How To Prepare For Your Bridal Dress Fitting - An Interview with Cloud Nine Bridal in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho

You’re engaged, congrats! The excitement is high, and now you’re probably wondering where to even begin. One thing we’ve noticed? After celebrating this exciting new chapter, many brides jump straight into wedding dress shopping before anything else. And honestly, we get it. So many of us have dreamed about our wedding dress since middle school. Even as our personal styles have evolved over the years, the question has always lingered: What will my dress look like when the day finally comes?

If you’re beginning your wedding dress shopping journey, we’d love to help you feel a little more prepared. We spoke with Lisa, who owns two bridal gown shops in our area and knows a thing or two about what brides should look for, what to expect at fittings, and how to prepare for finding the dress that feels just right.

What should brides expect at their first bridal appointment?

Photo by Dani Walker Photography

You should plan for about an hour and a half for your first appointment. When you come in you’ll be greeted and we will seat you and your party. Next we’ll pull the bride aside and ask about what she’s looking for in a dress, bring your pinterest board if you have it, we love it! Just coming with a “style” can sometimes be unhelpful, boho to you and me might mean different things, photo representation is always good. We then pull 5 or 6 dresses of different styles to start with to get an idea of what you truly like and don’t like so you can find your way to your dream dress.

Is there such thing as too much Pinterest inspo?

In short, no, even if you have 20 or 30 pictures on your page we can still narrow down what you like and it gives us a jumping off point of where to go.

How can a bride best prepare for their appointmeent and what items should they bring along?

Come in with an open mind and be open to trying on a variety of dresses, come with a supportive group that will be honest with you but don’t have too many voices trying to lead you in opposite directions.

How many people is a good amount to bring in your party?

5 seems to be the best size but we see groups range from 15 all the way down to a bride I had come in last week that came alone because she didn’t want anyone else’s opinion.

Can a bride purchase their reception dress from you?

Yes, we have a lot of brides pick out their reception dress here as well, any of the dresses in the shop can be shortened. We sell a few that come short already but almost anything you see in here can be shortened, you don’t lose the integrity of the dress by shortening it. I will always be honest with a bride as well and direct her differently if there is a dress that will lose it’s style by being short but that rarely happens.

Does the brides dress HAVE to be purchased at Cloud Nine Bridal to be altered here?

This time of year, May to October, we only do dresses purchased here at Cloud Nine or Bridal Collections, in the off season, October to March we’ll do other dresses because our seamstresses love what they do.

Do you sell veils here?

Yes of course, we also welcome brides who have purchased their dress elsewhere to come in for a ‘veil appointment’ and bring their dress and try on veils and other accessories. I love to see brides bring all their accessories in like grandmas jewelry that they’ll be wearing, thats’s all the fun stuff.

I’m sure it’s fun when ladies come in with their hair and makeup done from their bridal trial as well?

Oh yes those are my absolute favorite, some ladies will come in for their final alteration appointment with their full hair and makeup from their trial and we get to see the whole look come together. It’s the best.

Another thing I love is when couples send us their photos after the wedding day, getting to come in on a Monday to a whole pile of photos from a wedding is just amazing. Then we get to see the groom too!

How long can a bride expect to plan for alterations of her dress?

I like to start alterations 3 months before, this is just the way I like to do it. We ask that you bring in your shoes you plan to wear, your undergarments too, then we can get an accurate measurement for hem, bustle, etc. The second appointment is when they come back and it’s done with pins in the dress so if there are changes in shape or size anywhere we can adjust easily. Third appointment is the final fitting when they pick it up, pay for the alterations and take it home!

What are some trends you are seeing for bridal gowns in 2026?

Clean and simple is still hot, they’re so beautiful. You can add a lace or clean and simple veil and they are so pretty. Chantilly lace is so popular right now too, we’ve seen that extending into 2027.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us or let us know about?

I own two stores, Cloud Nine Bridal and Bridal Collections and I don’t carry the same designers at both stores so I encourage brides to try on dresses at both locations. To see different styles and work with different stylists. I also work with a lot of modest dresses for people who might be having more religious ceremonies.

We are also very size inclusive, I carry everything from a size 0 to a size 34/36. I don’t want clientele in one size range, I want everyone!

Photos by Dani Walker Photography

Huge thank you to Lisa from Cloud Nine Bridal for taking time to chat with us about all things bridal gowns and give our readers a better idea of how to best prepare for their wedding dress shopping experience!