The Brenda Babe Experience

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hen should I start my search for the perfect dress?
Since most dresses can take anywhere from 5-10 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 most sample dresses 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! We are open "by appointment only".  So, what exactly does that mean? Well, it means that we will work to find the most convenient date & time for you based on your busy schedule!  Evenings, weekends (yes-even Sundays!), early mornings-if it works for you, we will do our best to make it happen! If you don't see an ideal date and time available on our "Book Your Appointment" page, simply reach out and we will do whatever we can to accommodate you.
Part of what makes Brenda Babe so unique is our commitment to scheduling completely private styling sessions in our fabulous boutique. (And by "private styling sessions", we mean just that! There are NO OTHER BRIDES OR GUESTS IN THE BOUTIQUE DURING YOUR SCHEDULED STYLING SESSION!) Scheduling your 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!

Please visit our Bridal Appointments Page for full descriptions of these highly individualized appointments.

For the bride-to-be who is interested in learning a little more about our boutique prior to scheduling a full bridal appointment experience, please reach out to chat.  

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. 

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 boutique EXCLUSIVELY for you and your guests-that's it! NO OTHER BRIDES OR GUESTS will be in the boutique 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 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?
Honestly, there are no real "rules" as to what to wear, other than whatever makes you most comfortable. But, we can make some general recommendations to help you get started. To start, we recommend nude undergarments. Proper undergarments are required when trying on our dresses. 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've got you!! Before you even try on a single dress, it's important that we spend some time getting to know YOU and your uniquely fabulous personality! That said, we include a 30 minute virtual pre-appointment consult with our bridal appointments. This allows us to chat one-on-one and answer any and all questions you might have about the entire process!  You may also find it helpful to seek inspo pics online, or create a Pinterest board with dresses that catch your eye.  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. Whatever your vision, we are so here for it! Brenda Babe is dedicated to providing you a highly individualized, once in a lifetime experience where our goal is for you to say YES to the perfect "YOU" dress!  Our passion and excitement resonates in all that we do, and we cannot WAIT to welcome you to the boutique to experience all of  the fabulousness for yourself!

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 prefer to work with industry leading "indie" designers who are committed to offering higher level customization options that reflect the uniquely fabulous 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 boutique!

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  any additional services you might need once your dress arrives. 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 boutique 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. Payment options may be available depending on order timeframe. Please reach out to discuss your individual situation. 

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 have a pretty defined budget, but still want a beautiful dress-and I really dread the thought of going online. Do you have options?
OF COURSE WE DO!!!! The last thing we want you to do is take a gamble online with such an important decision for your special day!  We believe all brides deserve their moment, and a completely authentic experience when saying YES to their dress! Our boutique samples are always available for immediate, discounted purchase. Sizes, styles and pricing varies. If this option works best for you, you can select the BOUTIQUE SAMPLE MARKDOWNS option when booking your appointment with us. (Pro tip: If you have an idea of what you are hoping for and a general idea of size, you can contact us directly to discuss your individual situation prior to booking!)

Do you offer dress cleaning an preservation services?
We Absolutely Do!!  We partner with an incredibly fabulous woman-owned and operated business to offer our brides a highly specialized and environmentally-friendly cleaning and preservation service. Check out our Cleaning & Preservation page to learn more.

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!