EP. 35 Finding Your Perfect Bridal Gown: Insights from Bella Bride Boutique

Every bride deserves to feel beautiful, confident, and true to herself on her wedding day. But with endless options, trends, and price points, finding the perfect dress can feel overwhelming. That's why we've brought in Alexandra, owner of Bella Bride Boutique, to share her decade of experience in the bridal fashion industry.

Alexandra's approach is refreshingly practical yet deeply respectful of the emotional journey that is wedding dress shopping. "Make sure that when those doors open and you're walking down the aisle, that they're looking at you as a whole," she advises, emphasizing that your dress should enhance your presence, not overshadow it.

We dive into the current shift toward minimalist, timeless designs that won't look dated in photos decades from now. The basque waist silhouette is making a major comeback, creating that perfect hourglass shape that flatters virtually every body type. And if you're wondering about colors, Alexandra confirms that pure white is on its way out, with ivory, champagne, and blush tones taking center stage for their universally flattering qualities.

Beyond aesthetics, we cover essential practical advice about shopping timelines (ideally start a year before your wedding), price expectations ($1,500-$3,500 at Bella Bride Boutique), and why your dress should be one of your first wedding planning decisions. Alexandra explains how your gown creates a domino effect, influencing everything from bridesmaid dresses to floral choices to hair and makeup.

Perhaps most importantly, Alexandra challenges the notion that your venue should dictate your dress style. Whether you're getting married in a courthouse or a cathedral, on a beach or in a ballroom, you deserve to wear whatever makes you feel most beautiful. After all, you're still the bride, and it's still your special day.

Follow @bellabrideboutique on Instagram to see their latest inventory and learn about upcoming trunk shows and sample sales where you can find your dream dress at a dream price.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:01

Welcome to the Tipsy Guest Podcast. I am your host, Marco Buenrostro, and every week I'm here with the top industry experts, amazing clients and all my vendor BFFs to bring you the best tips, advice and juicy behind-the-scenes stories to make wedding and event planning a breeze. So grab your favorite drink and let's get this party started. Hey guys, welcome back to the Tipsy Guest. I am Marco, your host, and today it's going to be all about wedding dresses and I have the perfect, perfect, perfect tipsy guest for that. Welcome, Alexandra from Bella Bride Boutique.

Speaker 2 0:43

Hi, how are you? I am good. How are you? I am good. How are you?

Speaker 1 0:45

I'm good, I am so glad, I'm so happy to have you here we finally did it.

Meet Alexandra from Bella Bride Boutique

Speaker 1 0:50

I know, I know We've been talking. You know and it's funny because I always tell this to my guests we talk about it for months and months, and months and months, and then, you know, we wait until like somewhat slowish season and and then we finally make it happen real fast. Yes, so, so, yes again, thank you for being here, thank you for having me. So you are an expert. I want you to tell our listeners what you do, how long you've had your store.

Speaker 2 1:16

We want to hear it all I've had bella bride boutique for 10 years now a little over 10 years. I just enjoy it. It started off with me wanting to have a business, not knowing what I wanted to do, and then I remembered when I was shopping for my wedding dress, there was not much here in San Antonio. So that's where it all started and started. And here we are, 10 years later, still going strong and very blessed to still be here, and I love it. I love what I do, I love making brides happy, being part of that special moment. You cry with them, you smile with them, you have all the feelings. So it's very special to be included in someone else's special moment yeah, I mean I can just imagine.

Speaker 1 2:06

I mean because I've been to your store many times when you, you know when, sometimes when we, when we do the photo booth there for some of your events, and it it feels so like when you walk in there it's just so welcoming, I feel like your story's so so pretty, it's cozy like. I feel like it's the right size to where you don't go to this huge shop, but it's also not a tiny little store.

Speaker 2 2:29

It's very intimate. That's why the boutique it falls into the name because it's very intimate. I wouldn't consider myself a small store or a huge chain store or anything like that. It's very intimate. We have two brides at a time. We only have two fitting rooms, so it's very private in a sense that there's not 100 people watching you try on dresses. We may not have 500, 600, 700 dresses, we have less, but I feel like I have quality over quantity.

Speaker 1 3:03

That's the key word right there.

