25 Questions to ask while shopping Melbourne Wedding Dresses

If you have recently got engaged: congratulations! For most brides-to-be, the very next step for them to do is to find her dream wedding dress in Melbourne. As exciting as it can be, wedding dress shopping often comes with a touch of overwhelm with so many stunning Melbourne wedding dresses as well as bridal shops out there, it can be challenging for bride-to-be to decide which is the perfect wedding gown.

At Bella E La Bestia, we believe that every bride deserves to feel like a princess in her dream Melbourne wedding dress. To help guide you on your wedding dress shopping journey, we’ve put together a list of 25 essential questions to ask your wedding dress shop before making that all-important decision, furthermore, we have also included our answers from a Melbourne wedding dress shop’s perspective. So without further ado, get your notebook and let’s dive right into it!

Questions to ask before visiting Melbourne wedding dress shop

  • Most Melbourne brides are engaged for between 18 to 21 months, which give them plenty of time to look for their dream Melbourne wedding dresses. We all know shopping the wedding dress is not as straightforward as buying a dress at H&M, taking into the account of researching, visiting multiple Melbourne bridal shops for fittings, towards finally making the decision, which the wedding dress will be made according to your body shape, and then more fittings and alterations until it’s finally ready. So it’s definitely a good idea to shop for your Melbourne wedding dress early to avoid stress.

    At Bella E La Bestia, our typical delivery time of a wedding dress is around 10 months, while potential alteration can also take up some time, we’d advise that bride-to-be buy her wedding dress at least 8-10 months before her wedding day.

  • When choosing which Melbourne wedding dress shop to visit, it is important that you go through their website, social pages, and feel what they offer matches your style and body. If you have a specific requirement such as plus size wedding dress, it is worthwhile to check out if they stock wedding dresses Melbourne that suit your need. Lastly, it is worthwhile to check the Melbourne bridal shop’s review such as Google rating, so you can be sure that they will take good care of you.

    We recommend brides-to-be to visit 2-3 bridal shops so not only they can try and feel which wedding dress look the best on them, but also compare the Melbourne wedding dress shop’s service, collection as well as prices. Lastly, being one of the highest rated wedding dress shops in Melbourne (4.9 stars on Google), our mission is to find the perfect gown for every bride-to-be and we take pride of the customer service that we offer.

  • Setting the budget before you shop Melbourne wedding dresses is important: not only it prevents overspending, also the experienced bridal consultant can help you find the right dress within your budget.

    As every wedding is different so is every couple’s spending budget, it’s unsurprising that every bride-to-be would have a different budget on buying her wedding dress. However, here is a rule of thumb if you are looking for a general guideline: according to Australian government website Moneysmart, couple averagely spend 8% of their total wedding budget on wedding dress. The average wedding spending is $36,000, which means the average spending on Melbourne wedding dresses is around $2,900. You can read our complete Melbourne wedding dresses price guide.

  • After working out your budget on wedding dresses, the next step is to check if the Melbourne bridal shop you are going offer gowns that are within your budget. It’s also worth to check if they offer off-the-rack wedding dresses Melbourne so you can save money.

    At Bella E La Bestia, most of our Melbourne wedding dresses are priced between $1,500 and $8,000, with most of them priced around $3000.

  • Check prior with the Melbourne wedding dress shop if they stock wedding dresses that are in your size can avoid disappointment. So bridal shops focus on plus size wedding dresses Melbourne while so focus on more petite brides.

    At Bella E La Bestia Bridal, our offer a selection of stunning Melbourne wedding dresses to make every bride feel beautiful. We offer floor samples up to size 32 and we can make wedding dresses from size 6 to size 38, depending on the wedding dress style.

  • Most Melbourne wedding dress shops require bride-t0-be to book an appointment so they can ensure that the bride-to-be is looked after by one of their experienced bridal consultants. If your plan is just to check out their Melbourne wedding dresses collection, a phone call prior the visit will be beneficial.

  • Most brides-to-be would arrange multiple wedding appointments on a day, so it’s important to leave enough time for each appointment to avoid clashes.

    Depending on the number of dresses that you try on, but most Melbourne wedding dress appointment last from 45 minutes to 1 hour.

  • Shopping for your wedding dress is an exciting journey and you might want to as much as people to come share the joy with you. However, most of the Melbourne wedding dress shop do have a limit on the number of guests that you can bring with you due to the size of their bridal boutiques, but most importantly, too many voices in the room can affect a bride’s decision making.

    At Bella E La Bestia, we recommend bride-to-be to bring 1 guest who can offer honest opinion that she values. Brides-to-be are welcomed to make video calls to show their Melbourne wedding dresses to friends that couldn’t come.

  • In order to make your wedding dress shopping a smooth journey, it’s worthwhile to check with your local Melbourne bridal shop that if there is anything you should/should not bring with you for the first appointment.

    Here is a list of to bring & not to bring that we suggest to all brides-to-be visiting Bella E La Bestia:

    To bring: If you have certain accessories that you wish to wear on your wedding day, bring them with you so we can find your perfect wedding gown. A nude undergarment is also helpful in visualizing your final look. Lastly, make sure you bring

    Not to bring: no fake tan, foundation or lipstick to maintain the integrity of our Melbourne wedding dresses.

