It's prom season and we thought we would encourage our prom-goers (some of whom are featured below) with a little free advice and some ideas to liven up the evening further. Ya welcome!

Be respectful: Treat everyone at the prom with kindness and respect, including your date, friends, teachers, and event staff. Don't be the person who is remembered for acting like a jerk.

Dress like you get it: Follow any specific dress code and choose attire that makes you feel confident and comfortable. Remember, prom is a formal event, so dress accordingly. It's also fun, so show off your personality.

Plan a Photo Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of funny or themed photo challenges for your group to complete before heading to prom. Think maybe cheesy prom poses, finding a stranger wearing socks that match yours, or photobombing unsuspecting couples.

Whatever your prom experience turns out to be, we hope that you all create amazing memories!

Lucky enough to be invited to go with your bride-to-be friend on her gown shopping ventures? Then you should keep a few of these bits of info in mind. You'll be so glad you did, and so will she. Gown shopping is an event, but friendship is for life!

Despite the fact that she is going to be the center of attention on her day, she is still nervous. She is still making 90 decisions - or amendments to her wedding plan - every day. Your job is to let her shine. We always like to say "look beyond the dress to the person." Be that friend who may not like every style she tries on but is interested in whether or not she likes it. When she has emerged from the dressing room, read her energy and respond with friendship and support.

When a bride's companions shout out "NO!" before she's even had a chance to turn around and smile and tell you "I LOVE IT," you've killed her momentum and perhaps swayed her decision. Remember that it IS her decision. ​

It sounds obvious, but remember that she is not the dress. If the cut or fit isn't flattering, don't say, "you look awful in that." Consider trying something like, "that has some great elements, but it's not allowing you to shine," or "it's hiding your best features." 
She's a person, not a mannequin, and if she's sensitive, she deserves support. We sometimes notice that the bride's companions treat this event as if they were watching a show on Bravo or E! where you can sit comfortably on a couch and criticize. This is not that! 
Avoid comments about her weight, about her fiancee's biases, or what isn't to your taste. If you are paying for the gown, and think you should get a vote, remember the bride's feelings and put them over your budget. Be present, be encouraging!

What brides think they want and what they actually end up getting are not always the same. In fact, they often are not. Our consultants can sense this. If she thinks she wants a ball gown, but tries on several and doesn't like them, it's time to widen the style scope and maybe try another style.

If she has expressed that she doesn't want a mermaid shape, or doesn't care for belts or a cathedral veil, listen to her. Making suggestions based on what she has expressed is helpful, but let the bride and consultant guide the appointment. This isn't a play date; she's shopping for an important day, so respect her preferences as she mines the collections for the right gown.

Ladies, listen up: wedding gowns are not sized the way regular dresses are. If a bride finds that dresses in the 12 and 16 range fit her, do not go pull dresses you like for her in a size 6 and hang them for her to try. You may have shopped with her for ages and think you know her body type, but the consultant will find the range and then work with her on style in those ranges. We have clips to pull in the back and ways of allowing the bride to see how she'll look without making her body conscious.

We might also call this section: DON'T RUIN IT. 
When a bride has found her gown and is ready to have her TV moment, the last thing she needs is Debbie Downer telling her that she can still shop around for other options or "sleep on it." If she is ready for the celebratory YES moment, zip it and cheer for her. 

These last tips will honestly just allow you and your bride-to-be pal enjoy the shopping experience more.

• Eat before you shop. 
• Ask in advance about the group size limit, if alcohol is permissible, and how much time is allowed for her appointment.
• If possible, keep the party small. She is going to stand in front of you several times in a variety of gowns, and when she's surrounded by a mob (even if the mob loves her), that's too much attention, scrutiny, and unsolicited commentary. 
• Don't waste the bride's appointment time asking unnecessary questions because you are curious. Keep it about her.
• The bride may try on 5 gowns or 25 gowns. There is no magic number, so let her have her journey.  

We love this business and take pride in knowing what works. So if you are invited to participate, find your highest self, your most gracious attitude and wear those to her shopping appointment. Humility and support look great on everyone!

Could we just start with the widely-known truth that the "horrible" can also be the "hilarious?" And mishaps often create the best memories? Everyone either has a story, or knows a story, of something happening at a wedding that was unexpected, unplanned and memorable.

We've all fallen down the rabbit hole of wedding fail videos. A little light Googling, and suddenly you've lost a half hour belly laughing and wondering what you would do in the same situation. 

That said, no one wants to have the wedding that everyone is talking about for the wrong reasons. 

Think of this blog as reminder to:
1) plan the "special moments" of your day carefully,
2) choose who you want to include in your ceremony and reception carefully, and 
3) remember to go with the flow.

They're usually too young and too cute to lecture about how to perform, so choosing for this role is a leap of faith. If it's your dog, and you've practiced - fun! Our fur babies love us and why not include them? Just watch for squirrels,...  or the smell of beef tips.
If it's a small child who's been tempted with a new toy or extra slice of cake, just make sure they don't need a nap before, and that they understand the assignment. 

