Bride-to-be shocked by this ‘wild’ wedding dress secret: ‘Am I delusional?’

When you start wedding planning, finding out that you have to pay just to try on wedding dresses feels like yet another hidden cost in an already expensive process.

For the uninitiated, many bridal boutiques charge a consultation fee — usually around $50 — to book an appointment.

While redeemable if you buy a dress, it’s a practice that can catch many off guard.

As someone getting married in April, I experienced this first-hand at the end of last year when I began my dress hunt.

Thankfully, finding the perfect dress was relatively straightforward, but it did require visiting three different bridal studios. For comparison, some of my friends have visited more than 10!

Along the way, I learned that these fees are becoming increasingly common, especially in Australia, where the post-pandemic landscape has reshaped the bridal industry.