Congratulations on your engagement! We are just as excited as you are and we can’t wait to join you on your journey. Many brides are curious to know when is the right time to start the hunt for their wedding gown. Truly there is no time too early to start looking following your engagement! It is a fun experience so starting your journey early is favourable. We generally recommend a year before your wedding date as this is the most optimal to give you lots of room for your timeline.
When you have decided it is time to start looking for your gown it is best to look for inspiration online, social media, etc. This way you can start to get an idea of what you like and you will be able to show and tell your bridal consultant what you are looking for. Be sure to bring pictures as that will really help us pull gowns for you! Just remember to trust your consultant and approach the appointment with an open mind and we will do everything we can to help you find the perfect dress.
If all goes well in your bridal consultation you will ideally have said yes to a dress! When you chose a gown we will celebrate first and then quickly get to work. We will take your measurements of your bust, waist, hips, and length. This way we can match your measurements to the best fit size gown that we will order for you. Some gowns are able to offer custom measurements for an extra fee as well which may be an option depending on the designer. Once we have discussed the best size to order for you we will go ahead and place an order, and then the waiting period begins.
Many brides are unaware that when a wedding gown needs to be ordered they can take from six to eight months for your gown to be created and shipped back to us. Most wedding gowns are made to order, thus the longer than expected wait time. There is rush ordering available from some designers, but if you start your journey early enough you won’t have to worry about that! We will contact you as soon as your gown arrives in our store. Upon that time you will then schedule your gown pick up appointment where you will come in and try your gown on with us!
When gowns come in bear in mind that you will most likely still need some minor alterations. We have ordered the best fit size for you so there might be some tweaks needed here and there. Every single gown that goes through our doors has needed some level of alterations so that it fits the bride absolutely perfectly. For most ordered gowns you are looking at alterations of strap tightening, seam allowance tightening or loosening, hem adjustments, etc. If you have a train on your dress it is highly recommended to add a bustle as well. All in all, be sure to save room in your timeline and budget for alternation considerations.
If your ordered gown comes in and you are no longer the same size during the time you ordered, don’t fret! As we just stated you will most likely need a seamstress regardless so they will be ready to help you with more major alterations if needed. As we now know, it can take around six months for an ordered gown to come back to you so a lot can change in that time! You seamstress will be sure to help you and walk you though all of the alterations you will need for the gown to fit you perfectly. In general if your gown is in need of more major alterations if is recommended to bring it to a seamstress four months prior to your wedding date. This way your seamstress is able to fit your gown to you and there is some room for extra tweaks as well.
After your gown has been perfectly altered to you its time to properly store your gown before your actual wedding. Be sure to hang your gown on its hanger loops (the ribbons that usually are attached inside the armpit of the dress) to prevent any stretching or strain on the gown. Feel free to remove the hanger loops on the day of your wedding if they show through the dress bodice at all. Keep your gown stored in the garment bag up until your wedding to prevent any possible stains or marks. Be very careful of the zipper when closing and opening the garment bag, especially If you have a tulle dress or very detailed dress. We recommend using your other hand as a barrier between the back of the zipper and the gown to prevent any snags.
On the night before your wedding we recommending steaming your gown and leaving it to hang outside of the garment bag overnight. This way your dress is ready to go right when you awaken of your wedding day! We hope this has helped to give you a general idea of the timeline of a wedding gown!
Cande Bridal Boutique
1350 St Paul St #202
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2E1
For more information https://www.candebridalboutique.com/ or find Cande Bridal Boutique
We often get asked why we charge a fee for our appointments and we are more than happy to answer that! Some bridal boutiques charge for appointments and others do not, all for various reasons. At Candè we have a $30 booking fee for our consultation appointments.
The main reason for our appointment fee is the privacy and exclusivity of your time here. We offer a unique bridal consultation experience here at Candè! When you visit us you and your bridal party are the only guests in the shop. Our consultants will provide you with their undivided attention to your questions and concerns. During that time you and your bridal party will be able to enjoy our beautiful space all to yourselves!
We run at 10% capacity compared to most other boutiques due to our private appointments. We do this so that we can offer our brides the absolute best experience! But it also means that we need to be sure that the appointments we do have are always confirmed. The fee for your appointment not only goes toward securing your bridal spot but it is also able to be used towards the purchase of a gown if you happen to find your dream dress here!
There is approximately 12 years of bridal experience behind your appointments. Not only that but we also continuously stay on top of the latest trends and changes within the bridal world! High levels of training has been provided to the consultants in not only bridal but also fashion in general. During your consultation appointment with us we listen to your wants and needs to match you with your perfect dress. We are also able to give expert advice for alterations and adjustments that may be needed for your gown.
Hopefully this explains the bridal appointment fee once and for all! But do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have anymore questions!
