Tips for Running of the Brides
So not only did I find my dress at Filene's Running of the Brides, I had a great time doing it. Here are some of my tips for RotB success.
○ Make appointments at a couple fancy bridal salons BEFORE RotB. Soak up all the luxury, comfy seats and unctuous salespeople. Note what you like and what turns your hot self into a shapeless satin sack. Then get. out. Later, try not to cackle with glee when you find your dream dress at a fraction of the salon price.
○ Assemble a team of people. I went with my mother and sister, but we saw teams of 8-10 people. Smaller teams work just as well though! RotB is not for the faint of heart; it helps if your people are patient and eager bargainers. Take them out for celebratory drinks afterwards as thanks.
○ Bring snacks. I’m one of those people who must eat every 3 hours or everyone around me suffers the consequences. Take a 10-minute sandwich-and-apple break and wade back into the fray. Besides, eating a PBJ in a $5000 ballgown feels wondrously decadent.
○ Wear undergarments you’ll feel comfortable being seen in. For me this meant a strapless bra and black leggings. Every dress slid right over this combo, and it provided enough coverage so I could walk around and not feel like Flashy McBooberson.
○ Establish a beachhead. Although we arrived too late to scoop up the first round of dresses, I did secure a spot against the wall. One of us was always here, guarding purses and “maybe” dresses. It was calming to have an out-of-the way place to take a breather from the chaos. Had I been a little quicker, I would have snagged one of the emptied roller racks to hang my potential dresses.
○ Consult the alteration team. RotB has a deal with an alterations and cleaning company, and several very helpful women are on site advising brides about alterations. When I needed an impartial third party opinion, these women were great. They agreed the flowery garden hoop dress was cool, but were very realistic about the nature of the alterations it would need and would not guarantee they could straighten out the wonky hoop. Don’t be shy about asking their professional opinion!
○ Be flexible. We went in chanting “strapless lacey sheath. Strapless lacey sheath.” While this approach helped us focus in the face of such overwhelming choice, a few hours in I began trying on EVERYTHING that looked halfway interesting: frothy princess gowns, slinky silk numbers, bejeweled satin A-lines. It was fun, and it was fruitful: the gown I fell in love with was nothing like my original vision.
○ Be patient. If you are the 50th person in line, by the time you get inside the hall all the racks will be empty. Do not despair. After about an hour, most people have sifted through their stock and started putting their (beautiful, flawless) rejects back on the hangers, ready for you to come along and snap them up. You will try on a least six gowns that you love, I swear it.
○ Be friendly! I’m usually pretty shy, so it took me a while to approach total strangers and ask them about trades. But the conversations I had with other women were the best –and most surprising- thing about the morning. I confess to going to RotB with trepidation, expecting bridezillas out the yinyang. Far from it. Women went out of their way to find the dress for a total stranger. Heartfelt compliments floated back and forth. There was a real sense of camaraderie reminiscent of an oldskool sleepover with 300 of your best friends ;)
Hope these help someone out there. Anyone else survive a Running of the Brides and have tips to share?
○ Make appointments at a couple fancy bridal salons BEFORE RotB. Soak up all the luxury, comfy seats and unctuous salespeople. Note what you like and what turns your hot self into a shapeless satin sack. Then get. out. Later, try not to cackle with glee when you find your dream dress at a fraction of the salon price.
○ Assemble a team of people. I went with my mother and sister, but we saw teams of 8-10 people. Smaller teams work just as well though! RotB is not for the faint of heart; it helps if your people are patient and eager bargainers. Take them out for celebratory drinks afterwards as thanks.
○ Bring snacks. I’m one of those people who must eat every 3 hours or everyone around me suffers the consequences. Take a 10-minute sandwich-and-apple break and wade back into the fray. Besides, eating a PBJ in a $5000 ballgown feels wondrously decadent.
○ Wear undergarments you’ll feel comfortable being seen in. For me this meant a strapless bra and black leggings. Every dress slid right over this combo, and it provided enough coverage so I could walk around and not feel like Flashy McBooberson.
○ Establish a beachhead. Although we arrived too late to scoop up the first round of dresses, I did secure a spot against the wall. One of us was always here, guarding purses and “maybe” dresses. It was calming to have an out-of-the way place to take a breather from the chaos. Had I been a little quicker, I would have snagged one of the emptied roller racks to hang my potential dresses.
○ Consult the alteration team. RotB has a deal with an alterations and cleaning company, and several very helpful women are on site advising brides about alterations. When I needed an impartial third party opinion, these women were great. They agreed the flowery garden hoop dress was cool, but were very realistic about the nature of the alterations it would need and would not guarantee they could straighten out the wonky hoop. Don’t be shy about asking their professional opinion!
○ Be flexible. We went in chanting “strapless lacey sheath. Strapless lacey sheath.” While this approach helped us focus in the face of such overwhelming choice, a few hours in I began trying on EVERYTHING that looked halfway interesting: frothy princess gowns, slinky silk numbers, bejeweled satin A-lines. It was fun, and it was fruitful: the gown I fell in love with was nothing like my original vision.
○ Be patient. If you are the 50th person in line, by the time you get inside the hall all the racks will be empty. Do not despair. After about an hour, most people have sifted through their stock and started putting their (beautiful, flawless) rejects back on the hangers, ready for you to come along and snap them up. You will try on a least six gowns that you love, I swear it.
○ Be friendly! I’m usually pretty shy, so it took me a while to approach total strangers and ask them about trades. But the conversations I had with other women were the best –and most surprising- thing about the morning. I confess to going to RotB with trepidation, expecting bridezillas out the yinyang. Far from it. Women went out of their way to find the dress for a total stranger. Heartfelt compliments floated back and forth. There was a real sense of camaraderie reminiscent of an oldskool sleepover with 300 of your best friends ;)
Hope these help someone out there. Anyone else survive a Running of the Brides and have tips to share?
Labels: dress, Running of the Brides, wedding
posted by mrs. pants at 9:39 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home