(I couldn't find anything related to this in my search here, but apologies if it's a duplicate.)
I'm not sure if one normally tips the stylist that helps with the dress choosing/try-ons, fitting, & styling, but I feel like the Nordstrom experience and the woman who is helping me is above and beyond.
That said, I don't have a ton of experience with dress shopping so not much to compare it to, so I wanted to ask. The only other time I've ever experienced wedding dress shopping was with a friend a few years back. We went to two smaller boutiques downtown where my friend and I basically browsed the dress racks ourselves, pointed out the ones we wanted her to try on, and the attendant grabbed a sample near her size and helped with zipping, if needed. I think they may have provided a few suggestions too, but they weren't overly involved.
My experience at the Wedding Suite at Nordstom's flagship store has been completely different. The stylist sat down with me for 20+min when I booked my appointments asking me all sorts of things about the wedding & its style, my own preferences, etc. She suggested two initial appointments, one solo where we could figure out undergarments/fittng and also try on a bunch of stuff to get an idea of the styles and fits that worked best for me, then a second appointment with mom, my gals, etc to solicit their input on the top choices, plus start looking at accessories like shoes, jewelry, etc.
I know this is where I will buy my dress, so there will be at least a couple more appointments as well, where we will finalize fitting and accessories.
The first appointment went really well. She was running a smidge late with the final fitting for a valentine's bride, so she stayed an extra 30min after closing to make sure I got all my time. She has her work cut out for her, since I want a non-traditional dress, so she's pulled stuff from both bridal/bridesmaids selections AND their Special Occasion department to find things she thinks would work well for me, and she's been gracious the whole time.
So, what do you think? Should I tip her during my appointment tomorrow (second one, with the girls)? Do I wait and tip her after the last fitting closer to the wedding? Do I not tip at all?