Speaker 2 3:04

Yes, I don't have you know when the designers are like well, here, just order this one, it's a filling for your filler dress. I don't want a filler dress. Why would I want a filler dress?

Speaker 2 3:15

Exactly I want to make sure that I have that. Yes, I don't have that many, but when brides come in they feel like, oh my gosh, I did try on 10 dresses, I did try on 12 dresses. They don't feel like they're limited by what I have. But I really focus on the trends that are coming out. I follow all different designers from all over the world because I want to see. Sometimes, you know, europe is a little bit more advanced with fashion, but I know that that's going to be coming in the next year, so I need to be ready. I need to start seeing the trends, and I think it's focusing on the trends and having those styles instead of just having dresses that no one's asking for.

The Boutique Experience and Designer Selection

Speaker 1 3:57

Yeah, I was gonna ask you. Yeah, right now that you mentioned, you know that, the trends and you know European fashion and all of this. So I guess, is there like a specific um amount of designers that you carry, or can stuff be custom ordered? How does that work?

Speaker 2 4:14

so we carry two designers um one is a national designer, uh, international designer, and the other one it's sofia to, and then the other one is Bella Rose, which is a private label. We curate dresses from different designers and we carry them exclusively at our store. So it's dresses that emphasize really who the Bella bride is and we focus a lot on that. So, yeah, we only have two, but I think it helps out when a bride is calling in hey, do you have a certain dress? We do have it because we're so focused on those designers.

Speaker 1 4:51

I like that. I feel like when you give people more you know like a huge variety of things, it becomes stressful.

Speaker 2 5:01

And also, like when we opened, um, I had like 10 designers, but because my store is a boutique, I wasn't able to carry 200 dresses from every designer, because I couldn't. So when they called and said, hey, do you have this dress? Oh, I don't, oh, I don't. But now that I that I have narrowed my, my selection, they call and say, hey, do you have it?

Speaker 1 5:23

yes, I do I like yes, I do, come on. When do you want?

Speaker 2 5:26

to schedule your appointment. So it makes it more now that they're looking for specifics. It's more available. I'm able to say yes more times than I am able to say no.

Speaker 1 5:36

I don't have it yeah and I hate saying no. I hate it because I feel like I'm disappointing them.

Speaker 2 5:41

yes, I'm disappointing them, and they're like oh well, we'll still come in. Well, I don't want you to. I want you to be excited when you're coming Not like well, won't want.

Speaker 1 5:48

Let's see what else they have. Yes, exactly.

Speaker 2 5:50

So I feel like by us, you know they give us oh, I'm looking at these five dresses. Hey girl, I have three of them, come on over. So I think it's more than saying no, I don't, I don't. So I felt like throughout the years that those are the lessons you learn throughout the years what works, what doesn't. And then I started narrowing it down and this is where this is what works for Bella Bride.

Speaker 1 6:12

I like it. I like it. And how can someone book an appointment? Do like. Can that be like a last minute thing? Does it have to be weeks in advance, months in advance? How? How is the process of booking or, I guess, making a reservation or how? Yeah?

Speaker 2 6:25

I would say, um, couple weeks, um. But even if something comes up let's say right now you found out that you're gonna be in town or that your group is available for this saturday or something, call you know. The worst thing that can happen is say we have, we're fully booked. Yeah, we always start a wait list because things change and a bride might say, hey, my mom got sick, I'm not going to be able to make it, so I need to reschedule for the next weekend. That happened, so, hey, that just became available. So I would say, just call, you can call us, you can do it online. Um, calling us is works best because we also, even if you submit your booking online, we still call you to confirm it. So we're going to get you on the phone one way or another, one way or another.

Speaker 1 7:09

We're going to talk to you.

Speaker 2 7:10

We want to make sure that what you're looking for is something we have, that's something we can accommodate, or, even if it's not the exact dress, it's very similar to it, very similar to it. We want to get an idea of who you are, what your wedding looks like or what is your vision, so that, once you come in, we know how to go from there.

Speaker 1 7:32

Okay, I like that, that's, yeah, it's, it's. I mean it's easier, it's better when you, when you have, when you make that connection, you know with that, with the bride and they're.

