We provide such a specialized service that we do want to know when you’re coming to see us. Before your appointment we’ll call you to ask some questions. We want to get to know you and how you see yourself at your wedding. That way, when you arrive, we’re prepared with bridal gowns that we know you’ll love! Make an appointment now to save your spot!
Your
Questions, Answered
FAQ
01. Do I need an appointment to visit Sinders Bridal House?
02. How far in advance of my wedding should I book my appointment?
We suggest that you order your gown 9-12 months before your wedding. This timeline allows the 6-9 months ordering time that our designers request and also leaves the three months that our seamstress suggests for alterations. We are able to rush your gown, but this can lead to extra charges, and we hope to avoid that for you as often as possible. If you do not have 9-12 months let us know. We will look into quick delivery options, or discuss samples off the floor, however we can help.
03. Is it possible to get my gown faster?
Absolutely it is. Several of our designers offer quicker delivery – some that incur a fee and some that don’t. And we are open to selling our samples off the floor so that you can take your gown home the same day you find it, or we offer a cleaning and touch up service if you prefer. All of these options are faster than a normal delivery time. But this is a dress-by-dress basis, so we do ask for flexibility if you have a shorter timeline to your wedding. We’ll always find a way to make it work, we just need open communication to do so.
04. What can I expect during my appointment?
We’ll have chosen a few gowns ahead for you, based on the conversations we’re able to have with you leading up to your appointment. When you arrive, you’ll get to browse the selection of gowns we have available, choose gowns to try on, and then we ask that you give us a little bit of trust. We promise - our team is incredible. We take pride in how amazing they are, and in the joy they find in helping you. If your perfect wedding gown isn’t one of the first ones pulled, then your dedicated stylist will be able to find your gown through what you describe and how you react to the other gowns you try on. Each gown that you choose to try, we will show your family and friends, narrow down your selection, and find the one gown you never want to take off!
05. How long does my bridal appointment last?
Your appointment is booked for two hours which allows for a few minutes browsing in the beginning and typically about 1.5 hours to try on gowns. But it’s also possible that you will find your gown much faster than that. The main point for us is that we never want you to feel rushed when you’re looking for your wedding dress, so we would rather schedule extra time just in case!
06. How many people can come with me to my appointment?
We ask that no more than five people come to the appointment, so the bride plus four party members. If you have more people you’d like to include, then we can set you up with all kinds of virtual options to include them from a distance and make sure they don’t miss out. Or depending on how many people you’d like to bring we would recommend you look at our White Carpet Appointment where we create a full celebration with bites and bubbly for you and your entourage.
07. What is a White Carpet Appointment?
If you want to bring extra people, or you would just like to make finding your wedding gown that much more special, then this is the appointment type for you. Typically booked after-hours, you and your party will have the entire boutique to yourself. We’ll have a selection of bites to eat and chilled bubbly ready for you upon arrival. The extra time we book for a White Carpet Appointment makes it a great time to look at customizations to really personalize your wedding gown as well. Enjoy the time with your family and friends in this beautiful celebration that marks the start of your journey toward your wedding day!
08. What should I bring to my appointment?
The short answers is – all you need to bring is an open mind and supportive party members! But if you have an heirloom piece, or something specific you want to try with your wedding dress like a veil or a pair of shoes, then by all means, please bring them. If there’s something important to have with you on your wedding day, then it’s best to say yes to your dress with it as well!
09. How long does my bridal appointment last?
Your appointment is booked for two hours which allows for a few minutes browsing in the beginning and typically about 1.5 hours to try on gowns. But it’s also possible that you will find your gown much faster than that. The main point for us is that we never want you to feel rushed when you’re looking for your wedding dress, so we would rather schedule extra time just in case!
10. Are photographs allowed?
You are more than welcome to take pictures of yourself in the gowns you try, but we do caution that pictures are taken with a cell phone, of a gown that doesn’t necessarily fit, and can change how you remember your gown. Pictures can lead to confusion, so please keep that in mind. But we love when our brides want to commemorate their experience finding their gown with their friends and family.