1350 St Paul St
#202
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2E1
For more information https://www.candebridalboutique.com/ or find Cande Bridal Boutique
As per my previous post, we are engaged! After that day we discussed what to do next and to set a date. We have decided to take advantage of the micro weddings of covid and to pick a date in the fall. Upon looking at a calendar and realizing that it is less than four months away it’s safe to say that I am freaking out.
I have preemptively picked up three wedding planners because you never know what you will need. They all have pros and cons, and right now I am looking for all the resources available to me! We have decided not to hire a wedding planner as planning my own wedding has always been a dream of mine. However, if that is not your dream I highly recommend hiring a wedding planner. Planning your own wedding is very stressful and a wedding planner will alleviate that entirely.
Literally the night of and the day after the proposal we started researching like crazy. We drove around to check out venues, looked into current covid guidelines, and researched anything important we could think of. Now, some time has passed since the proposal and I am still in the midst of wedding planning. However, that first week of planning was overwhelming to say the least! I now see why it is recommended to start planning a year prior to your date. The wedding planners I purchased were very helpful as well since they also informed me of things I wasn’t aware of like applying for a marriage license prior to the wedding date.
Although overwhelmed, I am not worried about the whole process. Instead I am excited for the challenge ahead! From my understanding the most barebones and important parts of holding a wedding are to choose a date, pick a venue, hire a wedding commissioner or officiant and have two witnesses. As long as I have those things we will be good to get married no matter what! Rest assured that you will be updated during the entire process!
Victoria Ansell (@vicansell) Social Media Specialist for Cande Bridal Boutique
1350 St Paul St
#202
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2E1
For more information https://www.candebridalboutique.com/ or find Cande Bridal Boutique
Over the last 6 weeks, we asked our Brides to answer a series of questions on our Instagram. All chosen answers won a complimentary two hour appointment here at Candè with custom cookies from The Cake Mama. They were also automatically entered in the big giveaway to win a $2000 gift certificate towards a bridal gown here in the boutique. These are all of the winning answers!
1. What does a Dream Wedding look like for you in 2021?
We originally planned a destination wedding for January 2021 which ended up getting cancelled. As much as I thought it was what I wanted – it wasn’t. My dream wedding is one where I can be surrounded by my closet friends and family while we all celebrate love. It doesn’t matter where we are! Just as long as we’re together. That’s why we’re planning a small, intimate ceremony for 2021 with our closet family (with a party after when we’re allowed to have large gatherings again!) – @lianejklingbeil
2. What is the most important detail for you and your fiancé to make your wedding day unforgettable?
The most important detail for me and my fiancé to make the day truly special is to really be able to spend quality time with our close family and friends. We will be having a micro wedding of less than 50 people, so being able to have meaningful conversations with everybody and share moments with our closest friends and family on our big day is so important to us! – @seekerofplaces
3. What is the best advice you can give to a newly engaged couple?
Cherish every moment! Time goes by so quickly. Have fun! Laugh through the crazy and overwhelming moments because one day they will make great stories. And remember, even when things don’t go as planned, you get to celebrate starting the rest of your lives together surrounded by people that you love and that love you! – @rachelenns
4. What is the hardest part of being engaged During a Pandemic?
Not being able to do all the traditional things you would normally do with those that you love due to covid restrictions. Like not being able to tell engagement news in person, wedding planning and dress shopping with larger groups of friends/family members, bridal shower, bachelorette party as well as the overall uncertainty of what to plan for the big day! – @rosesarentred33
5. Are you planning a honeymoon?
[We are planning to] explore BC: wineries, waterfalls & nature! Silver lining to closed boarders is you can create honeymoon memories locally which makes it easier to revisit annually or on milestone anniversary’s. – @courtneylynnfraser
6. What was your original wedding date? Have you had to postpone? If so, how many times?
My fiancé and I got engaged on July 1, 2020. With all of the uncertainty of COVID 19 and most brides moving their weddings from 2020 to 2021, we chose to get married the following year. As we began looking for wedding venues almost two years in advance, we found most wedding venues were already booking or almost full for summer of 2022. We were lucky to secure a spot for July 16, 2022 at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Course. We are very hopeful that things will be back to normal and that we will be able to have our dream wedding without any hiccups! – @jadeemonz
7. How did your fiancé pop the question?
The day before Valentine’s Day, we took a drive out to our favorite walking place (only to find out it was closed off). So with a change of plans and a quick detour, we found a new place to walk we had been to before and as we looked out over the city, I turned around to find him down on his knee and he popped the question! We went back to celebrate with family and he had set up the table with roses, balloons, candles, and wine. We spent Valentine’s Day together as a newly engaged couple! – @kennyneufie
8. Let’s talk about the Engagement Ring! Did you have any say on the design, or were you totally surprised by your fiancé?