Speaker 2 7:40

But just showing interest in your brides, because we are interested in your vision. We want to know where you're getting married. Are you getting married on the beach, in a ballroom, in a farmhouse? Where are you getting married? Because that's going to also depend on how you're wanting to sell it. But I also told the brides don't let the venue dictate how you're getting what you're choosing.

Speaker 1 8:05

What you're getting yeah.

Speaker 2 8:06

Because I've had brides who are literally getting married at the courthouse downtown and they're in a ball gown.

Speaker 1 8:12

I love that.

Speaker 2 8:13

And I tell the brides you're still a bride, it's your wedding, it's your wedding, don't let. Oh, I'm having a very small, intimate wedding in my parents' backyard, so You've got to look good, you're still the bride. Do you want to go out in a big ball gown with lace and sparkle?

Speaker 1 8:29

Do it yeah because I mean, you know, different brides have different priorities.

Speaker 2 8:33

So, they might not want to spend a lot for the venue, but they want a very nice dress, but I don't want the venue to limit their mentality on what they're able to get or not get.

Speaker 1 8:43

I like that. I never even thought about it that way.

Current Wedding Dress Trends

Speaker 2 8:48

And then I guess, in your experience, what seems to be a very common trend when it comes to dresses Right now the basque waist, which is very hourglass shape. It goes down in a point at the waist. It's very 80s 90s.

Speaker 1 9:09

I was going to say that yeah.

Speaker 2 9:12

I mean every designer. That's a new trend, the basque waist, and it does a woman's body great. I mean every bride looks great in a basque waist because it's really narrowing on that part of the woman that we want to show off our waist area and the clean styles no lace, no sparkle, classic. Some might say oh, I'm looking for something plain. I'm like that's not plain, don't use that word.

Speaker 1 9:40

Please don't use that word.

Speaker 2 9:42

Just because it doesn't have lace or sparkle doesn't mean you're plain, it's just very classic. Elegant, very classic Very elegant and that's very popular right now. I would say we've seen a shift from lace and sparkle to that clean look Minimalist.

Speaker 1 9:58

Minimalist, I love that. Yeah, I love that. And you know what it's so interesting? Because not only with dresses are we seeing that trend, but just in general, like, for example, with us with the photo booths. You know, it's always been about open air photo booths and the sparkles and this and that. Right now, the enclosed traditional photo booth, the wide background, it's back, like even like now, like those photo booths that you used to see, like at the carnivals or the movies, that little one where you go in, it's back and I think it's so timeless because you really are going to look at those pictures in 30 years and it's a timeless look.

Speaker 2 10:34

It's not something that was so crazy in the time that you got married that you're looking at it and being like Like you won't be able to tell no, yeah. I see my mom's looking at and be like, well, you won't be able to tell no, yeah, like I know. I see my mom's dress. I'm like, oh lady, you got married in the eighties, like I can tell by, you know the dress, the sleeves, everything. I know what era she got married.

Speaker 1 10:57

Yeah, that's so funny.

Speaker 2 10:59

But I think with the classic look.

Speaker 1 11:02

You just can't.

Speaker 2 11:02

You can't, you cannot say you got married in the 2010s, you don't know, because it's so timeless.

Speaker 1 11:10

Yeah, and I think that's what brides are really into right now. I like that because, yeah, I mean the modern bride right now, like I feel like they. You know, a few years years ago it was very extravagant, yes, and and now, like you said, you know, it's more minimalist and I honestly feel like they. Just I feel like it's better because it's it's. You know that the dress is not wearing you like you're wearing the dress people are saying.

Speaker 2 11:35

That's what I tell prides. Make sure that when those stores open and you're walking down the aisle, that they're looking at you as a whole and not as a oh, did you see the dress? Did you see the veil? Did you see the earrings? Did you see the necklace? Did you see the hair? No, because then at that point they're not looking at you, they're looking at the individual pieces that you have on. I want to make sure that, whatever dress you pick out, it's something that they're looking at you as a whole and that's how sometimes, all of a sudden, it clicks and when the emotions start, because that's when they see it. Yeah, so that's very powerful seeing, envisioning it that day.

Speaker 1 12:12

Oh, yeah, I love that. And you know what, something that I've always wondered, I guess, when they purchase the dress, does that automatically come with the veil, no, or is that something that you can just mix and match, or how does that work?

