Have you been dreaming about your wedding dress since you were a little girl? Like many brides, you probably have Pinterest boards with your vision for you and your bridal party. But now that you’ve begun wedding planning and you’ve started to look at design, finding that perfect wedding look can feel like a daunting task!
If saying ‘yes to the dress’ hasn’t been easy or fashion has never been your strongest suit, you might want to consider hiring a bridal stylist. As a wedding planner, I’ve found that stylists are often overlooked but are just as important as any other member of your creative team. In fact, some people haven’t even heard of a bridal stylist — and it’s unfortunate. With their expertise and good eye for fashion, bridal stylists can help bring your entire wedding weekend – not just your big day — look together. Read on to learn six reasons why we think a bridal stylist is a must-have addition to your wedding vendor team!
6 Reasons You Should Hire a Bridal Stylist
1. Turn Your Dreams Into Reality!
A bridal stylist will create a curated wardrobe for your wedding day and the other events included in your wedding weekend. Acting as your personal guide, a stylist will articulate your style preferences and translate them into a cohesive, stunning ensemble. The end result? Hand-selected wardrobe items that will make you look and feel good for your wedding weekend!
2. Receive Access to Exclusive Resources
So, you want VIP treatment when it comes to wedding dress shopping and you want to be able to snag styles the general public can’t get their hands on, right? This is one of the reasons I cannot recommend hiring a wedding stylist enough!
Experienced bridal stylists, particularly those who have been in the industry for years, have built relationships with designers, tailors, and stores. This means you’ll generally have access to a wider range of options, including exclusive styles that aren’t available to the mass public. It can be your key to scoring a unique wedding dress that most people will only dream of wearing!
Due to their connections, bridal stylists are able to schedule appointments and tailor your shopping experience in a way that isn’t easy for brides who choose to take on the shopping process alone. Stylists can make the entire process a lot more personal and hassle-free so you can stress less about your wedding dress.
3. Find Your Perfect Fit
Do you want to look your best on your special day? Of course you do! Every bride wants to feel like a million bucks on her wedding day — and a bridal stylist can help! Their job is to help you find the most flattering wedding dress and other wardrobe pieces.
Bridal stylists are experts when it comes to choosing pieces that flatter every body type. They’ll provide you with guidance on the styles, fabrics, and patterns that will best flatter your figure and accentuate your best features. They have a keen eye for detail and will be able to suggest any alterations or modifications that help ensure your dress looks flawless on you, giving you the confidence to shine on your special day!
In addition to helping you find a flattering wedding dress, a bridal stylist will also help you determine what dress is the perfect fit for your overall vision. They’ll help you navigate what aesthetically pairs best with the season, venue, and location of your wedding.
4. Stay Up to Date on the Latest Styles
If being on trend is important to you, I highly recommend hiring a bridal stylist. Stylists will be knowledgeable about the latest fashion trends. They know all about the newest collections and can help you narrow down your options based on your preferences and vision. This can save you time and effort that you can delegate to other areas of wedding planning.
5. Create a Cohesive Look for Your Wedding
There are so many decisions involved with planning a wedding. From selecting the perfect venue to finalizing the guestlist, it can be easy to lose sight of your vision for your bridal look amidst all the chaos. But just as you want your wedding design to coordinate with your invitations and decor, the same should apply to your wardrobe.
Do you have multiple wedding weekend events to plan for? Have you always envisioned each of your 10 bridesmaids wearing something unique but aren’t quite sure how to pull it all together? Do you want to make sure every little detail fits together like a puzzle? A bridal stylist can help create cohesion amongst your bridal party.
6. Have a Fashion Ally on Your Wedding Day
A bridal stylist does more than help you choose the perfect look for your wedding day! They also offer value on the practical side of wedding planning. They’ll be by your side to steam your gown, mend a last-minute snag or help you out with any other fashion disasters as they arise. Sure, you have your bridal party and maid of honor, but having a stylist on site as your personal assistant on your wedding day can be a lifesaver and lend much needed peace of mind!
How Much Does a Bridal Stylist Cost?
The cost of hiring a bridal stylist varies widely. Some stylists charge hourly, whereas others offer comprehensive packages. You can expect to spend anywhere between $6,500 and $25,000 for a bridal stylist.
One of the factors that determines cost is whether you’re booking partial styling or full-service styling. Partial styling generally includes shopping for accessories, along with alterations, consultations, and assistance in selecting specific pieces of your wardrobe for wedding-related events. Full-service styling generally includes shopping for a wedding dress and accessories, as well as alterations, consultation, wardrobe assistance for your entire weekend, as well as wedding day hair and makeup recommendations.
Don’t forget a bridal stylist can extend their services to the rest of the bridal party, including the groom, bridesmaids, groomsmen, and mothers of the bride and groom, too. A “day of dresser” is likely to cost between $3,500-$10,000 (and sometimes a lot more), depending on the number of guests (and days) your stylist will be attending to.
How to Choose a Bridal Stylist
Wedding dress shopping can be a really intimate experience that can bring about a lot of emotions. This is why it’s so important to choose a supportive bridal stylist who will be on your team and support you through any stressful situations you may encounter so you can enjoy this part of the wedding planning process.
In addition to choosing a bridal stylist who you get along with, it’s ideal to choose someone whose aesthetics align with yours. Not only do you want to be able to trust their opinions, you want to ensure they can understand your vision to help you bring it to life!
Be sure to ask your wedding planner if they have any recommendations for bridal stylists who might be a good fit for you.
When to Hire a Wedding Stylist
We recommend hiring a bridal stylist once you’ve booked your wedding planner and secured a venue. This ensures your stylist has sufficient time for consultations, fitting, and styling preparations and can help you select a wardrobe that best suits your venue, too.
If your stylist is going to help you with your engagement photoshoot attire, be sure to hire them prior to booking with your photographer. If not, aim to secure a stylist at least nine months before your wedding date so that you have enough time to find and purchase your dress. Wedding dress designers generally take at least six months to ship, and you’ll need additional time for any alterations that need to be made prior to your wedding day.
Hiring a bridal stylist can ensure you look and feel your best on your wedding day! With their fashion expertise and eye for detail, a stylist can ensure your wedding look is flawless! We can’t wait to share our little black book of bridal stylist contacts with you, so if you want more help planning the wedding of your dreams, be sure to send us a line at HauteFêtes!