Wedding Dress Shopping Q & A with Hayden Olivia Bridal
Read my interview with Hunter Bailey, the Director of Sales for Hayden Olivia Bridal located in Charlotte, North Carolina! Hunter was every bit as lovely in person and she was to speak with leading up to my appointment.
As I am writing this blog post, I have already said Yes to the dress. I will be writing a second blog post on my dress shopping experience with Hayden Olivia soon, so be on the lookout for that! There will be tons of phots on that blog post- do not worry, I will not post any of the dress I said Yes to!
If you just got engaged, or are will be shopping for a wedding dress soon, THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOU!
Meet Hunter! She has been helping women find the perfect wedding dress for 10 years! Not only is she extremely knowledgeable in the wedding industry, she is sweet, a great listener, AND she was on an episode of “Say Yes To The Dress!” I could not have had a more perfect experience shopping for a wedding dress. I know it was all thanks to her and the lovely team at Hayden Olivia Bridal!
Q) Overall, what should I expect at my dress appointment?
Coming in to shop for your dress is so exciting. My best advice is to be open minded because 99% of brides choose a gown unlike anything that they thought they would ever choose. Expect to be surprised by fits that you like! Expect to be surprised by how many different ways a designer can name the colors white and ivory! And expect to have so much fun while finding your gown. Do not expect to be stressed or have a hard time, finding your gown can be easy if you let it find you! Listen to your stylist and trust your gut! You know what you love! You already found the love of your life, the dress will come to you as well!
Q) Can you just walk in to a wedding dress boutique?
Some boutiques offer walk ins. Couture boutiques, like Hayden Olivia, are appointment only! We can book appointments over the phone or what is most common is that brides fill out our online appointment request. It is a form online that brides fill out when they want to come in, when their wedding is, and other details about their wedding! That form is then sent to our team and then we call the bride to book their appointment!
Q) How long do appointments usually last?
Average appointments last around an hour and a half. We offer brides 2 hour appointments to ensure that no one feels rushed!
Q) Should I wear my hair a way I hope to wear it on my big day i.e. curly, straight, or in an up do?
Wear your hair the way you feel the most beautiful! I always tell brides that! If you have your hair up, but don’t like updos, you won’t like how you look in the photos you are taking while trying on the gowns! Make sure you look like your best self!
Q) Should I fake tan?
Yes! If you are going to be tan on your wedding day, be tan at your bridal appointment!
Q) What shoes should I bring? Should I wear heels in the height I will be wearing on my wedding day?
Heels are recommended but not required! We have pedestals that brides can stand on barefoot or in their heels! All sample gowns are made for a woman that is 5’10 plus a little heel! So they are long! Your heel height that you will be wearing on that day can be decided once your gown arrives and you are at your first fitting!
Q) Should I bring the type of jewelry that I hope to wear that day?
Only if you have something you want to absolutely wear on your big day then bring that!
Q) What are the wedding dress trends for 2019 and 2020?
2019 and 2020 trends are very clean, classic, and chic! You will be seeing lots of rich satin ballgowns that have beautiful structure!
Q) Should I wear or bring spanx?
Bring spanx if you want to wear spanx on your wedding day! If not, don’t bring them!
Q) What type of bra should I bring?
I recommend wearing the petals (nipple covers) to a bridal appointment. Some gowns you won’t even try on with!
Q) On average how many dresses will someone try on in an appointment?
An average bride tries on 7-12 dresses! Some try on one and others try on 100. It all depends on how you personally are able to make decisions.
Q) Should I send inspiration photos?
Inspiration photos are amazing. I have already reached out to all of our designers and showed them your inspiration photos and told them when your appointment is and if they had anything similar that we could borrow to please send for your appointment day!
*Not all boutiques do this- smaller boutiques are able to do this because they are more hands on and involved with each bride
Q) What other photos would be helpful to you?
Photos of the venue are always a great thing to have on your phone at your appointment!
Q)What are the main types of dress silhouettes?
Ball gown, A-Line, fit and flare, mermaid, and sheath
Q)Are veils on trend?
Veils are always a Trend! Long cathedral lace veils are the most popular!
Q) What are shoe options for my head/hair?
Hair vines, hair combs, tiaras, so many options!
Q)How long in advance do I need to purchase a wedding dress before my big day?
We recommend ordering your gown as soon as you know it’s the one. If you’re shopping 15 months before your wedding but know it’s the dress, go ahead and buy it! Typically gowns take anywhere from 6-8 months to arrive from the designer and we recommend having at least two months to do alterations. 10 months before the wedding should be the latest you wait to order!
Q) Why so long?
Wedding gowns are custom orders. With this being said, once an order is placed, the designer has to order the fabric to create your custom gown. That takes time, then they have to construct the gown and be sure to include any customizations that brides want to add. Then the gown goes through quality control, if it passes, then the designer will ship it to the boutique. Designers always leave a grace period for any unforeseen circumstances like delays in lace, beading, or shipping problems. As they say, good things are always worth the wait!
Q) How much is a fair price to pay for alterations?
Treat alterations like a hair cut. Some seamstresses charge more than others simply because their work is better. Our seamstress charges brides based on the the time it will take her to finish the work. Her prices range anywhere from $450-$850. If you want to compare pricing, call around to other seamstresses in your area and see if they are comfortable with the designer of your gown and get quotes. I know Kleinfeld in NYC has a flat fee of $875 for alterations!
Q) How many fittings do you recommend for your dress leading up to you wedding?
I recommend 2 or 3!
Q) What color does the Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom traditionally wear?
Mother of the bride usually coordinate with the bridesmaids but a little different so she doesn’t blend in! Mother of the groom should coordinate with the groomsmen!
Q) Is there any thing else you think I or any bride to be should know prior to going wedding dress shopping, especially for the first time?
Best advice I can give to brides is: keep an open mind, making it a fun day, and celebrating your engagement!
Things most brides don’t know about bridal appointments and the not so glamorous details that boutiques don’t advertise are what exactly a trunk show is! Trunk shows are amazing because you get to see the exact gowns that walked down the runway. The trunk show only last for one weekend. So if a bride loves a dress that is there for a trunk show she will have to purchase the same day that she is in the store. “Sleeping on it” might not be an option! Also, when boutiques get the trunk show gowns they are getting the size 4 or 6’s that walked down the runway. Bridal sizing is always a touchy subject but it’s inevitable. The more brides just focus on how they feel in a dress and know that their custom order will come in to their size, the better the appointment will go.
Thank you so much Hunter for answering all my questions! I can not wait to share my experience shopping at Hayden Olivia. I loved so many of the dresses and ultimately fell in love with the one! I hope these questions and answers have helped someone who is currently shopping for a wedding dress! Thank you so much for reading along! - Stylin Brunette