Postponed your wedding due to Covid? Here’s what you need to know about your Wedding Dress!
We have had lots of brides and grooms get in contact with us as they try to replan their wedding days due to Coronavirus. It’s not easy reorganising all your suppliers and an entirely new wedding day in 24 hours but it has been done by many couples over the last few weeks. Now the main things are rebooked, one of the questions we’re getting asked by brides is ‘What do I need to do about my wedding dress now I’ve postponed my wedding day?’.
There are a lot of things to consider, but the wedding dress certainly for brides is one of the most important elements of the day, so how does your postponed date affect your dress? With the help of the experts and lovely team at Pearls and Lace Bridal Boutique, we’ve put together a checklist of what you need to do in relation to your dress once you have a new date secured.
Get in contact with your bridal boutique!
The first and most important thing is to get in contact with your bridal boutique. We’d recommend as soon as you secure your new date, call or email your bridal store and update them of this. Bridal shops are now closed as part of Covid 19 closures, however most stores are working remotely and managing queries and questions via email. They will best be able to advise you on their particular policies and implications but there are a few things you need to consider and discuss with them.
Get organised and plan ahead!
If your dress hasn’t yet arrived in store, check what stage your dress is at and when it’s expected to arrive into the boutique. Are deliveries running normally or can you expect delays with your gown due to Coronavirus? This is particularly important for brides that have postponed but rebooked for July and August of this year. Be sure there are no delays that may affect your new date.
If your dress is already in the boutique, are they able to offer storage for it for you until your new date? And is it covered by insurance?
Does the store offer a delivery option for your gown? This is useful for those brides whose dresses haven’t arrived in store and those that might need access to their gown for alterations/ purchasing accessories needed for alterations before the store reopens.
Factor in your alterations
Depending on how close you were to your wedding, your alterations may already have commenced or be complete. If this is the case, we recommend that you leave any further alterations for now, book a provisional alterations slot with a dressmaker for 4 weeks before your new date. You can then try it back on and ensure you get any final tweaks for the perfect fit. It can then be pressed and steamed in preparation for the day as normal then.
If you haven’t completed any alterations, we recommend you book a dressmaker for your new date and leave starting any alterations until 4-6 weeks before.
If your new date is soon, for example July/August, we recommend that you ensure you have everything you need to begin alterations; the right underwear, cups/bra and shoes so that once the dressmakers reopen, you are ready to start your alterations without any delays.
Delete pictures of your dress
Carole, the store owner tells us, “We recommend that you don’t look at it too much. Delete any pictures you have of it and if you need to store it yourself, could you do this at your mum’s, sister’s, or bridesmaid’s house so you aren’t tempted to be peeking at it? This will keep the magic alive when you see it again. In our experience, the pictures cause lots of nerves but these disappear once you step back into it.”
Plan something to look forward to
Particularly if you have postponed for a year.
Book a styling appointment with the boutique to try it on again closer to your new date. This will be a fun experience to look forward to after all this craziness is over! It also gives you the opportunity to choose some fun and on-trend accessories to complete your look.
Do consider seasons
‘’Our personal experience is that wedding dresses don’t vary greatly by season. We have summer brides that get married in long sleeves or winter brides that get married with deep low cut backs – because they love them and that’s much more important than anything in our opinion. For practical reasons you may want to make some small changes, like adding a beautiful cape if changing to winter or maybe lowering that back if moving to summer. Start the conversation with your boutique/dressmaker and they will have lots more ideas and suggestions.’’
If changing to winter, you may want to get an additional cover up for your bridesmaids like a shawl or cape. Adding an extra colour into your wedding colour palette can totally transform the overall look and theme. For example, if you were originally planning on a beautiful May wedding with peach bridesmaids, how do you make these work for your new January date? Carole tells us, “Don’t consider buying new bridesmaids. Like the wedding dress, you chose them because you love them and that’s what’s most important. You can however make small tweaks to ensure everything feels right in the season. Simply adding an extra colour into your wedding colour palette can totally transform the overall look and feel. For peach we recommend adding some gold and sage accents. There’s lots more ideas on Pinterest, so try to enjoy the little extra time planning and creating an even more fabulous day on your new date.”
Hopefully that has helped answer some of your questions and perhaps even provide some inspiration for the unexpected, extra planning time. If you do have any specific questions that your boutique isn’t able to help you with, Carole says get in touch with the girls at Pearls and Lace, they are happy to help with any of your wedding dress questions, particularly if you have had to postpone due to Covid 19. You can also see all of their accessories in the meantime, online here.
