FAQ

Yes. When you shop with us, we have a consultant and a fitting room set aside for you for a 90-minute appointment. If you walk in looking for an appointment, we cannot guarantee that we have either of those for you. If you are running late to your appointment, it will cut into your allotted appointment time. If you are going to be more than 15 minutes late, we will need to reschedule you for a different time. You can always cancel/reschedule your appointment if your plans change, we DO NOT charge for our appointments. 

With over 2,800 dresses in our store, we find that 90 minutes is the best amount of time for an appointment. That is usually the ideal amount of time to try on several gowns, narrow down your selection, and choose your wedding dress without feeling rushed. Of course, if you feel you need more time, we're always happy to schedule a return visit! We will not schedule you for an appointment at a time when you do not have this amount of time to spare.

Fantasy Bridal has a large selection of dresses that range from sizes 0-32W! We strongly believe that every bride should feel comfortable and have many beautiful options to try on when shopping for your wedding dress. Sample gowns (i.e. what you try on in-store) will rarely be a perfect fit, but thankfully our bridal consultants are experts at giving you a great idea of how the gown will fit when altered to fit your body.

The price range of dresses in our store is roughly $800-$5,000, not including tax or alterations. Our modest collection ranges from $900-$3000. There will be a small handful of gowns that fall outside of that range (whether above or below). Most brides at this time spend anywhere from $1500-$2000 on the dress alone.

The majority of gowns in our store are priced from $1500-$2500. Depending on what you are looking for will determine what kind of budget you will want to set for yourself.

 

It is important to discuss your budget in advance and to stick to it during your appointment. We find that it is unhelpful for you to try on dresses outside of the price range you are comfortable with. There is a reason dresses are priced the way they are. If you fall in love with something above your budget, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to recreate it at a lower price point. There is nothing more heartbreaking than falling in love with a dress, and not being able to purchase it. It is not worth ruining your special experience by trying on dresses you aren’t comfortable paying for.

 

Once you do try on dresses you might realize that what you are looking for cannot be found in the original budget you set for yourself. If that is the case, we typically suggest slowly tiptoeing your budget to find just what you are looking for. 

 

Remember to also take accessories and alterations into account when setting your budget as well. The cost of accessories and alterations can easily add an additional $500-$1000+ to the cost of your dress, depending on what you want.

Our consultants are trained to help you find your dress. With each dress you try on, your consultant will ask you what you like and do not like in an attempt to narrow down and find the perfect dress for you. Our method is to find a dress you would love to wear on your special day. If you come just to get ideas, we find the appointment is not very productive and doesn’t get you any closer to finding your dress. If you are getting ideas to make your own dress, we do charge $50 for these types of consultation appointments.

7-10 months before your wedding is the ideal time frame to purchase your wedding dress. Dresses take about 6-9 months after the time they are ordered to arrive in our store. Almost all brides will need alterations done to the dress once it does arrive in store. Alterations typically take 4 weeks to complete through our store and vary with our outside seamstress list. 

 

If you do not have 7-10 months prior to your wedding date to find your dress, we do have a large selection of dresses that you can purchase off the floor! If you don’t have time to order, keep in mind we won’t necessarily have the exact color and size you will need in store. Alterations will be key for you to have the perfect dress for your special day! We also offer a free press and detail for all our gowns so you leave with a perfect gown on your wedding day!

One way to prepare for your appointment is by starting to develop an idea of what you are drawn to by looking through our website or starting a Pinterest board. This doesn’t mean you are deciding your style before trying on, but it does at least help us see what you are drawn to. You also might consider eating a meal before you come. You will be on your feet for 90 minutes and looking for a wedding dress when you are hangry is not recommended.

We are often working with brides who are hoping to lose weight. We provide an alterations service for additional charge in our store so that we can guarantee you have a dress that fits you for your special day. We highly encourage you to purchase your dress as early as you can to ensure that you have a dress you love, and then we can adjust it later on according to your needs.

Many of our brides who hope to lose weight do not end up losing as much as they anticipated. That is why we order your dress based on the size you are now to guarantee you will have something that will work for you whether you change weight or not. It is always easier to take in a dress than it is to let it out.

We typically recommend bringing anything that makes you feel comfortable. Most of our dresses have the necessary structure, corsetry or bra cups that will help you feel beautiful on your wedding day but it's completely up to you as to what you want to wear. Dark underwear is not recommended.

We highly recommend leaving children at home. We find that most children do not enjoy sitting still for the full 90-minute appointment. They can often cause the appointment to end earlier than the bride is ready to be done.

 

If you do not have the option of leaving children behind, we ask that you be respectful of the other clientele in our store. Because we service multiple brides at a time, it can be disruptive to have children running around our salon as well as playing video games or listening to music at a high volume. It is not appropriate for children to play in the racks of dresses, try on jewelry or headpieces, nor jump and run around the salon. They should not be left unsupervised at any time during the appointment. Please consider whether children will add to or detract from the experience you want to have.

Whether you're getting married to each other or you're family members getting married around the same time, we typically do not recommend having appointments at the same time. This can be difficult as it is hard to focus on narrowing down a wedding dress for you while trying to give your attention to the other individual you're with. For this reason we recommend booking back-to-back appointments where you can work with the same bridal consultant so both of you can focus on having that special moment finding the perfect dress.

When choosing who you bring to your bridal appointment, carefully consider whose opinion matters most. It might be your first instinct to invite your whole bridal party, but keeping your entourage small will make your experience of trying on wedding gowns less stressful and more enjoyable. More people = more opinions. 1-3 guests is the perfect amount. Your guests will also be allotted one loveseat that comfortably seats 2-3 guests.

 

For those you do bring with you, it is important to share your vision of what you want with them in advance. Let them know that they are there to support you! If they aren't on the same page, it can make for a miserable appointment.

 

If you decide you cannot limit your entourage to 1-3 guests, we highly recommend that you schedule for a weekday appointment (Monday-Friday). Saturdays are very busy for us, and we only have enough seating for 1-3 guests per bride. We cannot comfortably accommodate a large entourage on a Saturday. You will have a much better experience on a weekday.

 

We now offer private appointments that can accommodate a larger group if this is an absolute must for you. For more details.