Congratulations

Congratulations, now that you are a Bride-to-be, wedding dress shopping will be high on the list of to do’s. Before you dive in and book hundreds of appointments to try on thousands of dresses it is incredibly valuable for your time and stress levels to start with a little research. The style of your venue is incredibly important as this usually has a big influence on the type of gown you choose. Therefore, it can be very helpful if you have your venue booked before trying dresses. Booking the venue and setting the date is one of the biggest wedding planning decisions you will make, so you may want to get this confirmed, and then the dress search begins.

Every bride is different, but we would advise looking for your dress around 12-18 months in advance of your big day. All brides are different so if you wish to start looking sooner, the more time on our side the better. On the other hand, if you have less time and need something sooner, don’t panic, we will always do our best to accommodate all timescales, whether that is in the form of a rush cut or an off the peg gown, there are lots of options.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING MY APPOINTMENT?

We pride ourselves at House of Snow on being a luxury, multi award winning designer boutique with a service to match. When you arrive to your appointment you will be greeted by one of our professional stylists, who will then get to know you better by talking through your ideas and your vision of your big day. After a chat, we will guide you through the designers and dresses we showcase and together select dresses for you to try. We will utilise our experience and knowledge to recommend dresses that reflect your vision but also those that reflect your personality. Our team are here to ensure your experience is completely stress free and fabulous.

DO I HAVE TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT?

At House of Snow we operate by appointment only, this is to ensure that each and every bride who visits the boutique receives the ultimate, most luxurious experience. We lock the doors, and you have the full use of the boutique to yourself, all the dresses and your stylists undivided attention.

HOW LONG WILL MY APPOINTMENT LAST?

You’ll have our undivided attention for between an hour and a half to two hours in the comfort of our beautiful boutique, all to yourself.

IS THERE A BOOKING FEE?

Weekends can be incredibly busy so you may want to visit us on a weekday where possible and these carry NO appointment fee.

If you are wanting one of our highly sought-after weekend consultations, we do kindly ask for a £20 appointment fee, which is fully redeemable against the purchase of your bridal gown. Appointment fees are payable by card over the phone, or by bank transfer at the point of booking.

HOW MANY GUESTS CAN I BRING ALONG?

We ask that you bring a maximum of 4 guests to accompany you to your appointment. It’s really important to choose loved ones whose opinions you value and will support you to make the best choice for you. Too many opinions can sometimes cloud your judgement and be overwhelming. If you wish to bring along more of your nearest and dearest, please call us prior to booking and we can advise further.

HOW LONG DO DRESSES TAKE TO ARRIVE?

Your dress will take time to arrive once ordered and you will also need to allow for alterations (alterations are not included in the price of the dress), if you can give us between 9-12 months prior to the wedding that would be wonderful! However, do not despair or let this panic you if you have less time as there are lots of other options such as rush cut orders or buying off the rail!

WHAT IS YOUR PRICE RANGE?

Prices range from £1,400 up to £4000. We do have a small selection of ready to wear samples available to take away on the day, starting from £500, these can also be seen on the designer section of the website, under – Sample sale gowns.

ARE YOU OPEN SUNDAYS?

We are open on select Sundays throughout the year (usually two every month). Please send us an email or call to enquire about availability.

HOW MANY DRESSES WILL I GET TO TRY ON?

To start, we always advise you to pick around 5 or 6 dresses out and then once we have a better idea of what you are liking or not liking we will select some gowns that you may have missed, or we think will be good for you.

Be open when it comes to trying different styles on, but initially we recommend going with what you are being drawn to and thinking, as you know yourself what you feel your best in. If you are worried and feel you have no idea, then please don’t, we see lots of brides in dresses, and we know our stock inside out, so you are in good hands, and we can guide you through the process of selecting gowns to try. Dresses always look different on hangers, they also look very different on models you see online and in campaign shoots, so be open minded and you will find your dream dress.

WHAT SIZES ARE YOUR SAMPLES?

At House of Snow we have carefully selected sample bridal dresses which start at a UK size 8 and go up to a UK 20 with the majority of our samples in a UK 10 – 14. Bridal sizing can very much vary to our everyday high street clothes. All dresses are orderable in all sizes, also do not fear, we have many tricks of the trade to give you the best possible vision of how your dress will look, if you are feeling nervous about this or have any further questions, please do not hesitate to give us a call, we would be more than happy to chat anything through with you prior to your appointment.

WHAT UNDERWEAR SHOULD I WEAR FOR MY APPOINTMENT?

When you come for your appointment, you may want to try to wear very plain simple underwear, and a suitable colour, nude is advisable. Try to wear a good bra, possibly strapless as this can really help you, however, don’t panic if you don’t have one as with most dresses you don’t need to wear a bra due to them being boned and padded. If you don’t feel comfortable going bra-less, we have a large collection of lingerie available to buy in the boutique from stick on bras, bra cups and much more.

I AM EARLY, CAN I POP IN TO BROWSE?

We ask that all brides come to their appointment on time, unfortunately we are unable to offer a waiting area at House of Snow and we like each bride to receive a completely private and personal experience, so if you do arrive a little early, Bury St Edmunds has a huge array of bars, cafes and restaurants for you to relax in prior to your appointment.

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO PARK WHEN VISITING?

Hatter Street has limited Pay and Display parking spaces, at £4 for two hours, so you can always try your luck down here. However, it may be easier to park in one of the long stay car parks Bury has to offer. There is the Cattlemarket/Arc car park (IP33 3DG) or Ram Meadow car park (IP33 1XT) both are a short walk through the centre of beautiful Bury St Edmunds, and you can also have a wonder through the shops on the way to your appointment.

CAN I TAKE PHOTOS OF THE DRESSES AT MY APPOINTMENT?

Please note that we can’t allow photographs of any dresses at House of Snow. If you have friends or family that are unable to make your appointment, we love nothing more than using FaceTime and Skype to involve them in the process, it is also far more personal.

DO I NEED AN APPOINTMENT TO VIEW ACCESSORIES?

Yes, we like to keep all our appointments private, so please do get in touch to book. If you are a House of Snow Bride, we also suggest attending one of our Sparkle Events, dedicated specifically to all thing’s accessories, we hold two of these per year and you will be told about the dates when purchasing your dress.