The Brenda Babe Experience

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When should I start my search for the perfect dress?
Since most dresses can take anywhere from 6-10 months to arrive once they are ordered from the designer, we recommend you begin your search at least 8 - 12 months prior to the big day! You will want to allow extra time once the dress arrives for any alterations your gown might need. This is why it is recommended to give yourself as much time as possible.  But don't worry! If you're in a time crunch, many designers will offer "rush services" for an additional fee, and some sample gowns are available "off the rack". Regardless of your situation, Brenda Babe Bridal will explore all available options to find your dream dress! 

Do I need an appointment?

Yes! Our shoppe is open "by appointment only".  Part of what makes Brenda Babe so unique is our commitment to scheduling private styling sessions in our ridiculously fabulous showroom. (And by "private styling sessions", we mean just that! There are NO OTHER BRIDES OR GUESTS IN THE SHOPPE DURING YOUR SCHEDULED STYLING SESSION!) Scheduling an appointment ensures that you will have a particular date and time reserved SPECIFICALLY for you and your guests. A professional stylist will work one-on-one with you, providing the individualized attention you deserve in searching for your dream dress. This is an exciting time, and we want to ensure that you have a fabulous experience with us. Appointments allow us to focus on YOU!

We offer a variety of bridal appointment options to choose from:

For the bride-to-be who prefers to keep it simple, and is interested in learning a little more about our shoppe prior to scheduling a full bridal appointment experience, our Preview Bridal Appointment is the perfect option.  A unique opportunity to chat one-on-one with Brenda to ask questions & learn about the many options available at our boutique, including customizing a one-of-a-kind dream dress. You will have the opportunity to try on 1 to 4 dresses to “preview” our curated designer collections. 1 guest can enjoy this “preview” experience with you. You will then have the option to schedule an upgraded appointment for a future date & time should you decide to move forward with a full Brenda Babe experience appt. 

Our Bridal Styling Session is ideal for the bride-to-be who may want a bit more out of her dress search. This totally private shopping session is scheduled for up to 90 minutes working one-on-one with a professional stylist to try various silhouettes and narrow down what styles work best for YOU. You may bring up to 3 guests to enjoy this experience with you. There will be NO OTHER BRIDES OR GUESTS IN THE SHOPPE during your totally private styling session, making this appointment truly focused on the fabulous bride-to-be! One additional 30 minute follow up appointment is included with the Bridal Styling Session appointment option, should you wish to take some time to think over your choices and come back at a later time to retry your top favorites. A $50 non-refundable booking fee is required to reserve your date and time for your private bridal styling session appointment.

For the bride-to-be who wants the ultimate shopping experience, you may want to upgrade to our BabeTastic Styling Experience. Enjoy a totally private styling session of up to 2 and a half hours with up to 6 guests* to enjoy this experience with you! THERE WILL BE NO OTHER BRIDES OR GUESTS IN THE SHOPPE DURING YOUR TOTALLY PRIVATE "BABE-TASTIC" STYLING SESSION EXPERIENCE, making this appointment ALL ABOUT THE FABULOUS BRIDE-TO-BE!  (The entire shoppe is reserved for only you and your guests!) You will work one-on-one with Brenda Babe herself as she navigates you thru your own "say yes" journey! Custom music selections and other amenities will set the perfect tone for this experience. Should you find "the one" and say YES to the dress during your styling experience, $100 of your booking fee will be credited off the total cost of the dress, as well as additional discounts on accessories-AND you will receive a very special celebratory thank you gift! Should you need a little time before saying yes, one 30 minute follow up appointment will be included with the BabeTastic Styling Experience where you can retry your top favorites one more time. *We can comfortably accommodate up to 6 guests, however if you have a special circumstance, please reach out so that we can discuss your individual situation. A non-refundable $200 booking fee is required to reserve the date and time for your BabeTastic Styling Experience.  

Since each of of our brides-to-be have unique needs, please reach out to discuss your unique situation and we will try to accommodate however possible. If for some reason you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, or need to reschedule,  please notify us as soon as possible. Visit our Book Your Appointment page to see all of our appointment and special event options.

