S9E6: How to Plan Your Dress Appointment so it's Super Fun
There's a lot to consider when planning your wedding gown appointments.
From budget to group dynamics to style... It's hard to know where to start!
Don't worry - Cavin, the amazing human behind The White Flower in San Diego - has us covered! She's sharing all the details so you have a blast and feel amazing!
Guest: Cavin Elizabeth, The White Flower
This week, we’re dishing about…
some of the important things to consider surrounding a dress appointment.
tips for setting boundaries for your group, especially surrounding feedback.
how to know which stores are the right fit for your attire.
top tips for couples who are planning their wedding attire.
... and more!
Meet Cavin!
Cavin Elizabeth is an established figure in the wedding industry. Having started her career as a wedding photographer a decade ago, her work has been featured in prestigious publications like Martha Stewart Weddings, Ruffled, and Style Me Pretty. In 2019, Cavin became the owner of The White Flower, San Diego's top-rated wedding dress boutique. She has also made a name for herself through her YouTube channel, where she provides helpful advice to brides planning their special day. Cavin is also the author of the beautiful book, A Bride's Guide to a Picture Perfect Wedding, which is a must-read for anyone looking to make the most of their wedding photography.
Business Info
Location: San Diego, CA
How long have you been in business? 10 years
Why did you decide to start your own business?
I began my photography business because I truly had a passion for creating images from one of the most important days of a couple's life. After several years in the business, I became the owner of The White Flower Bridal Boutique - further expanding into the wedding world but with a fashion element. It just made sense as I'd always loved photographing couture and wedding gowns.
What's the coolest thing about owning your own business?
I work with wedding dresses every day and I travel to NYC twice a year for bridal fashion week!
What challenges have you had to overcome?
Learning to manage people and also navigating difficult clientele
What advice could you offer to someone starting a business like yours?
Find an existing bridal boutique to purchase - it's much easier to start with a great foundation than from scratch in today's bridal world.
Daily Life
What is daily life like in your household?
It's always a struggle to implement work-life balance but that is the goal for myself and my husband this year (he is my partner in our boutique). We dream of traveling more this year!
Your Wedding
What was the most important decision you made about your wedding?
To have it reflect who we truly are. On my Youtube channel, one of the things I most commonly "preach" is "you do you." For our wedding, we did just that. We did not have a ceremony. I wore a colorful dress and I mean truly all over color with so many colors. There were many personalized details. It was truly "us".
How did you choose your wedding vendors?
Many I knew from being in the industry. I chose vendors who I knew worked well with others on the wedding day and could produce the vision I had in mind for my design dreams.
What advice could you offer to engaged couples planning their wedding - as both a wedding professional and a married human?
Take some time together and determine what you actually value from features of the day ("traditions", celebrations, etc) to vendors (so you know how to appropriately scale each budget. For example, if you don't care very much about the ceremony, but still think you should have one, then do it but make it short and only have the officiant read what is necessary and meaningful to you and get in and out ;) Additionally, if you don't value live music at all, even on the level of a DJ, then set up a great playlist (with no ads - PLEASE!) and move those saved funds to another vendor category you care more about like photography and get the best you can get in that newly increased budget range!
Did you participate in any family, cultural, or religious traditions into your wedding?
Nope! We are 100% not traditional people. We love creating new and fresh experiences in our lives and are not very interested in revisiting the same "traditions" year after year. We absolutely respect those who do, though it's not who we are. We want to spice things up and never really do the same thing twice (unless it's just absolutely amazing and then maybe we'll do it twice like visiting the same city again when traveling but that's a stretch!)
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This episode is brought to you by:
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