Speaker 2 12:23

So it's just a dress. It doesn't include any accessories. It doesn't include alterations, that's all separate.

Speaker 1 12:30

Okay, and is that something that you guys have?

Speaker 2 12:32

in-house. We offer all the accessories available. We do not do the alterations in-house, but we do have someone that we refer our brides to, who we trust, who's been doing bridal for 25 years plus. So I always tell brides and it's not someone that you have to go to, it's our recommendation, you can go anywhere, but I always tell brides, make sure you go to a bridal seamstress.

Speaker 1 12:54

A professional yeah.

Speaker 2 12:55

Because we've had it in 10. In 10 years I think it's only happened two times, when brides took it to their seamstress.

Speaker 1 13:02

Oh no.

Speaker 2 13:03

And guess what? They're calling me crying that they need a new dress. They need a new dress.

Speaker 1 13:08

So okay, so in situations like that, I guess and I think you did mention something like that earlier so if something like this happens, can somebody just go last minute and be like I need this one. I'm taking it right now.

Speaker 2 13:19

You can. I'm not sure if it's going to fit you perfectly. You might still need alterations. But yes, a bride can walk in and say I'm getting married next week, I need a dress. I'm taking the sample, I need to go to the seamstress.

Speaker 1 13:33

It's possible.

Speaker 2 13:36

It's a little crazy, but it's doable.

Speaker 1 13:38

What's your recommendation on timeframes, for example, like if somebody needs to get their dress fixed?

Speaker 2 13:44

So average time. I always tell average time. Dresses are taking around six to eight months to come in and then it takes two months on average time in alterations.

Speaker 1 13:55

Wow.

Speaker 2 13:55

So I would say, definitely give yourself a year if you have it. If not, it's still not an issue. One of the designers that we carry has a live inventory that is used for situations where it's a quick turnaround, where it's an emergency. So we're able to look into that inventory and still get you a dress that you like in a quicker time frame with no rush fees. Okay.

Speaker 1 14:22

All right, all right, so it just depends, it just depends on the dress. Got it.

Dress Shopping Timeline and Process

Speaker 2 14:26

I'm not going to tell you that every single dress is available for a quick turnaround. It just literally. We have brides who come in. Whoever's helping the bride is yelling out style numbers, while the other one's on the computer looking it up yes, it's available. No, it's available. No, it's available, so that it really helps us really putting the bride in a dress that we're able to get, Because the worst thing that can happen is put her in a dress, oh sorry.

Speaker 2 14:51

Not, there it's not coming till after your wedding date, so that would be the worst thing. So we make sure that we don't do that to our brides.

Speaker 1 14:57

Yeah, okay, yeah, yeah, okay, yeah. You definitely don't want to add stress or disappointment, disappointment. Walk out of the store and just feel like, yeah, yes, like a waste of time, yeah, all right. And then what about colors? Um, I mean, of course you know, traditional would be, I guess, give me ivory.

Speaker 2 15:13

Okay, I was yeah okay, white is long gone. All right, designers are even, uh, discontinuing it from their color swatch.

Speaker 2 15:21

It's very traditional, but I think the ivory has come in to replace it because it's softer. It's softer on every skin tone. I always tell brides the real, pure white, like when the DJ turns on the lights you're going to be the neon person. Yeah, I said you don't want that. So the ivories, champagnes, blushes, blushy colors are very in also, but right now, with the clean look coming in, the ivory is that's what's in right.

Speaker 2 15:55

That's what's in and brides used to come in saying, oh, I don't want an all ivory, I want some color. And now they're like I really want an all ivory dress. So you see the changes and you just need to adjust, adapt and start getting those dresses in for the next brides that are coming in.

Speaker 1 16:12

Oh, yeah, for sure. What are your thoughts on like actual, like color, like different colors, like black or like? I mean I don't think I've seen other. I've seen black wedding dresses, but I mean I don't. Is there even such a thing that's like a red wedding dress or like a blue wedding dress Right now?

