Dress Shopping 101 With LoveAndLee!

Shopping for a wedding dress can be one of the most exciting parts of planning your wedding! But let’s be real, we have all seen those dress shopping TV shows, and it’s normal to think that the experience of dress shopping may be clouded by some drama. But just remember, those shows create and profit off the drama, and that is not how your experience has to be! So where to start?

Love and Lee is an amazing little bridal shop, located at 111 Pitt Street in Cornwall, Ontario, run by the lovely and talented Kelsey Lee! We chatted about some of the most asked about parts of dress shopping, and she is here to give you her expert answers!

How should people pick who is part of their group when picking out a dress?

This is such a great (and important) question! I believe that when dress shopping, less is better. Try to select people in your life that truly and genuinely always have your best interest in mind, are always supportive towards you and that you are mutually comfortable with to be honest (but not brutally honest!) I would stick to a guardian figure in your life and a few people who love you unconditionally and truly know your style and taste (to ensure they do not enforce their own upon you).

What are some of the dress trends you are seeing at the moment?

We are definitely seeing a diverse colour palette within bridal wear; from ivory to blush to nude underlays - there seem to be colours being released that compliment every skin tone, which is awesome to see. Other trends we are seeing within bridal gowns are casual and simple, as a reflection of the intimate and down-scaled “Covid weddings” taking place in 2020.

In terms of wedding decor, we are seeing a huge trend around greenery. Brides are loving incorporating dollar or seeded eucalyptus, ruscus, baby’s breath, and other lush greenery into their centrepieces, invitations, and even their hair. Greenery adds a really beautiful natural element and pop of colour into a more neutral-pallet wedding.

What advice would you give to shoppers when it comes to picking out a dress?

I think the biggest advice I could give is to be open-minded to trying on lots of different styles before narrowing down your style choice. Especially for a first appointment, I always recommend they try on at least one dress in each style we carry, as this often helps truly eliminate what they do not feel confident in, but also will not leave them wondering if they have truly exhausted all of her options when they find “the one”. I’ve even seen people fall in love with a dress they found on our website that they want to try, and become absolutely set on that dress being the one. When they try it on, they are (most of the time) disappointed in how it looks on. This is why being open-minded and saving a few different styles that you would like to try on is important when going into your bridal appointment.

I would also say to keep in mind that everyone reacts to finding their dream dress differently. I often see people waiting for that famous moment when they break down in tears of happiness because they finally found their gown. It doesn’t always happen like that. My advice: Think about the kind of person you are, and how you typically react to situations. Are you typically excited about making decisions? Are you typically passive with big decisions? Or do you often react emotionally to events like this? For example, I had someone who was a very type-A person, they were extremely black and white and made quick decisions. When they found their dress, their reaction was very much as you would expect; they said “yep, this is it.” If they would have been waiting for that “big emotional moment”, it would have never happened because they are not that type of person. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, when you know - you know.

What can dress shoppers expect when coming to an appointment At Love and Lee?

There are a few things that brides can expect when coming to Love and Lee for their appointment. A top priority that we have always had is giving the bride the entire bridal studio to herself and her guests for the entire appointment. They can expect one on one attention from their consultant and the freedom to laugh, cry, shriek- or whatever reactions come about as loud as they would like! They can expect a wide variety of quality styles and sizes from Canadian and American designers that are made to fit sizes 0-24. They can expect an inclusive experience at Love and Lee, and expert advice to help you along the way.

Happy shopping!