CSB's Guide to Buying Your Dream Dress during a Short Engagement

Short engagement due to COVID-19? Church Street Bridal has got this!

Wedding date moved up due to military deployment? No problem!

Life throwing a wrench in your wedding plans? Let’s talk!

Church Street Bridal staff has helped countless women with short timelines find their dream dress. (Check out our gallery and praise for CSB. ) Here are our tips and tricks to get your dress, even when the clock is tickin’! 

• Plan to buy a sample gown. Buying “off the rack” isn’t limited to brides with short timelines, but it’s a great option for 2 main reasons.  

1. You will save money! Full-service salons can order a dress from a designer, but you may pay hefty rush fees. In addition, sample gowns are less expensive across the board. For example, all the gowns at Church Street Bridal are priced between $200- $600.  

2. When you buy a sample gown at Church Street Bridal, you get to walk out of the shop with your dress in hand. You have it and can immediately check that off your list, rather than waiting on your dress to be delivered to the salon, be shipped to you, etc.   

• Secure an appointment with a bridal alteration specialist, even before you buy your gown. This means that you have someone that can alter the gown that you fall in love with! This will also give you confidence as you shop. When you find something, you know it can be altered to fit you on your day! 

• Before you go shopping, let our bridal consultants know your timeline and budget. We can tailor our recommendations and advice for your specific situation.  

Photo By Olivia Bauso

Ladies, never forget the tale of the ‘3:30 PM bride’!  

A few years ago, a sweet and soft-spoken bride walked in. So soft-spoken that the bridal consultants thought they misheard her when she said that she was getting married THAT day. Instead of planning an elaborate wedding, they had decided to say ‘I do’ at 5:00 PM. After we shook off the shock, we all got to work!  

30 minutes later she said “yes” to a beautiful ivory gown.  

After years of receiving photos from happy and gorgeous brides, we know you have got this!  

Click here to book your appointment with Church Street Bridal! 

Click here to contact Church Street Bridal with questions about shopping with us! 

Insider Advice: A Chat with The Mullins Photo Co.

Adam and Sarah Mullins are parents, advocates for foster care, teachers, and the owners of the Lynchburg-based photography company The Mullins Photo Co. They have shot 200+ weddings since they started their business in 2013! I, Rachel, was so lucky to sit down with them for an interview. I wanted their insider advice about everything from dresses to wedding day preparation!

Sarah recalls her wedding dress and bridal shopping experience. She was recovering from mono when she went shopping for her dress. (Oh no!) Sarah anticipated buying a princess style ball gown but ended up walking down the aisle in a strapless, lacey simple gown. Adam recalled that “she looked awesome!”

Adam calls himself the “nerd of the crew”, with an affinity for the tech side of photography, while Sarah thrives on the special details and family moments of the wedding day. Their complementary strengths and perspectives make them an incredible photography team!

Their advice for the gals at Church Street Bridal:

1. Comfort is key! A comfortable dress that makes you feel confident means that all the photos from your wedding day will reflect your joy and relaxation. Being unable to sit or move makes it more difficult to enjoy your big day! 

2. To blush or not to blush? Some of our brides wonder about how an ivory or blush dress will appear on camera. The Mullins reaffirmed that all shades of ivory and blush look beautiful in bridal portraits and photographs. Each bride should wear whatever shade makes them feel the most confident!

3. Delegate day-of responsibility! Get someone else to handle day-of questions and coordination. While Adam and Sarah understand that not all brides can fit a wedding planner or day-of coordinator into their wedding budget, they recommend having a friend stand-in. This person (as a professional or as a friend) can field the questions that a bride may not want to field on the wedding day. 

4. Make like Frozen and ‘Let it Go'!’ Adam and Sarah advised all brides “Hire vendors who you trust and who listen to you.” Take time to find vendors who you are comfortable with. If you have confidence in your caterer or photographers, you won’t get wrapped up in small details. 

To find out more or invite Adam and Sarah to capture your wedding, click here to contact them!

