selection of about 20 to 40 colors and some can even be ordered with two colors on each dress. First find a style you like then ask your consultant to show you all the colors that dress comes in.

 

What if some of my maids live far away?

In this day and age with such a mobile society it is common for some of your maids to live far away. This is not a problem AT ALL. We will just need 3 measurements, best taken by a professional seamstress to ensure a correct fit, and we can still accommodate your out of town maids.

 

How is A Bridal World different from the big box chain bridal stores?

There are two BIG differences. First, although both A Bridal World and the chain stores stock wedding gowns, the big box stores manufacture their own dresses at their factory. At A Bridal World, we do not make wedding gowns. Therefore, we are not limited to a select group of dresses. We are able to travel the U.S., attending bridal markets in Chicago, New York, and Atlanta in search of the latest gowns that cater to a variety of different tastes. The second difference is that the chain stores have "fixed" styles for the season. This means that for the most part their dress styles do not change during the year. They can even give you a catalog because the same dresses are being sold at hundreds of locations nationwide and there is nothing unique about any of them. At A Bridal World, our inventory is constantly changing as we receive new dresses on a weekly basis. The only disadvantage of is that if you do find your perfect wedding gown and don’t purchase it, there is a good chance it won’t be here when you come back and you’ll have to start over in your quest for the perfect wedding gown.

A customer recently told us that she went to a wedding where 2 brides were in the exact same dress at receptions across the hall from each other! The bride was mortified that she bought her dress at a huge chain type store. Not to mention people tell us everyday that they just "felt like a number" at the chains and superstores.

One of the biggest differences at our store are the unique styles of high quality gowns that we offer and our committed level of service to our brides Our philosophy is to provide an atmosphere where people feel as though they are truly treated like family. We make recommendations based solely on your needs and desires. Simply stated, we hear stories every day about how people are mistreated in Triangle bridal stores and we go out of our way to be the absolute best bridal experience for each guest.

 

Chain stores may have similar gowns, should I check them out first?

We have found from experience that while the styles are similar, the quality of the workmanship and materials will not be. Also, they will not special order you a gown. When they say they are "ordering" your gown, they are simply having an in-stock gown from another store sent to their location. You are only ever getting an in-stock gown that has most likely been tried on by many customers. Our store and associates can offer you a better product, better service and at a comparable price.

 

Is there any other color I could wear besides white and still look like a bride?

Lately many brides are incorporating color into their gowns. You can have colorful embroidery, a color band, or simply have a claret sash. You also do not have to wear a white gown. Despite the age-old montage that brides always wear white, shades of ivory are actually much more flattering to most skin tones. Most designers offer different shades of white, ivory, and champagne, and beautiful shades of red and gold are increasingly popular. We have a selection of gowns in color, where the gown can be customized to have the color accent of your choice.

 

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