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Congratulations! You are at the point in your wedding planning process that you have selected your dream wedding date, chosen your picture perfect venue and now you need to know what you’re going to wear! Let the ladies at The Crystal Bride provide this guide to finding your dream wedding dress from start to finish:

Preshopping Homework:

START PINNING: This is a perfect opportunity to start saving some of your favorite bridal photos and pin them to a Pinterest Board! What silhouette do you see yourself in? What about neckline, fabrics, trains? This process will help you determine what is available in the bridal industry which will also come in handy when you meet your consultant.

SET UP YOUR BUDGET: This is critical! The gowns at The Crystal Bride range from $1300-$3500 with the majority of our gowns ranging between $1300-$2000.

SET UP YOUR APPOINTMENT AT THE CRYSTAL BRIDE: This may seem like a no-brainer, but we have to get started somewhere! You can request an appointment here!

GRAB YOUR GALS: Invite your most important (and supportive) guests to come shopping with you. Keep it intimate and remember this is a huge decision and your opinion matters most! You don’t have to include absolutely everyone, they can see the dress at a fitting, try on, or even the big day!

DISCUSS YOUR VISION WITH YOUR CONSULTANT: The dream team at The Crystal Bride does a wonderful job getting to know you before you walk through the door! Finding your dream wedding dress is incredibly important to us. We send over a registration form and personally call to discuss your wedding details before your appointment to help streamline the process and as a result, our 90 minute appointments run smoothly. Don’t be afraid to include us in any concerns. You are our number one priority.

Shopping & Saying Yes:

WELCOME TO THE CRYSTAL BRIDE: We are so excited to meet you in person! We have selected styles for you to see based on our previous conversation. The Crystal Bride is proud to have the largest inventory of wedding dresses in the area. We have more than 400 dresses to show you. Our dedicated consultants know the gowns like the back of their hands so don’t let that number scare you, let it excite you! We are sure that your dress is here waiting for you.

THIS IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF: Throughout your appointment, your stylist will ask you questions about what you’re loving and what you dislike. We want honesty! We know the inventory like the back of our hands and will continue to edit your room to find your dream dress.

DID I JUST SAY YES TO THE DRESS!?: Oh yes you did! Most of our brides will find their dream wedding dress on their first visit to The Crystal Bride! Shopping for your wedding dress should be an exciting and stress free time! When you do say yes, pause and soak it in; you can’t recreate a moment.

Your consultant and a manager will take two sets of measurements and then discuss sizing with you. We require a 50% deposit on your dress to get your wedding dress on order. You can pay the 50% deposit, or pay for your dress in full. If you choose the half option, we will hold a credit card on file and charge your balance 90 days after your order date.

WAITING IS HALF THE FUN: Depending on the designer, your wedding dress will take 4-6 months to arrive. We recommend finalizing your bridesmaids and mother of the wedding dresses during this time. Set up your appointment here!

HELLO NEW FRIEND!: Your wedding dress has arrived! Now what? You’ll want to set up a “meet your dress” appointment. This gives you an opportunity to see your beautiful new friend, shop accessories, finalize your shoe options and take your dress home!

Alterations & Pick Up:

ALTERATIONS: The proper fit of your wedding dress just as important than selecting your dream style. If you choose to get your alterations completed at The Crystal Bride, you will book those appointments as soon as your dress comes in. Your fitting process will begin about three months before your wedding.

1ST FITTING: It is SO important to have your shoes with you for each and every fitting! First fittings go quick as your seamstress is simply marking with pins the work that needs to be done.

2ND/PROGRESS FITTINGS: After your initial fitting, your dress will remain in a temporary state. All excess material is left in your dress and no seams are complete. We call it “Under Construction” and it is a part of the process. Any lace or beading has been removed to get the perfect fit will go back to normal!

FINAL FITTING: Your dress is in the most complete state! Your bustle is in place. Now it is the time for at least one of your bridesmaids to come and learn how to complete your bustle. This fitting will be about two weeks before your wedding. You do not take your dress home today. You will pick your dress up the week of your wedding after it has been steamed and pressed.

PICK UP DAY: Your dream dress is perfectly steamed and ready for you to get married! When you pick your dress up, you will have to store your dress out of the garment bag to avoid any wrinkles. If you are traveling far with your gown, consider setting up a steaming service upon arrival.

REVIEWS MAKE THE WORLD GO ‘ROUND: Thank you for being a valued Crystal Bride! The most difficult part of the process is saying goodbye! If you enjoyed working with us as much as we did, please leave us a review on the following platforms:
Google Reviews
Facebook Reviews
The Knot
Wedding Wire

We hope this sheds some light on finding your dream wedding dress at The Crystal Bride. We value your business and look forward to working with you every step of the way.

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It is essential to get an accurate measurement to ensure the best fit for your wedding dress or bridesmaid dress! Below is a helpful guide on measuring yourself for a wedding dress or bridesmaids dress.

Measuring Yourself for Bridesmaid or Wedding Dress

To begin, you will want to measure wearing the undergarments you plan to wear with your gown. Doing this will ensure the most accurate measurement. Once you feel comfortable, the measuring tape shouldn’t be pulled too tight or have too much slack and should always be parallel to the floor. Don’t let the tape droop or fall lower in the back.

Next, Stand comfortably with equal weight on both of your feet. With your arms resting easily at your sides and your stomach muscles relaxed and stand in front of a mirror.

gown measuring guide
Measuring guide
  • Bust – Standing straight, measure under your arms around the widest part of your back and the fullest part of the bust. Keep the tape measure parallel to the floor.
  • Waist – Measure your natural waistline. Stand up straight, bend at the waist to one side. The crease that forms is where your natural waist is located; take your measurement there.
  • Hips – Stand with legs together. Measure around the widest and fullest part of the hips. The fullest part of the hips could be as high as your lower tummy area, or as low as the upper thigh area.

We hope you found this tutorial on measuring yourself for a bridesmaid dresses or wedding dresses a helpful at home resource. If at all possible, we always recommend coming into the store to be measured by a stylist. We are happy to provide that type of service free of charge!

*Helpful tips courtesy of Essense Designs

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Photography by Ebby L Photography

Wedding Dress
Romantic & Rustic


Brittany and Scott said “I Do!” at The Haight in Elgin IL, one of our absolute favorite venues in the area. Her wedding dress was romantic and rustic. This wedding incorporates industrial city vibes with a convenient suburban location. Brittany wore an Allure Couture Crystal Bride Wedding Dress that was romantic and rustic. Located right next door to Town & Country Gardens, the team at Town & Country is super familiar with the space and how to style it just right!

We love this venue! We are able to see all the different personalized touches each couple wants to highlight. It makes for such a fun and versatile space.

The Wedding Dress

Brittany’s wedding dress was a incredible high neck fitted style with a gorgeous detailed with lace and beading from head to toe. This wedding dress was deigned by the amazing team at Allure Bridals and is a part of their couture collection. This wedding dress is a show stopper.

Congratulations to you both! We wish you all the love and happiness in the world as you take these next big steps together as a couple.

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