Insider Advice: Wedding Planning & Bridal Shopping Resources

It’s so exciting to look through bridal magazines when you’re engaged! The glossy images can give you some great ideas, but why stop there? We have scoured the internet and found 4 channels on YouTube to help you with your wedding planning/bridal shopping journey! Grab a snack & get help with your wedding planning from these four awesome ladies!

1. Rachel Burt Garcia is an incredible wedding planner and owner of ‘As You Wish’ Events. She’s based out of Dallas, Texas, but is sharing her matrimonial skills online, via her Instagram and her Youtube channel!

2. Hayley Segar was a bridal consultant for 5+ years. She’s beautiful, positive, and full of advice for brides headed to shop for their special dress! Click here to check out her playlist of wedding & bridal related videos.

3. The Unveiled Bride is a Youtuber who gives tons of wedding & honeymoon planning advice. Her Instagram & Youtube channel chocked full of advice for brides up to their eye balls in details.

4. Jamie Wolfer’s Instagram bio states “We’re big fans of uncompromising brides, understated budgets, and unbelievably beautiful weddings…” WOW! She’s sounds like our kind of girl! She has videos about eco-friendly weddings and things that your guests may not actually care about! Check out her Youtube channel and Instagram for her knowledge and tips!

Insider Advice: Picking Your Ideal Bridal Shopping Crew!

The consultants at Church Street Bridal have helped hundreds of brides and their families and understand how to help talk a bride off the “let’s just elope in sweats” ledge. We have assembled 5 tips to help you choose a team full of MVP’s to help you shop for your gown!

1. WHO YOU DON’T NEED: Some brides opt to bring large parties full of family members, younger cousins, and friends, but the consultants at Church Street Bridal have seen large bridal crews backfire. Large groups can overwhelm the bride with opinions (even if everyone is very kind and super supportive) and parties with children don’t usually have the endurance for a full day of shopping. (Because most bridal shops aren’t as exciting at 8 year old girls need them to be.)

2. HOW TO MAKE YOUR PEOPLE FEEL INCLUDED: No one wants to exclude their friends or family from their wedding planning process or bridal occasions, but a huge group of people can be overwhelming. If you decide to have a smaller group come with you to shop for your wedding gown, choose different people to go with you to other bridal appointments. Do you have a cousin who hates clothes shopping but has an eye for design? She should totally go with you to pick out flowers or venue decor. Having a smaller bridal shopping party doesn’t mean you have to exclude your favorite people!

   OPINIONATED FRIEND PSA: Your opinionated friend is awesome. We love her. She’s the one that will send back food that isn’t correct and stand up for her girls. However, if you have a hard time stating your opinion or speaking up for yourself with this person, she should not be a part of your shopping party. Have her help you with picking the menu or making a tough call with the venue. Her strong spirit and opinions will be an asset to your big day!

3. BRING YOUR RIDE OR DIE: When choosing your bridal crew, opt to bring 1 person who has known you for a long time. Whether this is your mom or your longtime BFF, this person remembers that you hate the feeling of satin or think fit & flares make your butt look GREAT. Her presence will inspire some much needed bridal confidence!

4. BRING YOUR FASHIONISTA: The next member of your VIP crew is your style icon. If you’re got a CoCo Chanel channeling aunt or a coworker turned confidante who regularly pushes the envelope, this person is a must have on your trip. The fashionista is going to encourage you to try something you may not have picked out & might just pick out the dress you never knew you needed but can’t get married without!

5. BRING YOUR CHEERLEADER: The friend to round out your bridal crew is your cheerleader. This person is the one who you talk to about your insecurities or the stress surrounding your wedding. She knows how to help you get out of a slump and they are there to help you understand when it might be time to take a bridal break for a quick snack. She’s essential (and so are the snacks she brings).

   Having a streamlined bridal VIP team is going to make the process amazing! Click here to make an appointment to visit Church Street Bridal with your dream team.