Expert: Racheal Adams, Bridal Manager at Terry Costa

How can I make the best of my bridal-shopping experience?

Well, you’re reading this article, so congratulations! You’re off to a great start. The best way to begin is to invite the right people. Often this means just a few people whom you know you can trust. Too often we see large entourages full of opinions and commentary—much of which does not have the bride’s best interest at heart. Conflicting style choices and drama makes it so much harder to make a decision. There will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate your upcoming nuptials as a group but making a decision this important isn’t one of them. Just bring a few pics for inspiration, your smiling face, and an open mind. We’ll take care of the rest. After all, we are the pros and can’t wait to bring your aisle style to life.

What makes a bride say yes to the dress at Terry Costa? Are there any incentives for brides after purchasing?

Our consultants have a discerning eye and are trained to help you find the dream dress to match your personality, body type, and vision for your big day. We have rows and rows of gorgeous gowns highlighting a variety of looks from trendy to modern, princess to boho, and budget-friendly to splurge-worthy. So if you want to look marvelous in a mermaid wedding dress, amaze in an A-line bridal gown, or be bold in a ball gown, we have the one. Once we find the dress, we’ll pick the perfect veil and accessories and recreate your aisle entrance on our gorgeous, professionally lit runways.

The party isn’t over after you “say yes” to your dream dress. You are now a Terry Costa Bride. As a TCB, you’ll receive 15 percent off anything in the store until the day of the wedding. We are a one-stop-bridal-shop and our goal is to ensure each of your best gals and every member of your bridal party looks and feels like they’re the most beautiful women in the room—second to you of course.

With everything now at the tip of your fingers, what are the advantages of shopping in-store rather than online?

We know it may seem easier to click through options on your lunch break, but ultimately you’ll end up at a lot of dead ends. There are so many advantages and benefits to shopping in-store, especially at Terry Costa. In our Bridal Salon, you have the opportunity to establish personal connections with your stylist and other knowledgeable bridal experts. You also get to see, touch and feel all the products, which allows you to feel 110 percent confident in your purchase. This is extremely important because the fight against counterfeit websites is at an all time high. Not only do manufacturers and retailers feel the heat, but customers suffer a pain much worse when they trust their hard-earned money to counterfeit websites who (literally) don’t deliver. This is one of the most important days in your life, so don’t take chances. Let us give you the experience you deserve so you can “Say Yes” to the perfect dress in style.

How is Terry Costa different from other bridal salons?

Our goal is to provide uncompromising service and be the bride’s bestie. Terry Costa is a staple in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for any and all formal wear. From your first formal dance to your wedding day, and every event in-between, our amazing Terry Costa Team is dedicated to helping you select the perfect garment that will enhance all the important memories of your life. At Terry Costa our gorgeous gowns are well-organized and easy to peruse—nothing locked away or out of reach. You can shop leisurely or quickly in our casual but elegant environment. You will find sizes ranging from zero to twenty-six and prices that range from budget to better. Our fabulous team is enabled and educated; an excellent combo that is sure to lead to your very own, personalized “Say Yes” moment.

What is the best advice for brides-to-be when searching for the perfect gown?

Just remember: Have an open mind. We know brides have been dreaming of this day since you were little and walking Barbie down the aisle, but with the rise of Pinterest and Instagram, too often brides arrive already in gown overload mode or convinced they know the exact style they want—before they’ve even tried it on. The best thing to do when you start your search is to be open to suggestions from your consultant about silhouettes and colors. Your bridal consultant has years of experience finding the perfect gown for dozens of brides. Let her use that expertise to guide your experience. You may just fall in love with a style or silhouette you never would have considered.

What are the top three things to look for in the perfect dress?

1. Silhouette: This includes the shape and fit of the gown you want to wear. Once you decide on the silhouette, you’ll want to get more specific with the rest of the gown construction.
2. Focus on the detailing of the gown. Do you want beading, crystals or rhinestones? Lace, embroidery, ruching, or beading?
3. Comfort in every sense of the word. This includes religious or personal necessities like sleeve type, neckline, waist and skirt size/shape. It is so important to us that the bride feel fantastic so she can look her best on the best day of your life.

What is an emerging trend in wedding gown shopping?

The modern bride has so many more options to look or shop for wedding gowns. With bridal magazines, Pinterest, Instagram, and many bridal salons, brides are becoming overwhelmed with choices. We have discovered brides feel the need to try on dozens of gowns at multiple bridal shops, before making their decision. While this may seem like the best thing to do, seeing every possible option, having too many choices really ends up confusing brides. Brides often end up frustrated with their experience, causing delayed or uncertain decisions. Statistically, a bride will choose one of the first three gowns she tries on; so keep that in mind as you start shopping.