Wedding Dresses // Answers to the 8 most common questions from brides

If you’ve found your way to this page, it means you’ve reached a wonderful chapter in your life. You’re getting married! And we’re here to make planning your perfect wedding as easy and fun as possible.

The “I Said Yes!” wedding planning guide connects you with a host of fantastic wedding service providers. From wedding dresses, bands, and jewelry to mixologists and more—now you have everything in one place! Exclusively with your purchase of the “I Said Yes!” guide, you’ll receive an envelope packed with discount vouchers.

One of the businesses offering a discount is the Zagreb-based bridal salon Madona, which offers 15% off wedding dress rentals and all accompanying items; its owner, Patricia Maros—a young entrepreneur of just 24—shared answers to questions posed by real brides.

1. What services are available at your salon? Do you offer rentals and purchases, and what do these include?

The Madona bridal salon offers services for renting, purchasing, and having wedding dresses custom-made. The rental price includes alterations (such as shortening, taking in, or adding sleeves or straps), dry cleaning before and after the wedding, and all necessary bridal accessories (veil, pashmina, baskets for boutonnieres, a dress for a flower girl, a garter, etc.). Additionally, for brides concerned about the dress having been worn or damaged prior to their big day, there is a “first-wear” rental option; this also includes everything in the price, but a brand-new dress is ordered specifically in the bride’s size.

2. In your opinion, how far in advance should one start looking for a wedding dress?

Of course, it depends on the individual, but in my personal opinion, six months before the wedding is plenty of time to visit the salons you’re interested in—because let’s be honest, we all browse Instagram and already have a rough idea of ​​where we’d like to go. So, if your wedding is in June, wedding fairs usually take place in January, and you can see what each salon has to offer right there.

3. Who do you recommend the bride bring along when choosing her wedding dress?

“Well, my advice would certainly be to include your parents, your maid of honor, and your sister, if you have one. Anything beyond that is too much, in my opinion—simply because every girl has her own idea of ​​what looks good, and the people closest to you are always the most honest.”

4. What styles of wedding dresses are there?

“We have three classic wedding dress silhouettes: mermaid, princess, and A-line. Now, there are variations on these themes—fuller princess styles and slimmer A-lines—which are currently very popular and, to me personally, among the most beautiful cuts.”

5. What advice do you have for brides regarding choosing a wedding dress? How can they most easily find the perfect one?

My advice to them is to try on all the different cuts at their first fitting—even the ones they think they would never choose. Wedding dresses aren’t like everyday or evening wear—you don’t wear them every day—so you have to try them on and decide for yourself what feels comfortable; after all, comfort is what matters most.

6. How can the bride make the search easier for you?

“Girls usually arrive with either a picture or a description of what they’d like, but I always tell them to keep an open mind—even when visiting other salons. If a stylist recommends trying something, it’s because they might not have considered it themselves, whereas we can tell just by looking at their body type whether a particular style would suit them.”

7. Is there a fee for the fitting at your salon, and how much time do brides have to browse and try on dresses?

“We don’t charge for fittings—we simply never implemented that policy—though I understand why some places do. Brides-to-be often arrive for fittings wearing full makeup, coming straight from work or similar situations; this can stain the wedding dresses, requiring dry cleaning, which comes at a cost. So, here’s a quick tip for brides: please come to your fitting without makeup. As for the timing, they have about 60 minutes—though, of course, it sometimes takes longer—to try on everything they wish.”

8. And finally, do you have any other advice for future brides?

“My advice is to relax and not let the search for a wedding dress become stressful, and not to visit a ton of salons; before they start trying dresses on, they should do a little Googling—everything is online these days—and narrow their search down to a maximum of three or four salons. It will be easier for them, as they won’t get lost in a sea of ​​wedding dresses.”

If you have any questions about trying on or creating wedding dresses, Patricia is available via phone, Instagram, or Facebook, and you can find her salon at Vlaška 96, Zagreb.

In the “I Said Yes” wedding planner, you’ll find a whole section dedicated to wedding dresses, along with various useful tips for planning your wedding!

Along with the planner, you receive a gift box personalized with the couple’s names in gold; it can serve as a keepsake box—a treasure trove where you can store a copy of the invitation, thank-you notes, boutonnieres, Polaroid photos, and other little mementos that will forever remind you of your big day! P.S. This wedding planner and its personalized gift box make an ideal engagement gift!