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BRIDAL SHOPPING QUESTIONS?
Wedding dress shopping comes with a LOT of questions. We get it! From what to bring and when to start shopping to sizing, budgets, alterations, and what actually happens during your appointment--we've answered the questions brides ask us most so you can walk into A&F feeling a little more prepared and a lot more excited.
Yes! Bridal appointments are required when shopping for your wedding dress at Always & Forever. Booking an appointment reserves a bridal stylist and fitting room just for you, giving your stylist time to get to know you, your style, and what you're looking for while helping you find the dress you love.
If you happen to stop by without an appointment, you're always welcome to check our availability, but we cannot guarantee a bridal stylist or fitting room -- especially on Saturdays and other busy shopping days. Booking ahead is the best way to ensure you receive the full a&F bridal experience.
Booking your bridal appointment is easy! Schedule online anytime or call us at 479-646-1997 during store hours. Your appointment reserves 90 minutes with a personal bridal stylist and is completely free. A credit card is required to reserve your appointment and will only be charged a $25 fee in the event of a no-call/no-show.
Your 90-minute bridal appointment at Always & Forever is completely focused on you. You'll be paired with an expert bridal stylist who will take time to get to know your wedding vision, personal style, price point, and timeline. From there, your stylist will select dresses for you to try and guide you through the process of discovering what makes you feel most like yourself.
Because finding your wedding dress should be about more than trying on gowns, we want you to feel listened to, understood, and celebrated -- and make the memory of saying "YES!" just as special as the dress itself.
You can bring up to five guests with you to your bridal appointment at Always & Forever. This guest count includes babies and children and is based on the seating and space available in our bridal fitting rooms and lounges.
We know choosing who comes wedding dress shopping with you can be a big decision, so we encourage you to bring the people whose opinions and support matter most to you!
We recommend starting your wedding dress shopping early enough to order your gown about 7-9 months before your wedding day. Many wedding dresses are special ordered for you and can take several months to arrive, so shopping early also leaves plenty of time for alterations once your dress is here.
Working with a shorter timeline? Don't stress! Depending on the designer and gown, quicker delivery options may be available, and we also have wedding dresses in store that can go home with you same day. Your stylist will help you find the best options for your timeline.
That's completely okay--and way more common than you think! You don't need to know bridal terminology, silhouettes, fabrics, or exactly what you're looking for before your appointment. That's what your stylist is here for!
We'll learn what you like (and what you don't!), help you explore different styles, and narrow things down together. Sometimes not having a specific dress in mind actually makes the experience even more fun--so come exactly as you are and let us take it from there.
First, you're not alone! Wedding dress shopping can come with a lot of emotions, expectations, opinions, and sometimes a few nerves. Our job is to make the experience feel comfortable, fun, and completely focused on you.
There's no expectation that you know exactly what you want, look a certain way, or have some magical movie moment when you find your dress. Your stylist will meet you right where you are, guide you through the process, and give you the space to experience it in whatever way feels natural to you.
Yes! We have more than 300 wedding dresses in store that are available to purchase and take home the same day! This is a great option if you're working with a shorter timeline--or you simply love the idea of leaving A&F with your dress in hand.
If your timeline and budget allow, special ordering may also be an option. Your stylist will walk you through both and help you decide what makes the most sense for you.
Our wedding dresses range from $1,000-$2,499, with an average price of about $1,699. Your bridal stylist will talk with you about your price point at the beginning of your appointment and guide you toward wedding dresses that fit comfortably within it. We also offer payment plans on most bridal gowns to give you more flexibility when finding the dress you love.
Always & Forever carries wedding dresses from Morilee, Allure Bridals, Sincerity Bridal by Justin Alexander, Veni Infantino, and Mia Aymes--our own curated bridal collection. Together, these collections give our brides a wide variety of styles to try, from timeless and romantic to modern, clean, fitted, dramatic, and everything in between.
We carefully select our collection to offer a variety of styles, sizes, and price points--because no two A&F Brides are exactly alike.
Our in-store wedding dress collection includes bridal sizes 2-28, with most of our gowns available to try on in sizes 4-22. Many wedding dresses from our designers can also be special ordered in sizes ranging from 0 to 32, depending on the specific gown and designer.
Wedding dress sizing can be different from the size you normally wear, so don't let the number on the tag worry you! Your stylist will help you find gowns that fit comfortably and, most importantly, make you feel like you.
