New Style Idea

I felt a bit apprehensive to schedule a virtual bridal appointment with BHLDN at first. I'm not the type of bride who leans toward any one brand. I hadn't scoped out the BHLDN site or stalked the Instagram page, ready and armed with the names of dresses I loved. I just knew what I liked - certain styles, materials, and details I had been pinning on my Pinterest board since I got engaged nearly a year ago. I'm not getting married until May 2021, so I still do have time to purchase a wedding dress. But with the coronavirus pandemic impacting so many people's wedding plans, I have to consider the fact that weddings might not look the way we generally envision them for awhile. During a crisis, we have to be aware of shifting norms - it's probably not going to be feasible for me to visit bridal boutiques for awhile.

I ended up booking my appointment with BHLDN - which is currently gifting 100 gowns to brides on the frontlines of the COVID-19 relief - for two reasons: 1. I do have a lot of time on my hands right now to at least dream about wearing pretty gowns and 2. I wanted to answer all of your burning questions about virtual bridal appointments. If something is holding you back from setting up a video call with any of the designers offering this service right now - LEIN Studio, Amsale, Lotus Bridal, and Anne Barge, to name a few others - allow my own experience to guide you in your journey. I met with BHLDN's brand stylist, Lindsey Love, who is in charge of the retailer's online stying program and was kind enough to walk me through the process, stopping to answer every single question I could think of. Ahead, you'll learn just how efficiently these meetings can be run (so far BHLDN has booked over 300 of them!) and decide whether they're right for you.

Related: 9 Facts No One Tells a Bride Before She Steps Into Kleinfeld