What can we say? Or more importantly, what shouldn't THEY say? Toasts can be touching and funny without opening a Pandora's box of awkward moments. Discuss in advance what you do and do not want included in a speech about you in front of your relatives, coworkers, and parents' friends. Let's be discreet, shall we?

More dresses, cakes and precious moments have been ruined because someone started celebrating too early, lost track of their beverage count, didn't eat enough, or just decided to let loose. Pace yourself if you're serving adult beverages at your wedding. If you are in the wedding, go back and read that one again. Wait until your functional duties are done. Or better yet, skip the drinking until the day after.​

We've heard stories, and so have you, about a DJ that wants to incorporate their own tastes into the evening, or even peddle their own tunes. "CDs are available near the wedding cake!!" Nope. Have clear instructions for your musicians and DJ, so that there is room for dancing and partying, but with music that YOU and your guests want to hear.

​Doing your own DJ'ing? Good luck and God Bless.

We love the choreographed newlywed, father-daughter, mother-son dances. Everyone does. So if you can plan for it, practice, and pull it off, you should absolutely go for it. 

It's the impromptu moves that may get you into trouble. Don't dip the bride if you haven't practiced. You will likely drop her or rip something valuable. Don't jump into a split on the dance floor (see Over-indulging section above).

Listen: If Ryan Gosling cannot lift Emma Stone (Crazy, Stupid, Love) the same way that Patrick Swayze lifted Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing), then maybe that is something you should skip. 

From time to time, we consider it our duty to educate our prom goers and brides about our particular industry, and this is one of those times.

We aren't just sharing what is happening in our shop, but rather what is trending industry-wide and nationwide in the bridal world. If you want to be an informed and respectful shopper, heads-up! This will give you some needed wisdom and insight.

You probably know what this is, even if you didn't know the term for it.

Showrooming is when you visit a small business or store and make it your own personal place to explore and try on items with zero intention of buying. We're not talking about browsing televisions at a big box store, or doing a first-blush look at options where you walk through, gaze and then make an appointment. 

Often, under the guise of "doing research" or "figuring out what looks good on me," showrooming shoppers believe they are being discerning consumers, when in fact they are often knowingly taking advantage of brick and mortar shops that provide a custom selection, attractive space, and knowledgeable staff. Some truly believe they are being savvy, while we know others are hoping to get away with coming in, trying on items endlessly and then scooting out the door to place their orders online. 

Currently in the bridal / prom industries, there is an epidemic of women trying on gowns and dresses just for the experience of it. Some visitors attempt to treat our showrooms like personal dressing studios, where they can ask for endless assistance from our staff, take up time and space, while more intentional and sincere clients may not be getting the attention they deserve. More often than you would imagine, items are damaged during this trying on process and the loss goes to the shop.

Others aren't shoppers at all. They've made a visit to our shop as a play date where they spend hours getting a feel for what's out there, have fun dreaming of their wedding or prom, and then leave. Please know that if you are doing this, we know it. Everyone knows it, and it is now become an industry-wide problem.

​​Trying on dresses is fun and it should be, but we are the business of providing not just goods, but our services. 

• Our collections are carefully curated by our staff for each season's trends and appropriate price points.
• Our team is trained in customer service, and has a deep well of knowledge to share with each and every shopper. We hold your hand through the process, help you choose the right undergarments, accessories, jewelry, and more. 
• We help you understand sizing, when to order, what to expect and how to manage hurdles, so that when your event happens - you are ready. 
• We encourage our clients, we send reminders, help them problem solve with alterations, additions and edits to their ensemble. 

We understand that we won't have THE dress or gown for every shopper, but we do want people to respect the services we provide to our shoppers. Those who use us as a way to survey the market, or spend an afternoon, are not shoppers. They are taking advantage of our time, our expertise, and our good will. If you want to be an online shopper, be one. We get it! It's convenient. But to use a community business to do your homework is bad consumerism and poor shopping etiquette.

The trend now, and we've seen it happen with our regional and national peers, is to implement "try-on fees," so that only intentional buyers will spend time in our boutiques. If you are sincere about finding something that will work for you and making a purchase with us, then you'll be ready to pay a small fee in order to get the right garment. If you're not, that's certainly ok, but we hope that you will respect that we would like for sincere shoppers only to have access to our knowledgeable team, our selection, our counsel about details to make everything work, and our boutique space. 

Bridal Traditions has already implemented appointment fees for certain types of bridal appointments. We are trying to avoid it, but if this behavior persists, we may be forced to implement try-on fees for prom as well as bridesmaid customers. 

​As an industry, we want to protect ourselves and our staffs while still providing exceptional service for those who understand and appreciate what we do. We love and respect our customers and we want to continue to bring them the stellar service that they expect from BT.