I originally thought this post would come long after I got married, after the pictures of the special day would surface on social media, but now I find myself in a unique opportunity and can talk about saying yes to the dress all while showcasing new dresses!
We are happy to announce that BLONDE2BRUNETTE is officially part of the #CHICAMBASSADOR tribe. From time to time I will be able to showcase to you the latest trunk shows at Chic Parisien. Follow Chic Parisien on instagram for the fastest way to learn about all their events!
We asked our instafam what is the top question you have for bridal dresses. Well based on our own experience and your questions. We narrowed it down to just THREE KEY NOTES to keep in mind while on the hunt!
1) When should I start looking for dresses? | ASAP! Kendall Huibregtse, bridal couture stylist at Chic (follow her @kendallhuibregtse ), recommends that once you are engaged to begin the process. She says on average it may take a bride about 2 months into engagement to get the juices flowing for dress shopping. Dresses can take 8 months to come in the store once you order it. Rarely do you get
a dress in at 6 months if your are looking for/ picking a higher end designer or fresh from a trunk show! Though, Chic Parisien will go above and beyond to help you get your order in at a timely manner! Example, I got engaged May 20th 2018, even though my wedding isn't until Nov. 2nd 2019, I went shopping the first week of June and found my dress in one appointment! The dress comes in next month, February! That's right on the 8th month mark!
2) How should I prepare myself? | You are going to want to make an appointment! Have that time set, so the ladies at Chic can prep your room. Once you make an appointment (at no cost to you), they send you a special link where you select images of their designer dresses and their variety of silhouettes and over all vibe. They then ask you a few spec about your wedding, i.e. date, location, wedding dress budget etc. to get a feel of the over all look and provide you the right dresses.
The second important thing is to look the part. As in get your hair blowed out, shave your legs, put your face on and wear nude undies and pasties. I wore pasties so I could easily be free and not worry about a nip slip! You can bring heels, but they also have this cute step up that helps you see the dress in full. Lastly, bring your phone or camera
When I entered the boutique I came with my top bridal squad my mother, Sylvia and my M.O.H. aka the Blondie to my Brunette aka the one and only sister, Sylvia! lol I also came with an open mind, because man oh man, I love me a fancy dress and this was the dress. I was greeted right away by the gorgeous Kendall (seriously we are pretty much obsessed with her, she's a girls girl and you will want to follow her and all her stunning outfits and styling). Kendall kept everyone involved and I never felt like anyone was left out of the conversation. She asked more questions about my fiance' and how we met and why we chose NoLa etc. etc. it was great, she then had a variety of dresses in the room along with some dresses from Reem Acra trunk show. Wow another gorgeous designer(thats for another post). I told Kendall right away that this was my first ever trying on wedding dresses for the hunt and that I just wanted to see what silhouette I was going for cause I love them all and have no idea! Well, we tried on 10-12 dresses in 2 hours and the second dress was the one dress i kept comparing them all to... Kendall then took a pause after enough analyzing my likes and loves, cause I didn't hate anything, and grabbed one more dress... that dress was THE DRESS! I knew it right away, but at the same time I thought, maybe i need to think about it. My mother cried only for that last dress, so it was pretty intense. My sister was in love with the second and last so she was open to either. I said, Kendall, can we let you know in couple days. I really need to think about it - more like CONFIRM IT! Kendall texted me later that evening to remind me that she is there when I need her to let her know and if I wanted to set an appointment for a new trial with the next trunk show. The following day comes and we tell her, THIS is the one! We want to confirm and put the retainer on the dress, but can we do something for when I come in? Since I originally thought this would be the first of many trials, I decided that I was going to save money and not spend on any "VIP APPOINTMENTS", but now that I had found my dress, I wanted to have that " SHE SAID YES" moment with a little jazz! Funny enough my God mother was going to be in town and our abuela had just finished an intensive radiation treatment from brain tumor removal - 2018 was rough - but all signs were pointing up and we got the squad together including my God daughter / flower girl, Sylvi (yes another Sylvia). Kendall coordinated it all and made a fashion show out of it. The ladies sipped on champagne, ate macarons and boozed infused ice-cream. They now have a few packages to choose from that are very affordable for a memorable experience!! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON VIP APPOINTMENTS
3) Go in there with an OPEN MIND & OPEN HEART | If you know what you want or if you aren't sure of what you want in a wedding dress, that is ok because honestly you will be surprised with what you choose. You see dresses on a the rack and you think that a certain cut would never be flattering or comfortable and then the ladies say " trust me, try it on" and then POOF magic! So go in there with and open heart and surprise yourself. You are in great company, the Chic ladies never try to pressure you in certain dresses or price points. They want you to fall in love with your "YES DRESS". If you are not a Miami local, and are searching in your hometown, make sure when searching your bridal spots that the ladies have positive professional vibes. That's what i look for when finding the right place for these type of purchases.
NOW FOR THE REAL REASON WE ARE HERE, TO SEE SOME DRESSES!!!!!!!
I got to try on a handful of BERTA dresses at Chic Parisien for this weekend's TRUNK SHOW which has dropped TODAY!!! More styles of their gorgeous dresses in store!
Make an appointment ASAP, so they can give you all the help and tending you will need in the process. If you are feeling festive, get your VIP ON with a package! Why not make an afternoon out of it?
ENJOY THE SHOTS BELOW!!!
Thank you, BERTA for the beautiful opportunity to try on your dresses...
Special THANK YOU to CHIC PARISIEN for inviting me to be a #ChicAmbassador and a forever #CHICBRIDE .
XO,
Caro
