Bridal salon owner shares 15 questions everyone should ask when shopping for a wedding dress

How you approach dress shopping depends on your wedding date. If you've got some time to spare, Risatti — owner of Gabriella New York — suggested getting started at least 10 months to a year in advance based on her experience.

"It takes about three or four months to make the gown," she told Insider. "And then you'd like to have three to four months to alter the gown. So if you do that we're talking six to eight months for the process. That's not leaving you any room to really shop. So that's why we say ten months to a year is ideal."

That's not to say an expedited process isn't possible — but the sooner the better.

Such a major purchase can't be taken lightly, so you want to make sure your business is in good hands. Risatti suggested asking friends and family for their own recommendations. 

"It's also important to read reviews. Of course, take some with a grain of salt, but what are people saying? And if there is a bad review, what specifically is the reason? And if you call to make the appointment, what is the experience you have?"

Finally, look at the designers they have and whether they match your wedding-day aesthetic and price points.

It's highly unlikely that a store is going to turn you away without an appointment, but setting one up comes with added benefits.

"The good thing about having an appointment is that you know you're going to have someone dedicated to you and when you call, you can get as much or as little information as you want," Risatti told Insider.

"If you have a certain style or price point, they can have that set up before the visit — or you can start from scratch."

Appointment times vary by bridal salon but Risatti estimated an hour and 15 minutes at her store with an extra 15-minute buffer for good measure.

"If the bride decides to purchase and we need to do paperwork, or if she's just not really sure it takes a little longer," she said. "We kind of buffer it in so that everyone actually has an hour and a half."

Most brides have a vision of what their perfect dress should look like and, thanks to apps like Pinterest and Instagram, are usually teeming with ideas before the first meeting with their bridal stylist. But the reality might be a bit different.

"Sometimes [clients] don't stop to think about or ask if that is the best style for their body type, their venue, the type of wedding that they're having, the season, or the time of year," Risatti told Insider.

"So if a [client] comes in with pictures and  wants this heavy satin ball gown and isn't getting married in August, that's probably not a great idea, or you're going to be super hot."

Your best bet is to ask the stylist for his or her recommendation. Then it's up to you to decide which of those is best for you.

Risatti suggested proceeding with caution. "Don't go on a crash diet and lose 30 pounds so that your fiancé doesn't recognize you as you're walking down the aisle," she warned.

"I know people can put a lot of pressure on themselves, but we would never order a gown for a bride based on her goal weight. We would take her measurements at the time of purchase and we can adjust it and alter it if she does happen to lose weight."

Regardless, you might need a few alterations. "Sometimes you plan to run a marathon and might lose weight or add muscle you didn't have before," explained Risatti. "So you do have to be mindful of that when shopping."

You may not have the dress in hand yet, but there are a few items you should have to make the process a little easier.

"What we recommend is bringing any undergarments that you think you might wear on the day of your wedding to your fitting," said Risatti. "And definitely bring your shoes. Do not go to a fitting without the shoes. Not just a similar shoe, but the actual one."

Some bridal shops, like Risatti's, can add custom cups to the dress, so ask your stylist if that's a service that's offered.

"We do three fittings and I think that's pretty standard," said Risatti. "We like to start our process pretty far before the wedding just in case there are any issues whatsoever. It gives us enough time to fix it."

"And then we do another fitting a month and a half later," she said. "We usually do a final fitting about two weeks before the wedding. That does account for if there is any last-minute weight gain."

Of course, you may change your mind or maybe the dress just won't fit. Stylists will take that into consideration and schedule fittings accordingly.

Ideally, you want to have the same seamstress working on your fittings throughout the process to ensure consistency. Risatti employs that method at her bridal salon.

"You work with the same seamstress the entire time and then we also have an alterations manager so you would see that person every time as well, and an alterations assistant," she said.

"We think it's really important to have consistency so that nothing is lost in the communication, like if you're talking to a different person every time. The actual person who worked on your dress is the person you're having your next fitting with."

When making such a monumental decision, it always helps to bring a trusted friend or family member. But Risatti warned against bringing too many guests out of consideration for the other customers.

She capped her limit at five after an experience where a group of 12, including children, were disruptive. And there's another very practical reason.

"It's overwhelming for the bride," she said. "She's not making a decision on her wedding dress with all of those people giving her feedback."

As with everything, there is a massive range in price. Risatti recommended doing some research or asking upfront.

"On my website, I put the price range clearly for each designer," she said. "Find out what price range the stores have and compare to your budget. If it's not on the website, call and find out the prices or just a general range."

"It varies," Risatti told Insider. "Generally speaking, it's just the price of the gown and then the price of the alterations. The only additional fees that anyone would pay is if they want to have their gown shipped somewhere or if they make any customizations."

"The good thing about made-to-order gowns is the ability to make minor changes like pattern changes or extra fabric. That will often incur a fee."

Find out your bridal salon's policy so there will be no budget surprises later on.  

Some bridal salons may differ, but Risatti said her store's payment plan is pretty standard across the industry.

"You pay 50% at the time of purchase and then you pay the balance when the gown comes in. We don't alter a gown or ship it unless it's been paid in full," she said. "You can pay in full at the start if you want but we only require half."

Based on the contract you sign at Gabriella New York, there is no cancellation. This can vary from place to place. 

"Once you buy that dress it's yours," Risatti said. "That's just because the gown is being made for you. It's not like someone else can use it."

Risatti pointed out that there are extenuating circumstances that warrant consideration. She added, "If someone's canceling their wedding gown, that's usually not for a happy or good reason so we don't want to make that any worse."

Depending on whether or not the designer has already cut the fabric, the bride may only have to forgo her deposit or make a partial payment.

Your wedding dress can get dirty on the dance floor or at an outdoor wedding. 

Gabriella New York partners with a company that cleans, preserves, and boxes dresses for brides in any part of the world. Find out if your bridal salon offers a similar service.