The Dress Teddington Brides

FAQs

& All the answers you need

Can I take photos?

We prefer that no photos are taken, whilst you are choosing your dress. Finding your wedding dress is a special time. That feeling cannot be captured on a phone, no matter how good the camera is. What you will see when you analyse pictures, and you will, after your appointment, is all the imperfections. You will see a dress that doesn’t fit you correctly yet, normal hair and makeup and imperfect lighting. What is important to remember is that feeling you have when you look in the mirror. It is the oooh and arrr that simply are not conveyed in a phone photo. We can of course send you some professionally taken pictures of your dress to help.

How long is my appointment?

In order to ensure all our brides have exclusive time with us, all appointments are an hour and a half, weekends and appointments outside of normal opening hours are subject to a £20 consultation fee, weekdays are £10. All follow up appointments have no fee.

Who should I bring with me?

We would suggest bringing a friend, and your Mum or someone whose opinion you trust, we would advise not to bring more than two people.

What sizes are your dresses?

Our team are here to help you find your dress and work with you to achieve the style you would love to see. Whilst our dresses in the boutique are mainly sample sizes 12 – 16 we will ensure all of our lovely brides look amazing once they try their dress on. It’s incredible what can be achieved with pins, clips and a little vision.

We can get most of our dresses made to whatever size you would like and we will spend time with you finding the dress that best suits you. There is no reason why a curvy bride should not get an amazing dress and working with our fantastic designers this is absolutely possible.

How much are your dresses?

Our dresses range from £1,200 – £4,500. We also occasionally have sample dresses on sale from time to time, which can be seen on our website. Please note these prices are to have your dress made and delivered, almost all dresses will need some fine tuning by a seamstress, alteration costs are in addition to the cost of the dress.

What should I wear?

Nude colour underwear is ideal but don’t worry if not, we have seen all the colours in the rainbow.

How much are alterations?

The Dress works with an independent seamstress on an individual basis to ensure you get the perfect dress. We can give you an estimated quote once you have chosen your dress and taken your measurements. We work closely with the designers and our seamstress so you get the best solution. Full quotes are given to each bride prior to any work starting during their first fitting appointment to ensure there are no surprise bills.

You are, of course, not obliged to use our fitting service.

Please note, we do not charge for fitting appointments which is unlike some other boutiques so always check for any extra costs.

What is the difference between made to order and made to measure?

Dresses can be made one of three ways.

All of our dresses are made to order, meaning your dress does not exist until you have placed your order, it is then made specially for you. An extensive set of measurements are taken and we will discuss with you the appropriate way to have your dress made.

It will either be a standard size meaning a 10, 12, 14 etcetera. We can also offer half sizes 9,11 13 etcetera, but may cost a little more than a standard.

Some designers offer split sizing, meaning if you are smaller on top say a size 10 but a 12 on the bottom, we can have a dress made in a combination size. This will have an additional cost to a standard size dress.

Lastly there is made to measure, this is when the designer creates a bespoke pattern to your measurements and makes your dress from this. This will have an additional cost to a split size or a standard size.

For all options you will need our seamstress to check the fit of your dress on arrival and make any final teaks or alterations to ensure a perfect fit and  amend hem length to your shoes. All alterations work is an additional cost to that of having your dress made and is discussed before any work commences.

Fittings

Do’s & Don’ts

Shoes

Shoes

Please bring your chosen shoes to the fitting as the seamstress will need to know your heel height. Remember you have to be in your shoes all day, or at least until the party starts. Whilst a pair of 5-inch heels might be your favoured option consider shoes that are comfortable and still look great.

Underwear

Underwear

No need for Spanx. Our dresses will be measured for you and you don’t want unsightly lines on your big day. However, if they are a must for you please ensure they are flesh coloured and worn to the fittings. Remember wedding underwear needs to be functional rather than sexy.

Dresser

Dresser

On your final fitting, bring along the person who will be helping you get dressed on the big day. It is helpful for them to see how your dress is buttoned, zipped or corseted. Ensuring they know the correct look on the day.

Bra

Bras

Mostly not needed as many dresses are corseted. Our seamstress can add cups and this can be discussed at you measurement appointment. We all have different bodies and want you to be comfortable with the option that works with your dress.

Accessories

We would love to assist with accessories such as veils, headpieces etc so that you can see the final look with your dress. Please let us know if you would like to look at options so that we can ensure enough time in your appointment. Alternatively book a separate styling appointment. This ensures you give all the little details your undivided attention.

Make-Up

Make Up

As you don’t want to get your dress dirty before your big day, please ensure that you have no fake tan and minimal make up.