What to Ask During your Wedding Dress Shopping Appointment

Your wedding dress shopping day is about more than just finding the perfect gown. It is about your closest loved ones celebrating their love for you as you prepare to celebrate, together, the love between you and your betrothed. It can be a really beautiful day, and it can be easy to get swept up in the whimsy of it all. While your dress shopping day is, at its best, fun, it is also a day to gather important information. Because your job should be enjoying the process, though, we’ve done the work of gathering–and answering–your most important wedding dress shopping questions. 

What dress styles do you recommend for me? 

Sometimes, an objective set of eyes can help you find a dress you would never have picked for yourself. This is a good thing! We’re all our own worst critics, and our self-perceptions can be limiting. Asking the professionals for a few picks can keep you from pigeonholing yourself into one style. 

Our owner, Rachel, is a bit of a dress genius–and also a straight-shooter. At Down the Aisle, every appointment starts with a frank consultation. Rachel will sit down with you and discuss your wants and needs in a dress, your pride points and insecurities, and then curate a selection of gowns guaranteed to make you look and feel fabulous. 

Is this dress practical for my wedding? 

Let’s face it–not all dresses are suited to all venues. A ball gown with a statement train may be perfect for a wide-aisled cathedral…but not so much for a mountain ceremony that begins with a narrow hike. 

Part of the consultation process with Rachel will be talking about your ceremony location. Knowing the date and location of your wedding will help narrow down Down the Aisle’s generous variety of gowns into an exact, personal collection perfect for your try-on. 

How do I put on my wedding dress? 

Different dresses have different entry demands, and putting on a $1,000+ garment can be intimidating. Luckily, you don’t have to go to battle with taffeta and pearl buttons alone. Our stylists are armed with industry knowledge and encouraging smiles, and they’ll help you step–or duck–into and out of gowns as seamlessly as possible. This way, when you emerge from the dressing room in what will become your wedding dress, you’re calm, unruffled, and confident that you’ll know how to get into this precious gown on your wedding day. (Still confused? Just ask! We love questions, and we’re here to ensure that your shopping experience is beautifully remarkable.)  

Does this dress have a bustle or detachable elements I should know about? 

Some dresses have hidden features, like subtle pockets or a presewn bustle, that you wouldn’t want to miss. For instance, the Ariane features a sheer, off-the-shoulder sleeves that can be worn on or off for a look that varies between ceremony and reception. Like some arm coverage for formal photos but worried you’ll get too warm on the dance floor? Check out Raven’s bows, Persephone’s lace sleevelets, or Mabel’s bolero–all completely removable so you can be buttoned-up on your way down the aisle and unhindered when getting down on the dance floor. The Rue’s hidden pockets mean that you can keep essential items on your person even on your big day. Lorena is a fitted gown with an additional overskirt that can be buttoned on for added fullness and formality or worn off to showcase the lace details around the legs. All of these are features that you could miss–or just misconstrue–without the helpful guidance of a professional during your appointment. Be sure to ask your stylist to help you imagine each gown to its full potential. 

Does this dress come in other colors? 

While white is typical in the world of matrimony, colorful bridal gowns aren’t unheard of; in fact, they’re having a moment. While non-white wedding dresses have always existed across the globe, dresses with pops of color–and solid, vibrantly-colored gowns–are finally appearing beyond quirky it-girl Pinterest boards. Gowns like Persephone and Petal balance whimsical pastel hues with traditional Western white, while dresses like Rebekah and Lilith buck it entirely and appear in dark majesty. Of course, there’s always a middle ground. Dora and Joanna, among others, are a mix of sly neutrals. There is no shortage of colorful wedding dress options at Down the Aisle if that’s essential to your wedding vision. 

If you’re a bride who is just worried about your complexion in a stark white dress, though, feel free to ask about the color options a dress comes in. While not all dresses are color-forward, many designers will manufacture the same gown in several shades of “white”--be that ivory, true white, champagne, or even a pale blush or gold. If you’re wearing your dress, but it’s just not quite your color, be sure to ask your stylist–or our owner, Rachel–about color options. 