Bridal sizing can be very different from your everyday clothing size and can even vary between designers--so don't focus on the number on the tag!
If your gown is being special ordered, we'll take your measurements and use the designer's size chart to determine the best size to order. Your wedding dress should fit comfortably, feel like you, and make you feel amazing. That matters so much more than the number sewn inside it.
Absolutely! Our collection includes plus-size wedding dresses in a variety of styles, silhouettes, and designers, with gowns available to try on in store up to a bridal size 28 and select styles available to special order in additional sizes.
You can walk into your bridal appointment knowing there will be wedding dresses for you to try on, because every bride deserves a shopping experience that makes her feel comfortable, confident, and celebrated.
Yes! We offer a 60-day payment plan on most of our in-store wedding dresses to give you a little more flexibility when saying "YES." Your purchase is divided into three payments: 1/3 is due the day you purchase your dress, another 1/3 is due within 30 days, and the remaining balance is due within 60 days.
Your wedding dress will stay safely with us at Always & Forever until your balance is paid in full. Your bridal stylist will be happy to walk you through the payment plan and let you know if the dress you love qualifies. Please note that clearance wedding dresses are not eligible for payment plans.
Honestly? Mostly just yourself! If you plan to wear shapewear on your wedding day, feel free to bring it. Most gowns can be tried on without a bra, but you're welcome to bring a strapless bra if that makes you more comfortable.
Bring your favorite people and any inspiration photos or Pinterest boards you've been loving. And most importantly, bring an open mind! Dresses can look completely different on your body than they do in a photo, and sometimes the dress you never expected to love ends up being the one.
Yes! Most brides should expect their wedding dress to need some alterations to create the most comfortable and flattering fit. Even when a gown is special ordered, wedding dresses are made according to a designer's size chart rather than custom-made to your exact measurements.
Always & Forever does not provide alterations in house, but we're happy to provide a list of seamstresses throughout our area who have been consistently recommended by our brides and team. Alterations are scheduled directly with the seamstress of your choice after your dress leaves A&F and are a separate cost from the purchase of your wedding dress.
We know saying "YES" to your wedding dress is a big decision, and we want you to feel completely confident when you make it. Because wedding dresses are either specially ordered for you or purchased directly from our in-store collection, all sales at Always & Forever are final and cannot be returned, refunded, or exchanged. This also applies to deposits and payments made toward special orders or payment plans.
That's why your bridal stylist will never rush or pressure you into saying "YES." We're here to listen, guide you, answer your questions, and give you the space you need to make your decision. Our goal isn't just for you to love your dress in the moment, it's for you to feel just as excited about your choice when you put it on for your wedding day.
Yes! Always & Forever offers wedding dress cleaning and preservation after your wedding day. Your gown is professionally cleaned and preserved for up to 100 years, then returned to you beautifully displayed in a preservation box. You can also include up to five additional wedding-day pieces, such as your veil, garter, belt, or headpiece.
If you purchased an A&F bridal package with your wedding dress, your package includes a special discount on wedding dress preservation. Just ask our team for details when you're ready to preserve your gown!
Absolutely! Photos are part of the fun, but during most of your appointment, we want you to see yourself in the mirror before you see yourself through a camera. We encourage you to stay present and focus on how you truly feel in each dress, so we ask that photos be saved for your top two favorites.
And once you find the one? Get those cameras ready! We'll make sure there's plenty of time for photos and videos with your dress and your favorite people so you can capture the moment you officially become an A&F Bride!
Always & Forever hosts a few special bridal sale events each year, including our Luck of the Irish Sale around St. Patrick's Day, our Summer Sample Sale in June and July, and our Black Friday, White Dress Sale in November.
These limited-time events are great opportunities for brides shopping at a lower price point, with sale wedding dresses typically priced at $1,500 and under. Sale dates, available gowns, and pricing can vary each year, so be sure to follow our social media (@alwaysforeverbride on IG) or check the "Events" section of our website for details on upcoming bridal events!
Always & Forever is located at 1200 S. Waldron Road, Suite #133, Fort Smith, AR 72903, behind Central Mall and right next to the Malco Theatre. We're proud to welcome brides from Fort Smith, western Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, Northwest Arkansas, and beyond!
Always & Forever specializes in wedding dresses for brides, so we do not have dedicated bridesmaid or mother-of-the-bride collections. Our formalwear department does carry an extensive selection of designer formal dresses, so mothers, bridesmaids, or wedding guests looking for a more formal or black-tie style may find options within that collection.