Buying THE Dress
Buying a wedding dress can feel like an overwhelming process. Often, it’s hard to even know how to start or how to prepare for your appointments. However, shopping for your gown should be a fun process. After all, how many other times in your life are you going to have the excuse to go shopping in this price range? To help you avoid stress and enjoy your bridal shopping experience, we’ve compiled a list of 12 of the most helpful tips we could find for buying your wedding dress.
1. Set a Date
While having an exact date is not always possible when you dress shop, at least knowing the general time of year when you want to get married is important. Keeping in mind things like the season you’re getting married in and the kind of venue you want can help you narrow down your options and choose a dress that will suit your overall bridal look or fit the season you’re getting married in.
PC: Paper Hands Media
2. Set a Budget
It is important to know what you’re comfortable spending before you start trying on dresses. This will save you time and keep you from becoming attached to a dress you can’t afford. This is also important to keep in mind when choosing which boutiques to visit. Each one has a different range of prices, so don’t be afraid to ask a store their average pricing when making your appointment to help find the best stores to fit your budget. Keep in mind when setting your budget that you will also be spending money on alterations and accessories.
PC: NewAge Creative
3. Pre-Shop
While it is never a good idea to get too set on a single style before trying gowns on, it is a good idea to start looking at what styles interest you. Take some time to scroll for inspiration and go through through different bridal Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages. See which designs, bling, styles, and silhouettes catch your eye. Being prepared going into your appointments can help you feel more confident when deciding you have found the dress you want.
PC: NewAge Creative
4. Shop in Advance
When planning your wedding timeline, make sure you fit in your dress shopping at the beginning. Ideally, start shopping 9-12 months before your wedding. This ensures there will be plenty of time for shipping, multiple fittings, and alterations.
PC: NewAge Creative
5. Small Shopping Group
Every bride has a group they want with them when they find their gown. While it may be tempting to invite a large group, most stylists say the smaller the group the better, preferably only two other people. Often large groups cause further stress with conflicting opinions. When choosing your group, keep in mind two things: who needs to be there (like anyone who is paying for the gown) and who will be a positive presence. If you can’t narrow it down, an alternative is to invite them to one of the final fittings. Also, keep in mind that most bridal shops have a group size limit, so it is important to inquire about this when you schedule your appointment.
PC: Melanie Sioux Photography
6. Do Yourself Up
When you go gown shopping, take the time to do yourself up beforehand. Put on a full face of makeup, do your hair, even paint your nails. All these little things add up in the long run to make you feel more confident and to help you better envision how the dress will look on your big day.
PC: Bismarck Bridal
7. What to Wear
On the days of your appointments wear nude underwear, a nude strapless bra, and shoes that are about the same height as the ones you plan to wear on your wedding. All these measures will help you better picture how the dress will look on your actual wedding.
PC: Destinee Jensen Photography
8. Trust Your Stylist
Hopefully going into this experience, you have a good idea of what you like and what looks good on you. But remember to be open to trying on dresses you would normally never wear. Your stylist is an experienced and objective opinion who only wants you to look your best. Often you will be surprised by how a dress looks on you versus on a hanger. Being open-minded is one of the best ways to truly enjoy the process.
PC: Paper Hands Media
9. Ignore the Size
Honestly, this advice applies to anytime you go shopping. You should always be paying attention to how the clothes fit and feel rather than a number on a tag. However, this applies even more to bridal gowns whose sizes vary drastically from normal store sizes. So, instead of worrying about the tag, consider how the dress makes you feel, how you move in it, if you can see yourself walking down the aisle in it. Also, if you’re hoping to lose weight before the big day, don’t give into the temptation to buy your gown in smaller size. Buy the dress in your current size. Most gowns can be taken in up to four sizes without affecting the look at all, while they can only be let out one size.
PC: Paper Hands Media
10. Take Pictures
This one probably goes without saying, but take lots of pictures of the dresses you try on. After you’ve tried on four or five dresses, it becomes hard to remember the exact details on certain dresses. By documenting the dresses you try on, you can better compare the ones you like. Don’t forget to get all the angles, like front, back, and sides. And not just still shots either. You will be moving in your gown at your wedding, so dance, walk, twirl, and everything in between to get the full effect.
PC: NewAge Creative
11. Don’t Be Afraid to Say Yes to the First Dress
The more dresses you try on, the harder it becomes to choose in the end. If you try on the first dress and fall in love, don’t stress about ending there and taking that one home. Experienced stylists often have a good idea of which dress will be the winner and will put that one on you first. Over and over again, brides have come back to their first dress after trying on more afterwards. Sometimes, when you know, you know.
PC: Nicole and Co
12. Have Fun
Trying on several wedding gowns can be exhausting, so here are a few practicalities to keep in mind. Firstly, your mindset going in is the most important thing. Remember why you are shopping for a wedding dress, who it’s for, and that it should make you happy. Secondly, like previously said, only bring along people who will support you and be a positive presence throughout the process. Thirdly, bring along something to drink and snack on! Dress shopping can take a long time and decisions can feel much harder when you’re tired, hungry, and dehydrated. Keeping your energy up will help keep your mood up too.
PC: Destinee Jensen Photography