Speaker 2 16:28

there started to be a little bit of a trend on colorful dresses, like the florals. The lace was florals. We used to have a couple, not a lot, um, we even had a black dress. We had two black dresses, I believe. So san antonio is very traditional. Yeah, so I think in different parts of the country that was the hit. The colorful colors, uh, the colorful laces, um, or the black color, the black lace, the black colors that I think that was very popular in different parts of the country, but Not in San Antonio, is very traditional. I think our brides, the families, grandma does not want to see a colorful, yeah, most of the time. So I think it's there.

Speaker 2 17:14

I don't know if San Antonio is the right at that point yes, correct, I think it has to do with, maybe Dallas is, yeah, san Antonio. I don't think it's, you don't see it.

Speaker 1 17:25

I don't think it's safe. You don't see it. I don't see it.

Speaker 2 17:28

If I have a hundred brides, maybe one will ask for a colorful dress, so it really doesn't.

Speaker 1 17:36

Okay, and what about the length of the dress? Like, what is the perfect length for a dress?

Speaker 2 17:40

Just your floor length. Floor length is the perfect. There's some stores that have the T length, you know, below the knee. I think that's very. I feel it's a little bit more casual. I'm not saying that it couldn't be a formal dress, I'm just saying it's a little bit more casual. We don't have any T length dresses. We really focus on the full length, full bridal look.

Speaker 1 18:04

Yeah, okay. And then, for example, I know there's been a lot of like, for example, with me, with the photo booth business. I've been doing a lot of brunch weddings. I guess when it's a brunch wedding, is it? I mean, should you still wear like a long dress? Of course, why not? It's your wedding, okay, okay.

Speaker 2 18:22

And I see on those we've had those. They want something more simple.

Speaker 1 18:26

Okay.

Speaker 2 18:29

The brunch weddings that we've had have been asking for the fitted dresses, nothing with too much volume. The seamstress tends to cut the train off of it or make it shorter, but they still. I think most of our brides still want to wear.

Speaker 1 18:44

A long.

Speaker 2 18:44

Because I feel, and one of them told me that she was recommended to just wear a T length dress and she goes. Well, that's what I'm wearing for my bridal shower. What's going to be the difference between my bridal shower and my wedding and I was like that makes so much sense.

Speaker 1 18:58

Why? Yeah, you gotta make a statement. So if you look at the picture in 30 years, which one's which which one's which which one's the wedding, which one's the bridal shower?

Speaker 2 19:08

Yeah, so I think, you know, I think you have to be able to distinguish it, distinguish it, it's different.

Speaker 1 19:13

Yeah, no for sure. And then I guess, prices I mean I'm sure our listeners here they want to know prices Is there and you don't have to be very specific, of course, since you have so many different options, but like I would say, range, like what would be like the most, like economical option, and then like the over the top, like you know, they want to spend the money we start at $1,500. Okay.

Pricing, Priorities, and Special Sales

Speaker 2 19:36

I would say our range is from $1,500 to $3,500. Okay, with our majority of the dresses being between the $1,500 and $2,500 price point. Okay, majority of the dresses being between the 15 and 2500 price point. That's our sweet spot. For us, um, I think it's the average price point here in san antonio, the average budget.

Speaker 2 19:54

Yeah, so I. I really. That's the reason why we have these designers too, because I really wanted to focus on the budgets. There's what's the reason behind having all these dresses a lot higher in the price point when my brides that's not the budget. So I really focus on designers who had the quality dresses, a dress, and we've had brides, oh you know, ask, uh, how much is this? Oh, it's 2,400. Oh my God, that looks like a $5,000 dress. It was like, and that's the point right there.

Speaker 1 20:25

That's good, because then, if they already had in mind that they were going to spend this much, but they're not, yes and I always tell them I was like girl, now you have a budget for the shoes, Go get those Jimmy Choos, Go glam it up.

Speaker 2 20:39

So that's where our price point is You're still getting a designer dress, very good quality, and you're not having to sacrifice for the look or for the designer. You're still getting an excellent dress.

Speaker 1 20:53

I like that In your opinion and I ask this to most of my vendors here because you know, obviously everybody offers something different but in your opinion, for example, with wedding dresses, where in the list of priorities should the wedding dress be located?

Speaker 2 21:10

It should be the venue and the wedding dress.

Speaker 1 21:13

And the wedding dress.

Speaker 2 21:14

Okay, Because of the time frame of the dress. Also, when you go to your florist and you start talking about your bouquet, your florist is going to ask you your dress look like yeah okay, bridesmaids dresses make sense what does your dress look like?

