How to Find your Dream Wedding Dress (and Have Fun Doing It!)
WEDDING PLANNING TIPS | WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING | WHAT TO WEAR WHEN WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING
Wedding dress shopping can be either the most wonderful or dreaded part of wedding planning. For most brides, it’s the most expensive item of clothing they have ever bought and the one that will be the most photographed. Thankfully, there are some key ways you can guarantee your wedding dress shopping experience goes smoothly. If you want to have the best wedding shopping experience possible, keep reading!
Determine your Budget
The first step of wedding dress shopping comes well before you reach the store, and that’s setting your budget. Whether you are paying for the dress yourself or are being gifted the dress by a family member, it’s crucial to have an idea of how much you can spend before you start shopping. The Knot reported that the average wedding dress cost $1900 in 2022, but prices can range from double digits to well into the tens of thousands of dollars.
Setting your budget ahead of time will help to prevent falling in love with a dress that is way out of budget. For example, if your budget is $2,000, it’s probably best not to browse Pnina Tornai or Oscar de la Renta gowns. And if you want to keep your purchase under $1,000, somewhere like David’s Bridal would be a great place to start.
Do Some Research
This is where wedding dress shopping gets fun! In the weeks or even months after getting engaged, it’s time to browse online. Start looking at all different types of dresses – from lace to satin, ballgown to mermaid fit – and get an idea of what you like. This is also a great time to get an idea of what designers you might want to go with. Even if you decide to forego the traditional dress-shopping experience and purchase your dress from an online retailer, this is when you can start determining where you might want to buy from. Pinterest is an awesome resource for saving images of dresses that you love so you can revisit them later.
Book Your Appointments
Brides are often surprised when they find out you have to book an appointment with a bridal shop. Although some stores may take walk-ins, we always recommend that you book a reservation in advance. This makes sure that the shop has an attendant to take care of you, as well as space for your party. We would also recommend that you don’t book more than three appointments on any given day – dress shopping can be exhausting and it’s best not to overwhelm yourself.
When choosing which stores you want to visit, there are a few things you should consider:
Does this store have samples that will fit me?
What is the price range of dresses at this store?
What designers does this store carry?
We also highly recommend reading the reviews of a shop before booking an appointment with them. Trying on wedding dresses is a very emotional experience, and it’s important to make sure that you have the right professionals supporting you through that.
Bring the Right People
In the same way, it’s important to make sure you’re shopping at the right store it’s also important to make sure you’re bringing the right guests with you when wedding dress shopping. If you’ve seen "Say Yes to the Dress" you know how poorly an appointment can go when your family and friends aren’t supportive. In our opinion, it’s best to bring as few people as possible. Whether you choose to bring family or friends, make sure that person is supportive of you and understands your taste, even if they wouldn’t choose the same for themselves.
Try on Dresses
When the day comes for your bridal appointments, make sure that you’re wearing the right items to help you look and feel your best in the dresses. We would recommend a nude, seamless thong and potentially a strapless bra, although most dresses have built-in cups and won’t require a bra at all. It’s also a good idea to bring heels around the height you would expect to wear on your wedding day and to show up with styled hair and a little makeup so you feel your best.
Although it may seem contrary to our suggestion of researching dresses, try to go into your appointment with an open mind. It’s important to have an idea of what you’re looking for, but trust your attendant if they think you might love something a little out of your comfort zone. It is their job after all!
You may be asking, “How do I know when a dress is the one?”. After all, not everyone will feel the butterflies and start crying when they try on their perfect dress. Our suggestion? Sleep on it. Wedding dress shopping is a very emotional experience, and deciding on this big of a purchase should be done with a clear head. Save photos of the dresses you tried on (or write down the model number if you aren’t allowed) and see if you’re still in love with the dress in the morning.
For most people, wedding dress shopping is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so try your best to enjoy the experience! Although the price tags can be daunting and it can force us to look at our bodies in new ways, buying a wedding dress is about finding something that you feel beautiful in. Whether your dress is $100 or $10,000, you should find something that you love and make good memories doing it.
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