FAQ
Thanks for visiting Zo & Willow bridal collection. Let the exciting wedding dress search begin! We hope our website and Instagram provides lots of inspiration and helps you get closer to finding “the dress”. We recommend that you view our designers on our website and check out our instagram @zoandwillowbridal to get an idea of our selection before booking a full appointment with us. Below is a list of questions and answers that will give you a good idea of what to expect when shopping for your wedding dress at Zo & Willow. We can’t wait to meet you and help you find the dress!
1. DO I NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT
Yes, our boutique is appointment only. This allows you to have a one-on-one private fitting experience with one of our stylists. The entire space will be open to your use and your close friends and family only. Therefore these appointments are recommended only for brides who are on a serious dress search & ready to purchase their made-to-order. You can make an appointment via our scheduling tab on our website. Since we can only offer a limited amount of appointments per day we ask that you give us at least 48 hour notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. otherwise we will charge you a cancellation fee of €50. If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, please email us at info@zoandwillow.com.
2. WHAT IS THE PRICE RANGE OF YOUR DRESSES?
Our made to order dresses range from €2000 – €6500 euro with the majority of them between €3300 and €4000. Please keep this mind when booking an appointment at our store.
3. WHEN SHOULD I START SHOPPING FOR MY DRESS & WHEN SHOULD I ORDER IT?
9-12 months before your wedding date is the recommended time to start your search and we recommend that you order your dress no later than 7- 8 months before your wedding day. This ensures that your dress can be produced, delivered and fitted in good time (including fittings for final alterations). If you are ordering less than six months before your wedding date, there may be rush fees that vary depending on the designer so It's best to start early! For very short timelines (anything under three to four months), we have limited options that can be ordered or we may have a limited selection of gowns that can be sold off the rack.
4. WHAT HAPPENS DURING AN APPOINTMENT.
Each appointment lasts 1 hour & 15 mins. During this time you try on several gown samples. We will help you choose gowns based on your style, size and personality. There will be someone helping you in and out of the dresses so they are handled carefully. A refreshing beverage or herbal tea will be served during your appointment and if you say Yes to the Dress, we celebrate with a glass of bubbles!! Once you decide on the dress, we'll take your measurements and order the closest dress size to be made.
5. HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I BRING TO MY APPOINTMENT?
We invite you to bring 2 guests maximum with you to your appointment. Our showroom is intimate and private and can accommodate 1 bride & 2 guests comfortably. Too many opinions can also make the decision process difficult for you and we often found that brides have left feeling confused when there are too many people present at their appointment giving opposing opinions.
Many of our brides also like to shop independently so don’t feel pressurised to bring a girl / guy gang with you if that is not your thing.
6. WHAT SIZE GOWNS ARE AVAILABLE TO TRY ON A ZO & WILLOW
Most of our dress samples are size EU 40 & 42. We also have several sample dresses in a size 46 too. Depending on the designer, each gown can be ordered up to a size 46-50. If the gown sample is too big or too small we have creative ways to pin and show you how the gown will look when it’s closer to your actual size.
7. WHAT DOES MADE TO ORDER MEAN?
Made-to-order means that the making of the gown begins once you place your order (we don’t have stock of your gown in our store). One very important note is that made-to-order gowns are ordered to the closest dress size or S/M/L/XL sizing (depending on designer), based on measurements taken at Zo & Willow. The gown is not made to your exact measurements (which is referred to as "made-to-measure"). Your dress will usually require a small alteration (hem the bottom of the dress or shorter straps etc) to ensure that it fits your perfectly. We can refer you to a tailoring company in Berlin and most major cities in Germany to do the final alterations on your dress.
8. DO I NEED TO BRING ANYTHING TO MY APPOINTMENT
Besides your lovely self, we recommend that you bring nude coloured underwear or Spanx that is seamless and a strapless bra. If you think you want a backless dress then it’s a good idea to make sure you can support yourself with stick on cups or low back bodies, maybe try them for the day when you’re at appointments, you can then see if they would be comfortable and work for you on your wedding day. I also sell stick on bra options in store and I can also help you find a bra solution for your dress style. If you already have a shoe style that you think you might wear on your wedding, feel free to bring that along too. We also have several shoe styles that you can try on with your dress if you wish. Please wear light make-up and no lip stick when coming to your appointment.
9. PHOTOGRAPHY POLICY:
Once you have purchased your actual gown, you are more than welcome to take pictures. Prior to this point, however, we discourage taking photos as they generally give a false impression of the dress and it can be distressing for a bride to see her beloved gown in a poorly light i-phone snap, not in the correct size & covered in pins and clamps! We believe you should not be making a decision about the dress based on an iphone snap and truly listen to yourself and how you feel when you are in the dress in our store. We firmly believe that you will remember ‘the one’ because of the way it made you feel when you first put it on!
10. IS THERE A CANCELLATION POLICY FOR APPOINTMENTS?
Yes, we kindly ask that you give us at least 48 hours notice if you need to cancel your appointment. But please note that we do this because we host private appointments and open our doors to personally attend to your appointment. Unfortunately we have to charge a cancellation fee of 50 € to brides that do not cancel 48 hours in advance as I cannot fill that space with someone else in such short notice. Before that you can cancel any time at no charge. Thank you for your understanding. Cancellations should be requested only by email.
11. DO YOU OFFER ALTERATIONS SERVICE?
We have connected with several local tailors in Berlin and most major cities in Germany to refer you to, however, we do not offer in-house alterations. Alternations are a separate cost from the purchase of your gown.
12. PAYMENT TERMS?
We only accept payment by debit card or cash. Once you make a decision about the dress, a 70% deposit is required upon purchase. The remaining 30% should be paid once your dress is made before it is delivered to our store. If your wedding is less than 5 months away, payment will be required in full. Make sure you give your bank a heads up so that it will allow the amount/payment.
13. EXCHANGES AND RETURNS
Due to the nature of made-to-order dress, all sales are final.
Made-to-order gowns, sample sale dresses & accessories are all final sale. This is due to the nature of all or our pieces being made-to-order