Speaker 2 21:31

because you wanted to match or coordinate with your dress. Uh, decorations, if you really. If you're going for the farmhouse style wedding and you come in with the big crystals or something, you could do that, but do you want it to flow? So those are the things. It really starts rolling the ball. Your hair and makeup. What do you want your hair to look like? Well, this is what my dress looks like, depends on the dress, yeah, how do you want your makeup?

Speaker 2 21:59

Well, this is what my dress looks like, so I think a lot of things start flowing from the dress. It's a domino effect. It's a domino effect and you need to have a wedding date to be able to know, because cold, hot, yeah the weather or the weather, not really. It's mostly that when are you getting married? Yeah, when are you getting married? Because are you getting married next month, are you getting married in a year? So I think, venue setting the date, picking the venue and the wedding dress is your top.

Speaker 1 22:32

The top two for you. Okay, I like that. Yeah, Venue, definitely. You know, I always tell my couples I'm like do you have a venue? Yes, Because that's you know, if you don't have a venue, then you shouldn't really be booking any other stuff because you don't have a place.

Speaker 2 22:43

You don't have a place and they tell me oh, it's may 20th. Oh, where are you getting me?

Speaker 1 22:47

oh, I'm not sure how do you know it's may 20th?

Speaker 2 22:50

because I mean yeah you're here at the store made and telling me 20th, but then when you book that may, 20th is no longer available yeah so book the date, secure it, and then, and then, let's talk, let's find you a dress.

Speaker 1 23:07

I love that. And then about because I know, like I mentioned earlier, I've been at the store whenever you do special trunk shows or sales. How often do you have sales? I guess, first, what's the difference between a trunk show and, I guess, like a sale?

Speaker 2 23:23

So the trunk show, it's on a designer, we bring in dresses that we do not carry from that designer show and I guess like a sale, like what? So the trunk show, it's on a designer, a design, we bring in dresses that we do not carry from that designer and norm, or like, yeah, that we don't have in store for you to try on, so they're normally one to two weekends long. Um, we are able to offer special discounts that we normally do not offer during the regular year. And then the sale is when everything in the store is on sale. We had ours last June. It was a sample sale and the entire store, every single item in the store, was on sale, every single dress, from anywhere from 20% to 80% percent so it was.

Speaker 2 24:09

We were fully booked. It was amazing. We do that every june, um, and then our next sale will probably be the thanksgiving sale oh, okay, perfect.

Speaker 1 24:19

So you do have some throughout the year, but the biggest one, the biggest one is a sample sale in june.

Speaker 2 24:24

I would say thanksgiving is a pretty good one because we offer discounts with that.

Speaker 1 24:28

Even we don't offer during the trunk shows, so I would say brides wanting to come in around that time, look at our instagram I love it and that perfect that you mentioned that, because we are running out of time now, but please let our listeners know where can they find you, and I'm assuming on your instagram you post the different inventory you have yes, every time we get new dresses in, they're going to be on there.

Speaker 2 24:51

Um, we post any special promotions, any special trunk shows, um, yeah. So I would say, our instagram is at bella bride boutique, so our Facebook and we post everything on there. Follow us, our stories, our posts and you'll be very informed about what's going on at the store.

Speaker 1 25:12

Awesome. Thank you so much.

Speaker 2 25:14

Alexandra. Thank you, Marco.

Final Tips and Contact Information

Speaker 1 25:15

We are out of time, but again, I am so glad that you finally made it.

Speaker 2 25:19

It's been a pleasure that we were able to do this. Finally.

Speaker 1 25:22

I know, I know we able to do this Finally. No, I know we need to get Carolina out of here too.

Speaker 2 25:25

Yes, I had so much fun. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1 25:27

Thank you guys. There you have it, everything about wedding dresses. So make sure that you follow them. Go check out their Instagram feed and then, for you guys, we'll check you out next week. See ya. Thanks for listening podcast. If you know someone who could benefit from these tips, spread the love and share it with them. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Next round's on us, same time, same place Cheers. This podcast is brought to you by MVP Photo Booth, the number one photo booth rental company in San Antonio, austin and Central Texas.