We dream our whole lives about shopping for a wedding dress! However, many locals struggle with where to find wedding gowns San Francisco brides love when the time comes. After all, every bride deserves white-glove treatment, an amazing wedding dress selection, and all of the other details that go into creating a perfect shopping experience. Strategy is also important! You want to make the most of every minute you’re getting access to dresses for weddings after booking your visit to a bridal shop. Use these tips for how to shop for bridal gowns in San Francisco!
6 Wedding Dress Shopping Tips
1. Make a “Full Day” of Your Appointment
Most brides prefer to bring along close friends and family when shopping for their wedding dresses. This takes some planning! Start by asking about everyone’s availability to select a date for your appointment. You can use that information to contact a bridal shop to book an appointment. Plan to set aside several hours while using the “hive mind” of your crew to select, try on, and vote on several different dress styles.
2. Pin Down Some Examples Ahead of Time
If you feel like you have a good read on your personal style, use Pinterest or magazines to select some looks that are reflective of dresses you’d like to try on in person. This can help your bridal stylist pull dresses that you’re likely to like. You can even consider emailing the bridal shop some examples ahead of time to give your bridal stylist time to create a curated selection for you.
4. Wear Your Hair the Way You Plan to Wear It on Your Wedding Day
While you may not have your wedding hair look 100% pinned down, this is something you should consider before looking at dresses for weddings. Wearing your hair the way it will look when you’re coming down the aisle gives you a better idea of how a dress will look on the big day.
5. Set Your Budget Before You Arrive
As you shop for San Francisco wedding dresses, the fastest route to heartbreak is not telling a bridal stylist your budget. Bridal shops don’t want to pressure you into buying a dress you can’t afford. Wedding dress shop assistants want nothing more than to introduce you to beautiful looks that fit your style and budget.
In order to avoid the disappointment of discovering that a dress you just twirled in is two to three times what you can afford, kindly provide a price point that allows the associate helping you to choose stunning looks that are affordable to you. While some brides enjoy the fantasy aspect of trying on high-end or expensive dresses, this will only cut into the time you could be spending finding the true dress of your dreams.
6. Bring Your Wedding Shoes and Other Accessories to the Final Fitting
At your final fitting, the height of your wedding shoes will be critical for properly hemming your dress. Bringing other accessories along can also help your tailor to balance out dress details with necklaces, gloves, and other accessories. For example, a tailor may handle how they take in the bust based on where a necklace falls at the neckline.
Make the Search for Top San Francisco Wedding Dresses Easy
Trying on bridal gowns in San Francisco should be a magical experience! Our bridal boutique in Walnut Creek offers the modern and classic wedding dresses San Francisco brides choose when they want to feel nothing less than magical on their special day! When you come in for your bridal appointment, we’ll provide you with our undivided attention as we introduce you to the big looks of the moment from today’s top designers.
Flares Bridal + Formal | Bridal Shop in Walnut Creek, CA | San Francisco Bay Area
Located in Walnut Creek, Flares Bridal + Formal offers one of the largest and most diverse selections of wedding dresses in the San Francisco Bay Area. From timeless classics to modern glam, bohemian, and plus-size designs, our boutique features gowns by award-winning designers to fit every bride’s style, body type, and budget. Our expert consultants are here to help you find the perfect dress and perfect your look with in-house alterations. We also carry long sleeves and bridesmaid dresses.
Ready to find “the one”? Book your appointment today and experience the Flares Bridal + Formal difference.
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Hear It From Our Brides
Join our community of radiant brides who have found their dream dresses at Flares Bridal, and be inspired by their unforgettable wedding moments.
Flares and the alteration team did a wonderful job in getting my dress ready for the big day. They were communicative and friendly at every step. Thank you to the alterations team for meeting with me so many times to get the dress right!
Tiffany N
I said yes to the dress at Flare’s!!! The selection here is stunning, and the staff is so helpful and genuine! This is the perfect environment when shopping for your wedding dress. I’ve also had my dress altered here, which has been an easy, enjoyable process! Highly recommend
Jamie R
Lissa helped me find the most perfect dress. She gathered all the feedback from previous dresses I tried on and managed to find the one that ticked all my boxes. The dress is comfortable, stretchy, vibrant, and photographs so well. I was made to feel so special and confident in preparation
Kellene R
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