Why do I have to pay "just to shop"?
Unfortunately we hear this often with new appointment requests :(  
Here's the thing. We are a boutique-not your typical retail "store". We pride ourselves on the unique nature of our styling sessions. When you schedule any of our appointment options, you are reserving the ENTIRE showroom EXCLUSIVELY for you and your guests-that's it! NO OTHER BRIDES OR GUESTS will be in the shoppe while your styling session is taking place. And when we say "styling session", we truly mean it! Your personal stylist will be focused only on YOU and helping you navigate your search for the PERFECT dress together! Whether that means identifying and narrowing down what dress styles work best on you, special ordering a dress from one of our ridiculously amazing in-shoppe sample dresses, or creating a COMPLETELY CUSTOM dress by working with our exclusive designers for a truly one-of-a-kind wedding day look-a styling session at Brenda Babe is definitely not "just shopping" :)   (still have questions or concerns? no worries-just give us a shout to discuss -always happy to help!)

Can I bring children to my appointment?
Although we love little ones, our shoppe is not set up for tiny humans :(  An hour to 2 hour appointment is a long time to expect children not to become bored or restless. With respect to your guests, and to the unique nature of our appointments, we kindly request that small children not attend your initial appointment. However, we do realize special circumstances exist and may be arranged by contacting the shoppe directly.
We sincerely appreciate your understanding and cooperation! 

What should I wear to my appointment?
To start, we recommend nude undergarments. Proper undergarments are required when trying on our gowns. You will also want to bring a pair of shoes similar in height to those you will wear on your wedding day. And, to keep our sample dresses looking their absolute best, we do ask that you wear minimal makeup and NO RECENT SPRAY TANS (please and thank you!!).  
Also, we do ask any visitors to the shoppe to kindly remove their shoes upon arrival due to the nature of having gowns out and about throughout the showroom.  Feel free to bring slippers or socks or any indoor only footwear for your visit.

There are so many different styles of dresses-how do I even know where to begin?
If you're not quite sure of your wedding dress style preference-don't worry! We're here to help! Before you even try on a single dress, we'll spend some time getting to know you and walk you thru the process. You may find it helpful to seek inspo pics online, or create a Pinterest board with dresses that catch your eye. This will give us an overall idea and will help us select styles that most closely match your vision. We do recommend keeping an open mind and to trust your stylist-as you may actually fall in love with a style that you never would have even considered without their recommendation. Or, you may love "elements" of various different styles, and we may need to customize a one-of-a-kind look based on those preferences. Bottom line-we want you to know when you've found "the one" and are here to help you thru to your "Say Yes" moment!

What designers do you carry?
Please visit the "Designers" section for details and images of current designers. Our designers are carefully selected for their exclusivity and FABULOUS FACTOR of their dresses, as well as their ability to offer customization services to meet the individual needs of our brides-to-be. We also only work with designers who strictly adhere to ETHICALLY-MADE dress standards.  When you say YES to your dress with us, you can be confident that your dress was made to order specifically for YOU by a skilled team, and not mass produced with no quality or labor standards.  We also prefer to work with industry leading "indie" designers who are committed to customizing styles that reflect the uniquely fabullous style and personality of each and every one of our brides-to-be! We are able to work directly with our amazing designers to incorporate your unique special touches to make your dress truly your own. Watch for updates as new designers are added to the shoppe!

What if I am planning to lose weight before my wedding?
While we completely understand that every bride wants to look and feel their absolute best on their big day, it is NOT recommended to order a dress in a size smaller than your current size. A dress is always easier to be taken in than let out. Generally, alterations cannot "increase" the size of a dress, however, they can help to make a slightly loose dress fit your shape.

I said "yes" to my dream wedding gown-now what??
Congratulations!!!  First we celebrate-finding "the one" is a pretty big deal! Once you have said "yes" to your dream dress, your measurements will be taken to ensure the proper size is ordered. Any customizations that you wish to have made (such as adding cups or straps, custom length, color, different bodice shape, alternate lace, etc) will be finalized.  Brenda Babe Bridal works with extremely talented and affordable local alterations specialists to offer alterations services. However, you are free to choose your own specialist if you wish. In order to place the order for your wedding dress, a 50% non-refundable deposit is required at time of purchase, with remaining balance due once the dress arrives at the shoppe for pickup-which could be anywhere from 6 to 11 months depending on designer. Due to the nature of the formalwear business, ALL SALES ARE FINAL, and we can not accept returns :( You will be provided a copy of your wedding dress contract upon purchase, which outlines information in greater detail.

Do you "buy" previously purchased wedding dresses? 

Unfortunately, we do not offer buy-back or consignment services for previously purchased dresses at this time.

I still have some questions before I schedule my own private styling session. Can I contact you to discuss?
ABSOLUTELY!!!!!  We want your Brenda Babe experience to be so much more than simply "shopping for a dress". You can call, message, email, chat-whatever works best for you-and we will answer all of your questions and concerns!