Things to Know Before Trying on a Wedding Dress for the First Time | AKAY Wedding Dress Guide
Trying on a wedding dress for the first time is one of the most exciting moments in wedding preparations. Seeing designs you've only seen in photos or on models on yourself can change many of your ideas about wedding dresses. For this reason, it is important to approach your first wedding dress appointment not just as "trying on models," but also as a special experience where you begin to discover your own style.
To make the wedding dress trying-on process at AKAY more efficient and enjoyable, it will be helpful to know some details and make small preparations before your visit.
Review Wedding Dress Models Before Your Visit
Before your first appointment, forming a general idea of which wedding dress styles you like will significantly ease the trying-on process. By reviewing the collections on the AKAY website, you can identify models that appeal to you from among A-line, princess, mermaid, or simpler silhouettes.
You don't need to have chosen a definitive model. But taking screenshots of a few designs you like or noting down model names will help your consultant understand your style more quickly.
Information on which AKAY boutiques display the models you like is available on the model pages. If there is a design you particularly want to see, checking this information before making your appointment request will help you plan your visit more accurately.
You Can Form Your First Impression with Virtual Try-On
Instead of just seeing wedding dresses on models, you can also benefit from AKAY's AI-powered Virtual Try-On feature before your visit.
Using your own photo, you can virtually display the wedding dress models you like on yourself; you can get a first impression of how different cuts, necklines, and overall silhouettes might look on you.
Virtual try-on does not replace a physical wedding dress fitting. However, it is a very useful starting point, especially for brides-to-be trying on a wedding dress for the first time, to explore their options and come to the boutique visit more prepared.
It's Normal for Your Opinion to Change During the First Try-On
The appearance of a wedding dress in a photo and the feeling it creates on you may not be the same. You might have thought you wanted a princess style for a long time, but you might realize during the first try-on that an A-line design is much more suitable for you. Similarly, a neckline or fabric you never considered before might create a much stronger impression on you than you expected.
For this reason, while it's helpful to come to the first appointment with certain ideas, it's important to be open to alternatives.
AKAY consultants can suggest different options based on your body type, the models you like, your wedding concept, and your personal style. Sometimes, the model that helps you find your dream wedding dress might be a design that wasn't on your list when you came to the appointment.
An Appointment Request and a Confirmed Appointment Are Not the Same
The process you create through the AKAY website is primarily an appointment request.
After you submit your request, our boutique consultants will contact you. Your appointment is created after communication with our consultant and mutual confirmation of a suitable time.
Therefore, it is important not to assume that your appointment is automatically confirmed after sending an appointment request online. Your appointment time is confirmed after our consultants contact you.
If you wish, you can also get information about appointments by calling our boutiques by phone during business hours. The current working hours of our boutiques are listed in the boutiques section of the AKAY website.
Allocate Approximately One Hour for Your Appointment
Wedding dress appointments at AKAY boutiques are planned for 1 hour.
During this time, different models are evaluated with your consultant, the fit of the wedding dresses on you is examined, and any potential design changes are discussed if needed.
While there is no specific limit to the number of models to try on, the goal is not to quickly try on as many wedding dresses as possible. Selecting the right models and carefully evaluating each one provides a much more productive experience.
After your appointment is confirmed, it is especially important that you are at the boutique at the scheduled time so you can fully utilize the time allocated to you.
How Many People Should You Bring to Your Wedding Dress Fitting?
You may want to get the opinions of your loved ones during your first wedding dress fitting. However, very large groups can sometimes make decision-making more difficult rather than easier.
AKAY appointments accept a maximum of 4 people.
Our recommendation is to come with a limited number of people whose judgment you truly trust, who know your style, and who will support you. This way, you can focus on your own feelings without getting lost among different opinions and communicate more effectively with your consultant.
The most important thing to remember is that you are the one who will be wearing the wedding dress. While the opinions of those with you are valuable, your own feelings should be the determining factor in the final decision.
The Wedding Dress You Tried On Is Not Its Final Form
This is one of the points that brides-to-be trying on a wedding dress for the first time most frequently overlook.
The wedding dresses you try on in boutiques are standard sample sizes. Therefore, it is not correct to expect a model to fit your body perfectly during the first try-on.
AKAY has been working with a custom design and haute couture approach since 1976. The chosen wedding dress can be prepared according to your measurements or reinterpreted according to your preferences.
Neckline shape, sleeve structure, skirt volume, train length, fabric, or specific design details can be evaluated according to the structure of the model. Therefore, the wedding dress you see at the first try-on may only be the starting point of your final look.
Focus More on the Feeling in the Mirror Than in the Photo
A standard-sized sample wedding dress, because it has not yet been prepared according to your measurements, may look different in a photo from the final design.
For this reason, photography is generally not preferred during fittings at AKAY. Evaluating a wedding dress that has not yet been adjusted to the body based on a single photograph may not accurately reflect the true potential of the design.
In your first appointment, instead of just thinking about how it looks in a photo; it would be more appropriate to focus on how you feel in the wedding dress, its silhouette, your movement, and how much the design reflects you.
Share Your Wedding Concept with Your Consultant
When choosing a wedding dress, not only body type but also the wedding venue is important.
The fabric, skirt volume, and details suitable for a hotel ballroom, garden wedding, beach wedding, or a simpler civil ceremony can all be different.
Sharing your wedding date, venue, and the atmosphere you envision with your consultant during the appointment will help guide the choices more accurately.
Also, if you have a specific veil, sleeve, train, or other design detail in mind, mentioning these will facilitate the evaluation of personalized options.
If You Decide, the Ordering Process Can Begin
Your first appointment does not have to be solely for exploration. If you decide on a model you like, your wedding dress order can often be placed during the same visit.
During the ordering phase, necessary body measurements are taken by the professional team, the chosen model and any design changes are determined. Then, a plan for fittings and delivery is made.
Therefore, if your wedding date is set, sharing it with your consultant during the appointment is important for accurately creating the production and fitting schedule.
Plan Your Transportation in Advance Too
Even minor logistical details on the day of your appointment can affect the time allocated to you.
AKAY boutiques do not offer parking or valet services. Especially if you are coming by car, it would be beneficial to allocate extra time for parking depending on the branch you are visiting and plan your appointment time accordingly.
Arriving at your appointment on time ensures you can make the most efficient use of the one-hour period allocated to you.
View Your First Wedding Dress Fitting as a Process of Discovery
You don't need to know all the answers or have decided which model to choose when you come to try on a wedding dress for the first time.
The important thing is to review the models before your visit, form a few ideas about the designs you like, and be open to new suggestions during the appointment.
At AKAY, trying on a wedding dress is not just about seeing different models on yourself; it is a process of discovering your silhouette, your style, and how you want to feel on your wedding day, together with your consultant.
You can review our models on our website, discover your favorite designs on your own photo with AKAY Virtual Try-On, and then create your appointment request to take the first real step in your wedding dress journey.