Advice for Brides
Do your Homework
Use the variety of resources available to you to get an idea of what you are looking for. Magazines, websites and designers are good places to start looking.
Timing
Start your search 12-18 months before your wedding day so you can relax and enjoy it.
Order 9-12 months prior. If you have less than 9 months, boutiques offering a great service will do everything they can to help you although if left too late it may reduce the choice of dresses available.
Choose your accessories when your actual dress has arrived. It is better for you to decide on your accessories when you are actually standing in your dress and understand better the theme of your wedding. We order dresses in for 2 months before your wedding date which is plenty of time to choose all those little extras, including shoes!
Try to keep an open mind
You will be amazed when you start to try all the fabulous different shapes, fabrics, colours and designs available to you, how your ideas might start to develop into something completely different.
Some brides-to-be can find what they are looking for in their first visit to a boutique and others like to try 4 or 5 different places before they start to narrow down their search. If you have the time and energy to visit many places then do so, you will soon get a good feeling as to what you do like and what you do not like.
Making Your Appointments
You should expect anything from 30 mins to 2 hours. Your first appointment at Quello will be 2 hours. Saturday is the busiest day so try to avoid this day where possible as appointment times may be reduced. We do everything we can to keep to 2 hours on a Saturday but we guarantee if we do have to reduce it, it will be no less than 1½ hours.
Good boutiques should ask a few questions about you and your wedding so they are prepared for your visit. Also ask if they stock shoes for you to try on with the gowns.
What to take along with you
Take a strapless bra with you and shoes if necessary. Also take any pictures or things that inspire you to give the consultant a good idea of your personal style and ideas.
If you have a digital camera, make sure someone takes pictures of you in the gowns from all angles. It gives you a really good idea of what you will look like on your wedding photos.
Also take along any items that you have set your heart on wearing on the day, for example, family jewellery, so you can make sure your overall requirements are not compromised.