How to Shop for a Wedding Dress During COVID-19

And here we are, lovelies! Entering Phase 1 of the ‘Recovery Plan’. But what does this mean for you and your wedding planning?

While I imagine Virtual Wedding Planning will continue to be an impactful piece of the wedding planning journey, we wanted to give a quick update of what you can expect as your vendor partners are starting to reopen under Missouri and Kansas City’s Recovery Plans. Today we are chatting with our dear friends over at Something White Bridal Boutique in KC, as we work together to help prepare you on what to expect from your vendors over the next few weeks.

Paige, the owner of SWBB has some answers for your most asked questions as they pertain to her store and we’ve added in our own thoughts on how brides can expect to resume wedding dress shopping after reopening.

When do you anticipate opening for brides to try on in-store again?

SWBB: Due to Kansas City’s Stay-At-Home order, we are currently closed until Friday, May 15th. We are anticipating opening our doors that same day and welcoming brides back into the shop!

WIL: Expect similarly across the industry! Your wedding vendors are excited to get back to work and back to bringing your dream day to life. They are working to do so as quickly and safely as they can, but understand that there might be some level of communication congestion as we start to better understand our ‘new normal’. Plan for some level of grace and patience as response times might be a bit longer than what you’ve been accustomed to, and know that everyone is working hard behind the scenes and is thrilled to get back to planning with you!

What additional steps might brides need to take when they do come in?

SWBB: We will be taking additional steps to protect our brides and our staff in the hopes that our brides don’t feel the impact of COVID-19 on their shopping day. It is likely that we will have to limit the number of guests our brides can bring along with them, so bringing along a tablet or smartphone to Facetime other guests in would be a good idea – we will also have tablets available for use. Click here to read our COVID-19 practices from before the mandated closure. While some of the information is up in the air at this time, many of the same practices will be in effect.

WIL: Industry partners across the board have your safety in mind, first and foremost. I anticipate many of the health practices currently implemented to stay in place well past Phase 1. Prepare yourself and your family members for continued virtual meeting practices, and stay up to date on all healthcare guidelines for these businesses.

HELPFUL RESOURCES: State of Missouri Recovery Plan | CDC Reopening Guidelines

What to expect at your appointment?

SWBB: Expect the same great experience as always!

WIL: As unfortunate and dark as these circumstances have been on both a personal and mental level, one small benefit is the level of personalized service businesses have been able to focus on. This is one of the many reasons we love SWBB and our KC industry partners! One of the pillars of their service is a focus on the relationship and meaningful connections. You’re preparing for such a special day that can’t be repeated, and they are there to make sure you enjoy every memory of that.

What sort of timeline can brides anticipate?

SWBB: Most designers are up and running as normal. We are still anticipating arrivals between 4-6 months, depending on the designer and we recommend 2-3 months for alterations. We are still recommending shopping for your gown 9-12 months ahead of your wedding day but don’t worry if you’re after this time frame – we are ALWAYS here to help! For our 2020 brides, rush fees may apply (some of our designers can do turn around times in as little as 4 weeks) or we can look at the option of a sample gown, purchased right off the boutique floor, same day, at a sweet discount. Several of our designers are also beefing up their ready to ship gowns. All of these options will depend on the designer, dress, color, size, etc, but we promise to walk through all of the options with you individually based on your wedding date, budget, etc.

WIL: As always, we say start early! If you’re unsure of when you should be purchasing your wedding gown or the timeline for checking specific to-do’s off your checklist, we have a fabulous resource for you to check out!

Wedding Dress Shopping After COVID-19 Doesn’t Have to be Stressful

Something White Bridal Boutique really wants to be there for brides during their shopping experience and COVID-19 doesn’t have to take away the special life moment of shopping for your wedding dress! We encourage everyone to shop small with your favorite boutique and to do your research beforehand – limiting the number of boutiques shopped at will limit your possible exposure.

As always, Whatever Is Lovely Events has a close eye on everything happening around us. If you have any questions about how to move forward planning your wedding during this time, or even how to postpone your wedding, we’re here to help! We got you, babe.

Styled Shoot Info

Venues: The Everly, The Abbott| Photographers: Emma York, Deana Coufal Photography | Dresses: Something White Bridal Boutique | Beauty: Posh KC, Dani Jo Bellomy, Sadie Prowell | Flowers: Wild Hill Flowers and Events, Floriography