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Are you ready to say “Yes” to the dress? Just like with most of wedding planning, finding the right wedding dress can be a stressful process for some, but our goal is to help make it a little easier. Charlotte has a lot of bridal boutiques and bridal shops across the area, both major chains as well as smaller boutiques. Depending on your budget and the experience you are looking for, one vs. the other may be better for you.
I’ve outlined a couple of our favorite bridal boutiques in Huntersville, NC - both of which have been great to work with either personally or professionally for shoots at Rustic & Main!
Dress: Blue Bird Bridal Rings: The Olivia & The Ivy
Blue Bird Bridal
Blue Bird Bridal is where I bought my dress five years ago before we got married, and when I say I LOVED my experience with Erin and her team, I mean it. From the moment we walked in, they were warm and welcoming and did a great job of taking the things I wanted in a dress and helping me find the one. At the time, they were still located in their original store, which was a little smaller, but they have recently relocated to a larger store to better serve Huntersville brides.
Blue Bird offers wedding dresses from around $900–$4,500, with most brides finding the dress of their dreams around the $2,000 mark. They do typically have a sale rack that offers lower pricing as well; however, these dresses are often floor models that have been used for appointments and may be discontinued styles. They also do their best to offer a comprehensive size selection for brides coming in, with floor samples ranging in size from 8-20, but all dresses can typically be ordered in a size 0–30.
Since moving to their larger location, Blue Bird has been able to expand their services to include mother of the bride dresses, bridesmaid dresses, as well as suit or tuxedo rentals for the groom and groomsmen. This allows you to find everything you need in one location. Erin and her team have also worked to offer a comprehensive selection of veils, accessories, and jewelry to help complete your bridal look or help curate your bridal party gifts.
Blue Bird is appointment-only for their services, so it is important to look at booking in advance, as weekend slots can fill up quickly. Bridal appointments do have a fee starting at $25 and ranging to $150 for a fully private bridal experience that includes sweets and champagne. Most appointments have a three-guest maximum, but you can bring up to six when booking the VIP Private Experience.
They also have various types of bridal appointments to help make sure you get the best experience possible. The First Time Bridal Appointment will give you a semi-private suite and 90 minutes with a dedicated stylist to help find your perfect dress or start finding out what you like. Once you have placed the order for your dress and it is ready to pick up, you can also book a Follow Up/Pick Up Appointment to try on the dress you couldn’t stop thinking about—or the one once it’s ready to pick up. Appointments are also available for Mother of the Bride/Grooms (dresses ranging from $350–$795), and for tux/suit rentals for the groom and groomsmen.
Dress: Classic Bride Rings: The Lily, The Solene & The Eve
Classic Bride
Classic Bride is another Huntersville staple in the bridal industry, and they have been phenomenal to work with when it comes to our styled shoots. With so many designers to pick from, friendly staff, and a classic boutique feel, it’s an easy choice when coming wedding dress shopping.
Classic Bride, similar to Blue Bird, operates on an appointment basis. They will always do their best to accommodate a walk-in; however, space is limited, and their priority is assisting their brides in the best way possible. Appointments are 90 minutes long, have a fee of $25, and offer a private bridal suite as well as champagne to help celebrate the special moment.
They are also a great location to nail down the dresses for your bridal party and offer one-hour appointments for $20 to help curate the perfect dress, or selection of options, for them.
Dresses are available to fit almost every bridal budget, with sale styles ranging from $500 to $999 and designer options ranging from $1,000 to $4,300. Classic Bride also has the ability to build custom wedding dresses with their own in-house designer. For brides looking for additional LWDs or a reception dress, Classic Bride has numerous options to help find the dress you’re looking for.
If your future mother-in-law or your mom is in the market for their dress, Classic Bride can assist with this as well. Ordering timelines are generally three to five months, and an appointment is also required.
Wedding Dress Alteration Considerations
Alterations are a big part of wedding dress shopping that many brides may not think about, and they can also be a large expense. In my case, since I purchased a floor sample, I got my dress at a steal, but the alterations cost more than the dress itself! It’s not something I had anticipated, so it’s always important to keep that in mind.
The average wedding dress alteration cost in the Charlotte area is roughly $600, but can range from $300 - $1,000 depending on how much needs to be addressed.
The other thing to keep in mind is that many dresses can only be taken in or let out so much before it completely alters the structure or look of the dress. This is something to think about if you are buying a floor sample, or in the event you know you are planning to lose a considerable amount of weight before the big day.
In most cases, it is recommended to be at your final weight about four to six weeks out from the wedding in order to allow for the final alterations to be as accurate as possible.
Most alteration shops will make sure the dress is cleaned for you before the final pickup, but it’s also worth talking to them about the fabrics the dress is made of. In some cases, lace can be delicate enough that even dry cleaning can alter the color slightly.
When Should I Order My Wedding Dress?
Most bridal shops will recommend starting the search for your wedding dress about a year out from the wedding, especially if you know you will be ordering the dress versus buying a floor sample, as it can take four to eight months for the dress to arrive at the shop. This then allows additional time for alterations, which can take one to two months in some cases.
There is also no such thing as “too early” to order your dress if you find the one, either - but it is worth keeping sizing in mind if you know you are planning to try and lose weight before the wedding, as it can complicate alterations.
There are also a lot of stores that offer more comprehensive size runs for dresses and may have some ready to take home with you on the same day that are not floor samples, but I still wouldn’t recommend starting the shopping experience until you are six months or less away from the big day.
There are numerous styles, shades of white, material options, and even accessories to pick from when it comes to selecting your wedding dress, but I would recommend going into it with an open mind. While you may have an idea in mind of what you want, it’s entirely possible you stumble onto a dress that takes you by surprise - trust me, I know.
While planning for a fall wedding, I had always thought I wanted long sleeves and lace accents. I ended up falling in love with a high neck, open back, and only a lace bodice. It was the details that sold me, but had I not been open to trying something different than my vision, I would have missed it entirely.
It can also be an overwhelming process with so many styles to pick from. If you can find those who can give honest -but not pushy - advice, it can make the process fun and a lot less stressful, but it’s important to go with what feels best to you. If you find the one and it’s within your budget, makes you feel like a princess, and lights you up from the inside, you know you found the one!
If you're interested in checking off another wedding-to-do, explore Rustic & Main's collections of unique wedding rings. We also offer in-person and virtual appointments with our team.
