Month: August 2020

When you are ready to buy your wedding dress, you have a few decisions to make. Beyond making choices around the design and fit of your gown, you will have to decide which wedding dress boutique to visit, when, and who to bring shopping with you! This is the fun part!

Once you have set a dress budget, you can choose where to shop! Do you plan a trip to one of the best bridal shops in Las Vegas, do you head to the midwest to look for couture wedding gowns in Chicago, or is your heart set on a particular wedding dress boutique in New York?

Whether you are travelling across the country or just down the street, choosing the right bridal shop could be the difference between finding THE dress or continuing your search.

Once you know where the hunt will begin, you can start to think about who to bring along! The right entourage can make your dress shopping experience something truly unforgettable.

Unfortunately, deciding who to bring with you may be a complicated process. You will need people who will tell you the truth, but also people who positively support you and your vision for your special day.

At Viero Bridal, we get it. That is why we have put together this list of tips and advice to help you choose the best and most supportive entourage possible!

Before you shop, check COVID-19 restrictions

COVID-19 restrictions have added a few extra steps to the dress shopping plans for most brides.

Many states have gathering restrictions in place and this could put a cap on the number of people you are allowed to bring with you to the wedding dress boutique.

Depending on the size of the store, and how many appointments they are booking at this time, you may only be allowed to bring one person with you. For some brides, this is perfect, for others, it is disappointing.

When booking your appointment, ask how many people you are allowed to bring. And because things are changing day to day, call before your appointment to double-check. The last thing you want to do is send people home!

If you are limited to one additional person, there are ways you can involve the rest of your entourage. Use your phone to stream the appointment to your crew through a virtual meeting app. Bring a good ring light and set the stage for a fun bridal appointment!

And remember, you may also need to wear a mask when inside the store. Do not let this discourage you! Find a bridal or wedding inspired mask, or have one made for you. Encourage your entourage to have fun with their masks as well. Get lighthearted about it and decorate masks with sequins, lace overlays, and tassels! Bridal dress shopping is the perfect time to get fancy!

Keep it simple

Your first dress shopping experience should be relaxing, but fun. Keep your entourage choices simple to avoid added stress.

You may want to limit your entourage to just your wedding party, or just a close family member or two. You will best know who your most honest friends and family are.

Ensure that you choose those who will be constructively critical, not nasty. You want to make sure that your entourage will encourage you, but also tell you what does and does not suit your body and personality.

Consider asking a close friend or family member that is not in the wedding party but that you would like to honor in a special way.

And remember, keeping your entourage numbers small means you limit the number of opinions in the room but also increases the chances that your dress choice remains a secret until the big day!

Go alone

This may seem very intimidating, or even odd, but going wedding dress shopping alone can be fulfilling.

Bridal consultants are very knowledgeable about what will look good on you. If you choose a reputable bridal boutique, trust that the bridal consultant that you are assigned to will work to get you into a dress that makes you look stunning, that you are comfortable in, and fits your budget.

If you are unsure and want a second opinion on your wedding dress choice or style, narrow down your options and invite someone to a second appointment to help you decide.

Your mother

Inviting your mother, or someone who has acted as a mother figure, to your wedding gown shopping appointment is a lovely gesture. It may also be something that your mother has imagined since you were born.

More than likely, your mother will have a good idea of what looks great on you, and what styles to avoid. She may also even have some jewelry (your something borrowed or your something old!) in mind that would pair beautifully with your chosen style of gown. She will probably feel honored to be a part of the decision making process.

If you and your mother tend to experience frequent differences of opinion, talk to her before your appointment and set some boundaries and ground rules. Let her know how you are leaning with regards to color, style, and budget so there are no surprises when you arrive at the shop. She may be able to provide some great insights at this time that can help direct your shopping experience. Be open and listen, but be assertive if you need to.

Your wedding party

You know and love your wedding party and all of the characteristics and personalities. But some voices may be louder than others, and some opinions you may value more than others.

Not matter its personality makeup, inviting your wedding party can be helpful in narrowing down your gown choices.

Enlist a member of the bridal party to take photos of you in the various dresses, and another one to serve the bubbly (where it is allowed). As with speaking to your mother about boundaries prior to the appointment, the same applies to any particularly opinionated bridesmaids. If you have a discussion about your vision in advance, you can avoid arguments and hurt feelings.