[It was a] surprise for me. Even the proposal was a total surprise which made it that much more special! I never showed my fiancé any rings. He got one custom-designed for me; it is perfect and better than anything I would have chosen. It makes it even more remarkable that he took the time and energy to pick and design my perfect ring! – @its.me.mega
9. What is one thing about your wedding you refused to change in any way?
Loved ones are essential and next is the beautiful British Columbia landscape to celebrate in. -@ameliaschuld
10. What special traditions do you want to honor at your wedding?
Bit of a weird one but our family tradition is for the groom to be thrown into a body of water by all the married men in the family. Sometimes this is the ocean, sometimes snow, sometimes a near by pond or lake. [It] depends on the location of the wedding (we always wait for after the photos). One of my cousins picked a spot with no body of water around for over an hour. So we bought a kid pool from Canadian tire and filled it up with the garden hose so the tradition could continue! It’s been 5 generations and not a single groom has not been dunked! My groom to be has already picked out his swimming trunks for the day to wear under his suit. It actually tends to make for really cute photos! [Also] after my guy gets dunked he gets to help dunk all the future grooms in the family! -@mandi_jacq
11. What trends do you think you will infiltrate the 2022 wedding season?
Long family-style table orientations are becoming more popular so I think those will be a big trend. Also alternatives for flowers, more greenery instead or other décor pieces. Wedding cakes are becoming a thing of the past! Tiered cupcake towers. donuts or bars! No more spending 800$ on a cake please. – @sadetron
12. What do you think is the secret ingredient is when planning a wedding during covid?
Patience in researching for good contracts and reliable vendors. – @jasminejohaneson
We had so much fun learning about all of our brides throughout this series. Thank you to all of the brides who participated in the event! An extra special congratulations to @jasminejohaneson for winning the mega giveaway of a $2000 gift certificate to Candè. Be sure to follow us on Instagram so you get updates for our next giveaway contest!
Cande Bridal Boutique
1350 St Paul St #202
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2E1
For more information https://www.candebridalboutique.com/ or find Cande Bridal Boutique
So it happened! After ten years of incredible growth, love, and highs and lows we are finally engaged. I am truly overwhelmed with happiness! I am so excited to share the story with you all. The story is fun and also sentimental for me.
We decided at the last minute to visit my future fiancé’s mom over the weekend in Penticton. Since I create content for Candè’s social media I am always thinking of fun ways to incorporate Candè into every opportunity! I looked at the weather forecast and it was calling for a beautiful weekend! So, I contacted Adriana and asked if I could borrow a dress for the day to make a video. I decided on a silver, gray and gold Chantel Lauren customized by Candè skirt and an ivory Lis Simon high neck top separate.
We initially decided to go out to the Skaha Bluffs for the shoot, but while driving out we decided on Munson Mountain because it was a little easier to get to. I am so glad we decided to do Munson because it was perfect! I am barely 5’2 and the Chantel Lauren skirt is very long on me. Muson mountain has this perfect rock to stand on so that the skirt can have it’s own moment. It was very windy atop the mountain but it was just beautiful for getting these incredible shots with the dress. I really felt like a Greek goddess!
My future fiancé was my photographer and he did a great job of capturing the moments. For the most part we were up there alone enjoying the amazing, although cold experience! We were experimenting with different ways to throw the dress and get a few shots with the sun out. Afterwards, we decided to do some close ups with the skirt in the foreground. Since my boyfriend was the photographer grabbing these shots, he was already on one knee when he popped the question. Of course I said yes!
Truly, in my heart, I knew it was coming at the time. But, I was still so overwhelmed with excitement. It was really beautiful to be asked while feeling so lovely on such an amazing day. We don’t have the engagement ring right now so he proposed with the wedding band which is what you can see in the photos. Rest assured that there are more wedding related blog posts coming!
Victoria Ansell (@vicansell) Social Media Specialist for Cande Bridal Boutique
1350 St Paul St
#202
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2E1
For more information https://www.candebridalboutique.com/ or find Cande Bridal Boutique
Finding the perfect wedding dress is an incredible and meaningful experience, but at times it can be difficult to narrow down exactly what you are looking for. Each bride is different, some know exactly what they are looking for, however others don’t or they change their minds throughout the shopping experience.
Inspired by a blogpost from Harpers Bazaar entitled ‘The Best Wedding Dress for Your Astrological Sign and How to Shop for It’ and this unique perspective of attaching bridal gown styles to your horoscope, we have created our very own Wedding Dress Horoscope. There are so many things that can trigger a bride to find THE dress. This will be a fun look at matching wedding dresses to your astrological sign that can hopefully help you to discover your true gem!
Aries
Aries is a brave and courageous sign. She is not afraid to take on new challenges and she is often seeking adventure. An Aries gown should reflect this nature with a daring and sleek design. We have chosen a Lis Simon fit & flare silhouette. This gown is simple yet she demands to be seen! With a deep V neckline and decorative button details all down the chapel train, this is the perfect dress for an Aries bride.
