Dress Consultation Expectations

Bigwands

I made plans with my sister to stop by a local store to check out some dresses tm as sort of a casual first look.  My mom has the day off work and is now coming as well, so in order to be on the safe side I'm thinking I should book an actual appointment with the store.  I have no intention of buying anything so soon though and I don't want to be wasting anyone's time (or burning any bridges by pissing off the only place in town that apparently carries the Disney gowns).

What can I expect from an actual appointment?  Obviously some salesmanship, but are we looking at a hard push for a sale here?  Should I go with another place in town that I know takes walk-ins off the street?  There don't seem to be many appointments currently booked (according to their online calendar), so should I just try my luck without one?  This wasn't supposed to be an official "dress outing" yet, just a fun distraction and way to get a better idea of what to expect while I catch up with my sister.

julieanne912

I don't think it hurts to book an appointment, that way you're guaranteed to get some help when you arrive.  Also their online calendar may not be accurate.

There was a shop I visited that doesn't do appointments at all, so I showed up right when they opened.  It was good I did because about 20 minutes after they opened, there were no dressing rooms left and girls were having to wait for one to open up.

justsie

If you have no intention of buying anything I wouldn't book an appointment and take up a consultants time. When you walk in let them know that you are just looking and let them know when you wedding is (they will probably ask anyway) and when you are looking to buy a dress, so they know upfront that you aren't interested in buying anything.

labro

I think you should book an appointment if you're planning to try on. That way your information is saved in their records and they can write down styles you liked and styles you tried on. Most (but not all) of the wedding boutiques I shopped at expect and encourage you to go home and think about it and have another appointment with them in the future. There was one that made a big push and told me I wouldn't get 10% off if I didn't buy my dress at my first appointment. So guess who I didn't buy my dress from? 

A good boutique won't push you HARD to buy a dress. Obviously they want you to buy, but they also want to keep your business and if you make it clear that you are just starting to look, then they shouldn't give too hard of a push. The boutique I purchased from I visited twice. The sales consultant 100% respected that I wanted to keep looking around, wrote down my favorite dresses, and then when I came back again with my mom and sister, she had all those dresses ready for me plus a few others and I ended up buying my dress that day. They should care about you and your opinion and not just the sale. Their reputation as a salon rests on your overall experience there, not just whether or not you bought a dress.

lildropofsunshine

I'm assuming you're talking about Alfred Angelo. I have had a GREAT experience there with booked appointments and absolutely NO pressure to buy from the consultants! Go ahead and do it!

Bigwands

I am, but the appointment is with a boutique called Best for Bride not with Alfred Angelo directly.  I've got an appointment and hopefully things are nice and relaxed.