If you have some that cannot be tamed, consider sending them to look for bridesmaids dress ideas while you are trying on wedding gowns.

Your future in-laws

Inviting your future in-laws to attend your wedding dress shopping appointment may be a great way to break the ice if you don’t know them particularly well, or it can help your partner’s family to feel more involved in the planning process.

Your future mother or sister in law will appreciate the thoughtfulness of the invitation, even if they decide to not come to the appointment.

Inviting the future in-laws may mean that you are the social link between them and the rest of your entourage, so make sure that you introduce everyone so that they all feel comfortable while waiting for you to try on your dresses.

Your father

Inviting your dad to participate in your wedding dress appointment may seem like a strange choice, but, depending on your relationship, he may want to be a participant in the appointment.

Additionally, sometimes it is good to have a differing opinion on your wedding dress. Your dad may have a similar eye to that of your future spouse and can offer some insight into what looks great and what is not quite you.

Viero Bridal

Following our suggestions will leave you prepared for one of the most exciting experiences of your life. Bringing the right people along (or leaving them home) will ensure that you have covered all the options and are looking beautiful and confident on your wedding day.

Whether you have had a style in mind since childhood, or are unsure of where to start, Viero Bridal offers a range of affordable couture dresses that can make your wedding dreams come true!

With flagship boutiques in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, our bridal experts have the goods from coast to coast. View our collections and when you are ready, reach out to book an appointment!

More than likely, when you dreamed of your wedding day, you did not envision it being a virtual event. However, if you are one of the thousands of couples that have had to postpone or cancel wedding events during the global coronavirus pandemic, you are probably searching for ways to celebrate your love with family and friends in a way that is both enjoyable and safe.

Believe it or not, there is a silver lining to this dark cloud. Enter virtual events and digital technology! With these tools, you don’t have to cancel your wedding or skip mimosas at your bridal shower. Want to have that bachelorette or bachelor party? You still can!

Just because you can’t celebrate in person doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate!

For now, the wedding industry and event planners have found creative ways to help with virtual wedding events.

We have compiled this handy guide to the best virtual wedding events. Read on to find out what wedding events can be hosted virtually and how you can make the most of your experience.

Types of Virtual Wedding Events

Engagement Party

Under normal circumstances, you may have hosted a party with friends and family to celebrate or announce your engagement to the world. With new restrictions and social distancing rules, a party, even just a small gathering of friends, is pretty much out of the question. This does not mean, however, that you can’t still celebrate an engagement with a party.

Hosting a virtual engagement party allows you to interact with your guests, and you may even have attendees that normally wouldn’t be able to participate due to distance. You can still choose a theme, decorate accordingly, and play games. Your party may lack hugs and personal conversations, but the bright side is that you will be able to do what is most important: celebrate with your closest friends and family.

Bridal or Wedding Shower

In these uncertain times, online platforms like Zoom, FaceTime, Houseparty, and Google Hangouts make it possible to gather together without having to meet in person, making it entirely possible to enjoy a virtual wedding shower.

A virtual wedding shower just takes a few different avenues in the planning process. For example, in order to open gifts in front of your guests, you will need to establish a clear deadline for purchasing the gifts and indicate where they should be dropped off or delivered before the date of the shower. This information should be included in your shower invitations.

If you are worried that this will look tacky, remember that it is often the maid of honor or a family member that hosts the shower. So, if this invitation comes from them, it will be less awkward.

We are all living under these strange circumstances and in most cases, your guests will appreciate the clarity this deadline gives them.

Bachelor or Bachelorette Party

Don’t worry about cancelling your bachelor and bachelorette parties, like a shower, these events can happen on a virtual platform!

You can always have a post-wedding night out with friends, but for now, plan to celebrate with a themed party. Send your planned guests something fun to wear and your favorite cocktail mix (with the appropriate spirit), set a playlist of your favorite tunes, and have a virtual party.

You may even want to have someone host an event for you- a yoga or painting class, dance lessons, or something else that is interesting to you. As more and more businesses adapt to an online format, the number of activities you could access will only increase. While doing an online escape room isn’t the same as hitting a crowded club, it can be just as much fun!

