After nearly a decade of being a bridal consultant, I can safely say that I have THE best job ever. Working with brides who have been envisioning this day since childhood bring that vision to life is absolutely incredible.
No two brides are the same and, even now, each one teaches me something new that allows me to help other brides. With so many newly engaged brides reading our blogs to begin their research, I want to best prepare you to start searching for the dress of your dreams!
Here are confessions from a bridal consultant:
Honesty is KEY
Honesty is THE most important policy when it comes to bridal gown shopping.
Being honest with yourself is crucial when planning your wedding and, specifically, dress shopping. Many brides who are beginning the process decide that they want to include their entire squad in the process. If you are a bride who is a little more timid or can become overwhelmed easily, the best advice I can give you is to go shopping either by yourself or with a trusted loved one who will support you so you can be honest with yourself about what YOU like versus your group. Find out what YOU love rather than your family or friends. Listen to your gut, stand your ground, and do not feel bad about hurting feelings. You can bring the whole group back to reveal YOUR dress!
The next person to be honest with is us – your consultants! If you feel that you need to go out shopping alone first and then come back with your group, let us know prior to coming in. We have worked with a number of amazing solo brides and then scheduled another appointment for them to come with their group and acted like we had yet to meet the bride! At Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo, your consultant only wants what is best for you and your day, so make sure to tell us what it is that will best help you.
If you come into our store with a dress to beat, tell us and show us a picture! Do you have no idea what style you want? Tell us! Knowing where you stand from the beginning only allows us to target your appointment that much better. Pictures and Pinterest boards give us amazing places to start to discover your style or to allow you to try on more of the styles you have been loving! Don’t be afraid to be upfront with us – it only benefits you in the long run.
We understand your insecurities
Every woman in the world has insecurities – even your trusted consultant! If you are a bride who has been dreading dress shopping for whatever reason, tell us. We want to know if you are worried about how you may look or if there is something you would not like showing. We have tried on EVERY dress in this store and we know how they fit or what can be done in alterations to make the dress uniquely yours. We know which dresses we love based on our own insecurities, too. We have heard brides tell us countless times how we helped them feel incredible when they never thought they would. Let us help you, too!
We know these dresses like the back of our hands
As mentioned before, there is no dress in this store that one of our consultants hasn’t tried on! Some of these dresses even belong to our consultants for their own special days. We can’t sell what we haven’t tried for ourselves! If you have seen our Instagram, Tik Toks, or YouTube channel, you have likely seen us twirling around the store in them, but more importantly, accessorizing them. We will add belts, tuck or add straps, play with veils, and create new looks to figure out what you can do with every dress to help brides make their very own look! Trust your consultant if they pull something that you wouldn’t choose yourself – we have spent enough time in these dresses to know if we can make a dress fit your vision.
The bride is ALWAYS right
Amazing news, right brides? This is your day and what you say goes! But sometimes you will have a well-meaning relative or friend who makes you second guess your decision. Every now and then, we will see a bride who is ready to celebrate her “yes to the dress” moment until someone says “you should really sleep on it” or “this is only your first time out” and you see the sparkle in her eye go out. When you know, you know. If you know in your heart that you found your dress, don’t let someone take that moment from you! If you have doubts, keep looking.
We have THE best job
If you have ever been in our store, you can tell that our team absolutely loves what we do! Most of our consultants are actually Darianna brides turned employees, and we even have staff that we hired on for prom who have come back to us years later as bridal consultants. The entire staff at Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo is a tight-knit group, and we will often work together during appointments to provide the best experience possible for our customers! If you have yet to come into the store, follow our social media to see our staff in action. We have a ton of fun in here which creates a pleasant and fun atmosphere in the store – you can feel it as soon as you walk in!
Our brides are the best brides and become our friends, too. It’s amazing to put on that sash and have brides hold up that sign – what a memory! We really do take care of every one of our customers 🙂
Experience us for yourself! Make your bridal or tuxedo appointment here or call/text us at 215-491-8500.
About the author: Daria Capaldi is the manager of Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo and one-half of its namesake. On the cusp of the Millennial/Gen Z divide, she is uniquely suited for understanding the wedding industry both from a business perspective and a bride’s planning perspective. A graduate of James Madison University and a participant in the Disney Internship Program, Ms. Capaldi upholds the customer experience as key. A Warrington, Bucks County native, she resides in Huntingdon Valley with her boyfriend Jeff and her adorable pup Eva.