Wedding Dress Shopping with Candice

Candice and I have been friends since we first met in grade six at Willoughby Elementary. And sometime in the last ten years we realized that we had been friends for more than half our lives. We have grown up together through the awkward years of adolescense, through post-high school directionless-ness, through rough patches as we outgrew our friendship in out early twenties, and through the rebuilding of our friendship as we let go of the twenty-something angst and entered our (ahem) thirties with maturity. And although we live on different sides of the country Candice holds much of my past and our friendship is one of the relationships I treasure most. She is apart of my family - the sister I always wanted but never had -  and one of the first people I call when I book my tickets home to BC; she is often making plans for my trips home before I have even had a chance to update my calender with my travel dates! 

Last year Candice became engaged and this year she is finally beginning to plan her 2014 nuptials to her man Michael, so when I told her of my travel dates home she immediately went into planning mode and booked a wedding dress appointment so I could be there when she tried on dresses for the first time! The night before her appointment I texted her with excitement... and the morning of her appointment I texted her again :) 

You see, other than my sister-in-law's wedding dress appointment wherein she tried on for us the dress she had already decided upon, I have never been to a wedding dress appointment before! Can you believe that!!?? Me, a wedding photographer and lover of all things wedding!! So, I was eagerly looking forward to Candice's turn to try on dresses and to experience with her the joy and delight of trying on the dress that girls always dream about wearing. I was also looking forward to the overall experience of seeing my friend be pampered and waited on, as all Bride's deserve when trying on The Dress. 

Candice made her appointment at David's Bridal, and aside from seeing her in some stunning dresses and having a few laughs at ones that were so not stunning, the salon experience was... a let down. While I love that David's Bridal offers designer gowns at more affordable prices, it is not without cost. 

As a friend of the Bride there to support her and share in the experience I was disappointed that they offered a regular retail experience with multiple dressing rooms barely large enough for the bride and a dressing helper, limited guest seating (we even one of our chairs taken away) and little attention from the guest associate, other than fetching dresses and helping Candice in and out of her gowns. There was no attention paid to selecting silhouettes that would best suit Candice's frame or time given to seek out different dresses; the guest associate simply worked off a list of style numbers Candice had prepared at the suggestion of the store. There was nothing personal about the experience. 

As a business owner I could not help but make observations and judgements about the experience that David's Bridal offered. Even though they are a chain store and offer afforadbly priced bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses, women are likely still investing a great deal more money into the dress than any other garment they regularly purchase and therefore I feel as though they should be offered an experience that differs from regular retail. Wedding dress shopping (in my humble opinion) should be a wonderful experience where the guest associate helps her Bride find a dress that not only fits her budget and body but also suits the vision of her wedding, and to do this she must take a personal interest in her Bride. The Bride should be served champagne and her guests should be seated in an area large enough for to see her reflection in the mirror without being hindered and where she can twirl and show off the gowns she tries on! And whether or not she finds her dress and says "yes" her guest associate should be attentive to her Bride until the very end of her appointment instead of moving on to another Bride.

(The Vera Wang that Candice is modelling above was by far my most favourite and the most stunning on her frame however is still wasn't the dress!).

Perhaps I am expecting too much. I tend to have rather high expectations and standards, and I am sure watching "Say Yes To The Dress" doesn't help matters! However the process of planning a wedding and preparing for marriage is one of the most important seasons in one's life and often comes with a large investment, thus I believe they should be treated with care and extra support during this time. I believe they should be encouraged and lifted up and that we in the wedding industry should make it our mission to ensure that Brides and Grooms have extra special experiences when planning their special day.  

In the end Candice did not find her dress but the day was still wonderful. She was able to see which silhouettes, necklines, fabrics and shade of white will suit her silhouette and personal style best; she had all her bridesmaids and BFF's together for the first time; and I took away an reminder that client experience is as important as the product or service one provides! 

Love & Sunshine,

Shannon-May