Choosing a wedding dress is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when preparing for your big day. Brides often go to extraordinary lengths to find the perfect dress, sometimes bouncing around from store to store, trying on 30 different dresses in one day. How exhausting! Who has the time for that?

Perhaps shopping online for your perfect dress is a better solution. Better yet, let’s envision a try-at-home wedding dress experience for you!

Your dress should be a perfect trifecta: reflecting your personal style and wedding theme, as well as aligned with your budget. Understandably, making such an important purchase online may leave you feeling wary.

But what if you could skip the uncertainty, save loads of time, and simply try on wedding dresses at home?

Browsing online for a wedding dress offers a variety of styles and flexibility, however, it also poses its own set of challenges. There are so many options to consider, and unfortunately, many online vendors have imperfect pricing, ordering, and logistics services.

Afarose’s try-at-home wedding dress service offers brides a convenient option to order and try on wedding dresses at home to simplify this process. The online dress vendor has successfully pioneered the virtual wedding dress consultation and try-at-home wedding dresses services.

But how?

Start by booking a virtual bridal consultation to discover the possibilities!

Book Your Virtual Bridal Consultation

Many bridal shops are closed to the public on account of COVID-19 restrictions. Virtual video-call bridal appointments are the best solution for brides to continue their wedding gown hunt amidst the pandemic.

A virtual consultation mirrors a physical appointment with a bridal stylist: however, now both parties are connected via phone or computer screen. You and your bridal stylist will discuss gowns, silhouettes, and price range to find the perfect wedding dress for you.

At Afarose, our virtual consultation begins even before you schedule your first video call. Once you pick a suitable date for your appointment, we then ask you to fill out a questionnaire so we can get acquainted with your personal style. Before the meeting, you will also pick three dresses that most closely fit your theme and wedding plans.

During the virtual meeting, our representative will show you the fine details of each wedding dress. You highlight what you love the most about each dress, and because all our wedding dresses are made to order, we can create a custom gown with all your favorite selections in mind.

Even the most well-prepared bride can benefit from a try-at-home wedding dress style consultation!

Take Accurate Measurements Before Sending Them to Your Boutique

The perfect wedding dress requires precise measurements. If you have measurements ready before your consultation, stylists can select the gowns and silhouettes most flattering for your body type. Afarose’s stylists work with an array of body shapes, preferences, and gown styles—so rest assured you'll be in good hands.

Ordinary boutiques take three broad measurements (bust, waist, and hips), but that leaves too much room for error, and multiple fittings or alterations can be a real hassle.

But Afarose is anything but ordinary! We go the extra mile to take eleven measurements so we can design a well-fitting dress from the start.

If you’re unsure how to take measurements accurately at home, check out our instructional video. As a general rule, regardless of which body area you’re measuring, the measuring tape should be placed right against the skin with no indentations. Not too snug! Make sure to record the exact dimensions somewhere safe. It may be tempting to tweak the numbers, pull the measuring tape tight, or suck in while measuring—but doing so will almost certainly result in an uncomfortable dress.

Remember, you want the dress to be a custom fit to your body, so you can feel comfortable and enjoy your big day!

Choose Your Samples and Say Yes to the Dress At Home

After taking measurements and narrowing down your dress style choices, it’s time to get samples to try on for your try-at-home wedding dress shopping experience.

Many bridal brands were forced to roll out these try-at-home wedding dress services in a hurry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving little time to organize or plan. But Afarose has been running our try-at-home program since our launch in 2019. So we’ve had ample time to perfect the process, pre-pandemic.

With our try-at-home wedding dress program, you can select two or more dresses for $10 per bridesmaid dress or $15-$25 per wedding dress (which covers shipping both ways). And you can hold on to the dress(es) for up to seven days. We disinfect all dresses and air and steam them in accordance with CDC guidelines—rest assured: we keep your health and safety top of mind, so you can try on wedding dresses at home in peace.

How to Try on Wedding Dresses At Home

When trying on wedding dresses at home, it’s important to keep an open mind.

Don’t discard a look altogether just because of one or two details. Instead take notes of what you like about each dress, then we can combine them to construct your perfect custom outfit.

Tip to remember: try the gowns on in a bright daytime setting, especially if you're having an outdoor wedding. This will help you get a sense of how your dress will look in natural light. Perhaps take some trial photos with your sample dress. If you've already decided on a wedding photographer, get their advice as well. This will give you a better sense of which dress will work best in natural light and in photos. If you already have your wedding shoes, wear them while trying on wedding dresses at home to get a comfortable train length assessment as well.

When you're finished, follow the salon's instructions for packaging and returning the gowns.

If you've narrowed it down and found the perfect gown, congratulations!

Now, consult with your stylist about any additional alterations, as well as accessories and—of course—the veil. Then, record and send back all measurements that need alteration, including hem length, bustles, trains, and any other important details.

The New Normal: A Modern Convenience

We are living in extraordinary times.

While the newness of virtual appointments may seem unusual, you are not alone in this socially-distance-wedding planning realm.

The opportunity to try on wedding dresses at home offers new perks: you can find your perfect dress from the comfort of your couch, on your schedule, and avoid pushy salespeople and probing stylists’ hands.

At Afarose, we understand that finding your dream gown online may seem like a daunting task. Let us ease your worries with our streamlined try-at-home wedding dress, bridal fashion shopping experience—contact us today to book a virtual consultation!