11. Do you have gowns that are available off the rack?
Absolutely we do! We have a selection of samples that are available off the rack. You can choose to take your gown home the same day or we can keep it to look over and make sure it looks perfect.
12. Do you offer alterations?
We have a Master Seamstress on staff in our Carleton Place location. Please understand that alterations appointments are limited as we only have one seamstress and she is not able to take every bride. For our Peterborough location – and for our Carleton Place brides who choose not to do alterations with us – we have a great selection of outside seamstresses whom we have worked with for years.
13. Do you provide alterations for dresses purchased somewhere else?
We are currently only able to offer alterations services to Sinders Bridal House brides.
14. What is the price range for your gowns?
Each wedding dress designer has their own price range. The gowns we have in our boutique cover a range from $2,000-$8,000 with the majority between $2,500 and $3,500. If you’re looking to stay lower than that let us know; we might be able to accommodate your budget by discussion a sample off the floor.
15. Does the wedding dress price include alterations?
Alterations are separate from the gown because each bride and each gown have their own personal set of changes that would be needed. Average wedding gown alterations are $700-$1,000 based on the pricing of our internal seamstress. If you do plan to use our seamstress services, please make sure this is factored into your budget.
16. Can I customize my wedding gown?
Customizations are highly regarded at Sinders Bridal. We love to know that you have created the gown of your dreams, not anyone else’s. Sometimes that means making small changes to the gown you try on so that it's exactly what you pictured. We encourage this unique possibility by working with designers who also believe that each gown should represent each bride. Several of our designers offer customizations directly from their design team so they will do the changes to your gown as they create it. With the designers who are not able to do this we can still discuss making customizations through our in-house seamstress.
17. What wedding dress designers do you carry?
We carry a great variety of gowns from incredible designers like Essense of Australia, Calla Blanche, Pronovias Fashion Group, Eva Lendel, and Wona Concept. For a full list and an idea of what each designer creates, head over to our designer page our check out our Pinterest page to see our full inventory per location.
18. What bridal accessories do you offer?
Bridal accessories can be as individual a choice as a gown. We carry a huge selection of veils, jewellery and headpieces. Many of our accessories are locally made, which is even better! When you find our gown, we can also look through accessories that suit, or we can wait until your gown arrives to pick out the full look. If you did not find your gown with Sinders then we would still love to help you match accessories. It is preferable if you can bring your gown with you in this situation but reach out and we can help coordinate an accessories appointment for you.
19. Do you have bridesmaids or mothers gowns?
We do have a selection of gowns in our Peterborough location that work for mothers-of, bridesmaids, and gala dresses. Please reach out to our Peterborough location directly to discuss what you’re looking for. At this time, Carleton Place only carries wedding gowns and bridal accessories.
20. How do I pay for my dress?
We accept all forms of payment (cash, credit card, e-transfer). A 60% deposit is required to order your gown, then the remainder is due once your gown arrives, and you try it on. Dresses sold “off the rack” must be paid in full.
21. Is it customary to leave a tip upon purchase?
We want our amazing stylists to focus on the bride-to-be and what's best for her whether she finds her gown with us or not. We do not believe in commission sales because this isn't about sales, it's about emotions. If you choose to tip your stylist because of exemplary service that's wonderful, but it is not required! If you do choose to tip please know that 100% of the tip is given to your personal stylist.
22. What is your return policy?
Once your gown is purchased it can not be returned. If you feel you’ve made the wrong decision, please reach out to us as soon as possible. Since each gown is made to order with our designers, we often only have a day or two after the order is placed to make any changes such as ‘I ordered the colour underneath, but I think I should have ordered ivory!’. This is usually fixable. But beyond this very short timeframe, once your order is submitted it is considered yours and will need to be taken once it arrives. Again, we understand second thoughts happen and we will always inquire with the designer about our options. But our first request will be that you come back in and work with us so that we can find a gown that you do love no matter what second thoughts made you change your mind.
23. What other wedding dress services do you provide?
Our extra bridal services include the Day-Of-Service, where we go to your wedding and make sure you’re perfectly set to walk down the aisle. We also offer steaming of your gown as a standard to all of our brides.