At Andria Leigh Events, we love helping our brides with their wedding gown experience as much as we can -- ultimately we want them to find that perfect dress that expresses their personal style, makes them feel fantastic, and fits the vibe of their venue. The bridal gown can really be a key player in the mood and design of the big day!

And because we love fresh, fun, and fashion-forward styles, we love turning to WildBride. Located in between Alamo Square and Hayes Valley in San Francisco, WildBride is a boutique for the unique, unconventional, and free-spirited bride who wants to feel like the best (but also most authentic) version of herself.

Fun fact - our lead planner, Jessica, is a former WildBride stylist, and I found my own wedding dress there around this time last year!

It has a special place in our heart and is owned and operated by a seriously cool gal - Samira Araghi. Today on the blog, Samira answers the key questions we get from brides about their gowns while in Shelter-in-Place and how to resume dress shopping during COVID-19 concerns.

For brides who ordered a dress before Shelter-in-Place and are waiting for it to arrive, is there anything they should be doing or asking their boutique?

As soon as we heard about SIP from the city, I immediately contacted all of our brides about their gown orders. I informed them that we weren't experiencing any delays so far, and that I was in constant communication with the designers, as some designers ship out orders based on wedding dates. I would suggest to brides who have not heard from their shop already, to email them and ensure their gowns are still being made on time. Also, it’s so important to inform their bridal shop if they have postponed their wedding, so they can make sure to prioritize orders with the designer.

For brides who have an early 2021 wedding who have not started shopping, or were early in the process before Shelter-in-Place, what do you recommend?

There are few great options for brides who are getting married late 2020 or early 2021. Most bridal shops are offering new online options with sample sale gowns readily available to purchase at discounted prices. WildBride is offering this, plus we also have NEW samples that we have ordered from our designers’ stock inventory at discounted prices for this exact purpose, with flat rate shipping fees. Another option is to take advantage of virtual styling appointments in order to speak to a stylist, which can be so helpful when starting the dress hunt. With less time to find the perfect gown, brides should more than ever do their online research (via Pinterest, Instagram, online blogs), so that when shops re-open, they can be much closer to knowing what style and type of gown they are looking for, and can have a narrowed list of shops they want to visit. As a bridal shop owner, I will make sure that the dress shopping experience remains as special as it always has been, but brides who can be more decisive will have an easier time navigating limited timelines and appointments.

For brides who have already received their dress, but their wedding is getting postponed to 2021, where is the safest place to store it?

Most gowns can be stored in the gown bag and safely hung in a closet. The important thing is to make sure the gown is properly hung with the hanger tape (not the actual straps!) so there’s no stress on the gown. However for lighter fabric gowns (i.e. mesh bodices or lightweight lace), these should be stored flat under a bed or a couch if possible, to avoid any sort of stretching.

For brides planning an elopement, either in lieu of a large wedding, or to recognize their original wedding date, we'd love to send them to WildBride's sample sale page to shop online! How can they expect that process to work?

Our sample sale shop is super convenient for brides who are looking for a dress with quick turnaround at amazing prices, and they can find one-of-a-kind gowns that are not easily available elsewhere. The shop features very detailed information about the styles including the description, size, collection year, sample condition, and measurements. The most important element to review is the "fit & styling" info--this tells brides about the fit of the gown and how they can expect it to look on them, plus gives useful tips for how it can be styled, tailored and what type of body it would work well for. We have measurements available for each gown, but if a bride is unsure if the gown will be the right size for her, she can email us with her measurements, images and any other info so that we can assist! For our slightly more "seasoned" samples, we can recommend our preferred local bridal gown cleaning service, who are offering great deals for gown cleaning during COVID-19. And of course after each purchase, we offer our amazing list of local (and some national) bridal alterations specialists for the tailoring.

Any tips for taking measurements at home?

This is actually much easier than some brides think! All they need is a flexible measuring tape or string. There are three key measurements usually needed to determine the size — bust, waist, and hips, depending on the selected gown. If you’re taking at-home measurements, it’s best to ask someone to do it for you so that you can stand with good posture, relaxed shoulders, bare feet and ideally no clothing. If possible, let your shop owner know which dress you are considering before you take the measurements, in case there are any additional spots that could be useful (low hip, height, torso length, etc).

Any recommendations for unconventional, comfortable bridal shoes for an adventurous, outdoor elopement?

For outdoor weddings, we love booties, clogs and playful square heels with ankle straps (not slip on). Few of our favorite local and international brands are: Bryr Clogs, Freda Salvador, Flordeasoka.

Samira thank you so much for contributing, and brides, head over to Wilbdride and shop their sample sale now!