Taurus
Taurus is a trustworthy and patient sign. She values stability and security to match her dependable nature. A Taurus appreciates the feel and fabric of a gown the most. She should look for timeless and luxurious gowns for her wedding day. We have chosen a comfortable sheath dress from Allure Bridals to match with our Taurus bride. This gown is demure and minimal in the front with a keyhole back banded by a crystal clasp. The perfect mix of traditional and modern.
Gemini
Gemini is an intelligent and adaptable sign. She likes to take risks and switch it up. A Gemini will crave something eye catching that people will be telling stories about for years to come. Simplicity won’t do for a Gemini gown! We chose this sheer bodice A-line gown from Allure Bridals. This gown is adorned with lace appliques all along the bodice and hem. A beautiful blend of fabric and design to suit a Gemini bride!
Cancer
Cancer is a compassionate and supportive sign. She is elegant and feminine and we feel this Art Deco inspired strapless gown from Allure Bridals perfectly embodies a Cancer sign. This gown somehow manages to capture both vintage and modern emotions. With a sweetheart neckline, button details and a lace hemmed train for miles. We would love to see this on a Cancer bride!
Leo
Leo is a charismatic and exuberant sign. She is bold and she lives to take risks. A dramatic and voluminous gown will suit her perfectly! We have chosen an eye catching Hayley Paige ballgown just for our Leo bride. This gown has delicate sparkling flowers all over the bodice and sprinkled throughout the skirt. A feminine addition to our bold Leo gown. You know a Leo could rock this all night!
Virgo
Virgo is an altruistic and modest sign. She is most comfortable in organized and well planned situations. A Virgo gown should match this aesthetic of functionality but also include high levels of detail. We have picked a fit & flare Lis Simon gown that has been designed down to every last seam. This dress features a sequined lace overlay, deep V neckline with crystal tulle panel, low V back with decorative buttons, illusion lace chapel train and even beaded straps. No detail has been overlooked on this gown for our Virgo bride!
Libra
Libra is a charming and polished sign. She values harmony and elegance. She appreciates stylish beauty with a modern twist. We have chosen a feminine flowing gown for our Libra bride with a floral lace bodice, sweetheart neckline and floral appliqué spaghetti straps from Lis Simon. Lace trickles down past the waistline and onto the silky chiffon A-line skirt both in front and the back. Open back with a v-shaped backline, zipper and buttons on the back. Let’s all visualize our Libra bride running through an open field in the gown!
Scorpio
Scorpio is a notoriously passionate and determined sign. She likes to look and feel sultry and powerful. Scorpios are stylish on the daily and their wedding day should be no different. We have chosen an opulent sheath gown that embraces all things textured and beautiful from Madison James. This gorgeous fitted gown accentuates all of Scorpios curves and features a mix of lace, beading and rhinestones. Our Scorpio bride will be making a statement in this incredible gown!
Sagittarius
Sagittarius is an ambitious and optimistic sign. She likes to make an impact and be the life of the party. We have chosen a ball gown from Allure for our Sagittarius bride. The beautiful gown is made of Mikado silk and features a deep sweetheart neckline for a flawless look. She is timeless in the front and party in the back with the beautiful applique and rhinestone detail. The perfect party dress for a Sagittarius bride!
Capricorn
Capricorn is a determined and patient sign. She has a great appreciation for the finer things in life. Capricorns are down to earth and they should have a gown that allows them to move as they please while still looking elegant. We have chosen a Lis Simon off the shoulder fit and flare gown with buttons all the way down the chapel length train. This is a timeless and comfortable gown with just enough detail for our Capricorn bride.
Aquarius
Aquarius is an intelligent and altruistic sign. She tends to be a unique and eccentric person who always marches to the beat of her own drum. An Aquarian will desire a memorable and one of a kind gown. We have chosen a deep V Lis Simon fit & flare gown with intricate lace overlay and crystal tulle panel. She features detachable veil wings for our enigma Aquarius bride to create beautiful shapes and scenes for her photos.
Pisces
Pisces is a romantic and intuitive sign. She is dreamy and whimsical and her wedding gown should give us the same vibes. We have chosen a flowing and soft Lis Simon A-line gown for our Pisces bride. This V neck gown features an illusion lace bodice with romantic floral lace . Any Pisces would feel like they were floating on a cloud in this dress on their wedding day.
We hope this can help you along your way to finding the perfect gown as well as by having a little bit of fun! Do you think we chose the right gown for your sign? Let us know!
Please enjoy and remember to book your appointment online today!
Cande Bridal Boutique
1350 St Paul St #202
Kelowna, BC V1Y 2E1
For more information https://www.candebridalboutique.com/ or find Cande Bridal Boutique