Can this dress be customized? 

It’s completely possible to love most, but not all, of a dress. Maybe you love the bodice and skirt, but never pictured yourself in something without sleeves. Some stores have in-house seamstresses who can customize your dress to make it fit your exact vision. Down the Aisle does not employ a seamstress; instead, we’ll recommend a professional in your area. The customization cost of the dress would then have to be figured into your alterations budget. (For more on that, see the first blog post in this mini-series.) 

Can I buy the sample? 

A sample gown is a wedding dress purchased by the store for patrons to try on prior to ordering their own gowns. While it will come lightly used, buying a sample is a great way to get a designer gown at a reduced rate or on a reduced timeline if your wedding demands it. 

While sample gowns are not usually sold off-the-rack, Down the Aisle has occasional clearance sales to make room for its new line-up. Subscribe to our email list to make sure that you know when this is happening if buying a sample gown is important to you and your budget. 

If I don’t buy this dress today, how long will it be available? 

Sometimes, you need to think before committing to your dress. That’s okay! So much of wedding planning is stressful and demanding, and maybe you just need to take a beat (and a deep breath or two). If you’re planning to order your dress, the odds of you being able to purchase it in a week or so are usually good. However, sample sales–where there is only one of each gown available–are anyone’s guess. 

Please note that you should ask our owner, Rachel, this question if it arises. The answer will vary from dress to dress and season to season. 

What undergarments do you recommend with this dress? 

Ah, the age-old question of every bridal Facebook group: “what are we doing for underwear with our wedding dresses?” 

And, listen–bridal Facebook groups can be great sources of camaraderie and crowd-sourcing information. However, for a topic as delicate as your delicates, ask the professionals what to wear with your specific gown. Rachel and her team will be able to recommend everything from the basic items needed to exact brand recommendations for products that have worked for other customers. 

Meg wearing Valentina, sans shapewear

For instance, while preparing for my own wedding in December of 2025, I asked about what kind of shapewear would be prudent for my lace ball gown. Rachel assured me that, in Valentina, it wasn’t necessary. “Undies only,” she told me, smiling at my baffled look. “The gown is structured enough that you don’t need shapewear.” 

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.” 

She was right. Thinking back on the pleasant chaos of the day, I’m glad to have avoided the restriction of superfluous sculptwear. 

What shoes and accessories would complement this dress? 

No one knows your wedding dress better than you–except for our shop owner, Rachel. From careful trend research to feature and fit analysis, she is invested in every stitch of the gowns at Down the Aisle. Your dream dress is literally her business. She knows exactly which style of necklace goes with which neckline, which hairstyle looks best complements a decolletage (and which earrings to wear with it), and she can answer any styling questions you have for your specific gown. 

Does a veil go well with this dress? If so, what style? 

Many brides struggle to decide whether or not they want to incorporate a veil into their wedding look. While numbers vary on how many people actually wear a veil for their ceremony (Belle Amore Wedding says 50-60%, and Bridal Venus estimates 65-70%), it all comes down to personal preference. To accommodate those preferences, Down the Aisle offers an ample array of veils at every length so that you can experiment with different looks to achieve your perfect wedding look. 

Meg demonstrates various veil lengths on model Kira. Check out this video and more on our social media pages!

Down the Aisle keeps a unique assortment of shoulder-length, waist-length, floor-length, chapel-length, and cathedral-length veils in stock so you can marry your dream dress to its perfect tulle counterpart. 

Book Your Appointment

With nearly a hundred bridal salons in Illinois alone, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with shopping options. However, Down the Aisle is a boutique bridal experience with the most abundant and varied selection of gowns for both straight- and plus-sized people. Our owner, Rachel, takes great care to curate every dress from both well-known designers and the ones that aren’t available everywhere else. Further, the time she takes to get to know you, your style, and your story makes a remarkable shopping experience into a precious memory.