Wedding Ceremony

Brides across the country are worried that not walking down the aisle in a physical venue, means they won’t be able to show off their couture wedding gowns but with some states allowing virtual licensing and marriages, there may be more options for a wedding than previously thought.

Having a virtual wedding ceremony may take some additional preparation and planning. You may choose to wear your chosen wedding gown, or you can choose another dress and save your wedding gown for a later date, one where you can host a second ceremony in person. For your decor, get in touch with your creative side, and design a backdrop for your wedding ceremony, choose some flowers from your garden (or order some through contactless delivery or pickup) and say ‘I do’ in front of the people you cherish most.

Cap the ceremony off with a toast, cake cutting, and dance, then open the floor to well-wishes from your guests.

Helpful tips for a smooth virtual event

The realities created by COVID-19 may have shifted your plans. Sure, you might not be able to visit the best bridal shops in Los Angeles or New York with your full entourage, but a virtual format means you can still fully host and participate in all the events you’ve had planned!

Most of us are new to virtual events and so the following tips should help you avoid any headaches and run your virtual wedding event like a real pro:

Choose a good hosting platform:

Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Microsoft Teams provide good platforms for hosting your wedding event, but you may prefer one over the other. Test the platforms prior to your event, so that you can get a feel for how it works, and how you can use it to create a fun and interactive experience for both you and your guests. You may want to test the different features of the platforms, as well. For instance, you may want to have your guests muted during particular points of your event, so learning to do this prior-to can help things go smoothly.

Keep an eye on your guest list: hosting a virtual event may allow you to invite more people than you might have under normal circumstances, but virtual events can quickly become overwhelming with too many people speaking over each other. Also, there can be a delay or lag in dialogue, which is easier to manage with a smaller number of guests. Also, wedding etiquette still exists during virtual events: when inviting guests to pre-wedding events, you will need to keep your list limited to those who will later attend your wedding.

Ask for help with themes:

You and your spouse-to-be may have chosen a specific theme for your wedding, a special dish, a song, or drink to help celebrate your nuptials. Send the songs or recipes to your guest in advance so they can join in on your theme. Perhaps you can all prepare the drinks or dishes together.

If it is in your budget, you may even choose to send your guests some type of themed item. Think about sending cupcakes, decoration kits, or small bottles of bubbly for a toast. Another idea to consider is having guests dress for the event. Use your theme to make suggestions, or provide a color choice and suggest guests wear clothing that fits.

Create a schedule:

Having a schedule or agenda can help your event stay on track. Even during in-person events, guests love to know what is coming. Preparing a schedule that outlines the steps or parts of the virtual event will help make the guests feel as though they are part of the whole thing, and can give them an idea of what they will need to do (if anything). As part of your event, you may want to have one-on-one time with your guests or introduce them to the other members of the party.  Having a schedule will let people know when this is coming and prevent you from going way off track.

Play games:

As much as your family and friends will love being a part of your wedding, and any pre-wedding events you may wish to have, it is not so easy to create a fun, engaging environment.

To help, choose some interactive games for your guests. Designate a host for the game and have that person establish the rules and facilitate play. Competition is one of the best ways to get emotional investment from your guests!

Everyone will feel like they are a part of the fun—and for winners, buy some electronic gift cards as prizes!

Use local:

Even mail is delayed during this time, so choosing local vendors can ensure that there will be no delays for anything you may need at your event.

Choosing local vendors also means you are supporting small businesses that may be struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlighting them can help give a needed boost to their business.

Decor, food, drinks, and more can all be found locally. Ask for recommendations from friends, or on social media platforms. You may discover a local gem that you would have overlooked if not for the shutdown.

Virtual wedding events can be fun!

We know how disappointing it is to cancel or postpone your wedding or any of the events you had planned around it. Having virtual events won’t take the place of being in the presence of your loved ones but they can go a long way to helping you celebrate together.

By following this guide, your wedding events will be exciting, fun, and unique. While it feels like a struggle now, think of how unique your experience really is. How many people get to say they got married during a global pandemic that more or less shuttered the entire world? This is a story you will be able to tell for your entire lives! It is a story of ingenuity and creativity that will never, ever, get old!