Questions to Ask During Visiting Melbourne wedding dress shop

  • While you may already have a specific Melbourne wedding dress in mind before visiting your Melbourne bridal boutique, it is still worthwhile to consult your experienced bridal stylists. Based on your body type and their experience, they can recommend Melbourne wedding dresses that will look stunning on you. Lastly, be open to what an experienced bridal consultant suggests, the wedding dress might be somewhat different than what you pictured, but you could be pleasantly surprised when you try it on.

  • Apart from making sure the Melbourne wedding dress you are buying look 100% stunning on you, there are also a few practical details that you need to take account of. Double check with your Melbourne wedding dress consultant on how a potential style will affect your ability to sit, walk, use bathroom and even dance. For example, when buying a fit-n-flare wedding dress but you also plan to get up to the dancefloor and have a boogie, it is definitely worthwhile to check with your bridal stylist as some styles can be a little restricting.

  • Off the rack Melbourne wedding dresses refer to floor samples, they are usually discounted as they may have a little bit of wear and tear from previous try-ons. . If your wedding day is getting close within a few months or you are on a budget and have an open mind, you should definitely consider buy a floor sample and grab yourself a bargain.

    At Bella E La Bestia bridal shop, bride-to-be can usually take advantage of discounts from 30%-50% on floor sample discounted Melbourne wedding dresses.

  • Many Melbourne wedding dress shops stock bridal accessories such as veils, earrings, and tiaras to help bride-to-be to complete the look. It is worthwhile to check with your bridal consultant so she can help you find the best matching accessories.

  • It is quite often that Melbourne wedding dress shops offer a package deal if you purchase your wedding dress, veils and other accessories together. You can save yourself time and money by purchasing a package altogether.

    At Bella E La Bestia, bride can typically save up to extra 50% on wedding dress accessories by buying the bundle package.

  • Most of the times, your bridal consultant will explain the customization options of the wedding dress that you are looking at in terms of color and fabric before you even ask this question. If you really don't like something about a wedding dress, the good news is that it can probably be changed or customized, and it never hurts to ask. At the very least, it will help point the bridal stylist in the right direction.

  • This is probably the most important question on the entire list. You definitely want to make sure you will be getting the Melbourne wedding dress before your wedding day, and ideally have sufficient time left for any potential alterations.

    At Bella E La Bestia, our current turnaround time of a Melbourne wedding dress is around 10 months.

  • A wedding dress bustle is when your stunning wedding dress’s train is buttoned up to floor length. Brides would usually have their train bustled up during the reception especially on the dancefloor, to avoid her dress get caught or stepped on.

    Being able to bustle up your dress is important for brides as this offer their convenience and mobility during the night. And it is often impossible for bride to bustle the wedding dress by herself so it is usually her bridesmaid’s job. Make sure to check with your Melbourne wedding dress stylist if your gown has a bustle and if yes, make sure let her teach your bridesmaid how to do it.

Questions to Ask After Visiting Melbourne wedding dress shop

  • The number of fittings you need mostly depends on how many alterations that your Melbourne wedding dress require as well as how much your body changes during that time. Most of the brides-to-be require around 3-5 fittings until their Melbourne wedding dresses fit perfectly on them.

  • Unless your wedding dress is custom-made to perfection, otherwise every Melbourne wedding dress should be altered to ensure a perfect fit. While some Melbourne bridal boutiques have seamstress who work onsite, others may not offer alteration service, but they will be more than happy to recommend a trusted seamstress that they work closely with.

  • As mentioned above, most of the Melbourne wedding dresses need alteration to ensure perfect fitting, so it’s important to check with your bridal stylist the potential alteration cost and factor it in your total spending budget.

    Alteration prices of Melbourne wedding dresses mainly depend on the extent of the changes needed and the prices can vary between as little as $75 to $1,200. At Bella E La Bestia, our wedding dress alteration services start from $500 depending on your needs.

  • If you change your mind after ordering your wedding dress, it is important to know what the exchange or cancellation policies are, if any. As most Melbourne wedding dresses are custom order which means you won’t likely to get a refund, but it’s good to check.

  • Each Melbourne wedding dress shop has a different expectation in terms of payment timeframe so it’s important to check and make sure when is the final balance is due.

    At Bella E La Bestia, we require full amount to be paid when you decide to go ahead ordering your dream wedding dress. so afterwards you can sit back, relax and wait for your dress to arrive.

  • Apart from paying for the wedding dress itself, it is also worthwhile to check if there is any additional cost that you should be aware of. Many brides-to-be forget to factor in the cost of the alteration, cleaning and potential delivery service and got surprised by the total amount. So it is advisable to check with your Melbourne wedding dress consultant to know roughly how much should you plan for the entire wedding dress budget.

  • It is worth to find out how losing/gaining weight will affect your wedding dress fitting later towards your wedding day. But we do recommend brides-to-be to embrace their own body and do not try to intentionally lose too much weight as it can make the fitting harder.

  • Your local Melbourne wedding dress shop will let you know when your wedding dress is ready. Some bridal boutique offers delivery options at extra cost while some bridal shops only allow pickups. It is important to check with your bridal shop so you can plan your time and trip getting your wedding dress.

There you have it, here are the top 25 essential questions to ask your Melbourne wedding dress shop from before you make the visit all the way to putting down the deposit. While this should cover most of the questions that brides-to-be encounter during their Melbourne wedding dresses shopping, however, if you have any question that is not covered in this blog, please contact us and we’d be happy to help answering it!

Bella E La Bestia Bridal