How to Find The Perfect Wedding Dress
Step One: Find a few bridal shops around you! I’ll be honest, I only went to 1 of the 3 I had planned on going to because I found my perfect dress, but it’s good to have more than one planned. If you have 2 appointments scheduled in one day, and you find your dress at the first place, don’t feel obligated to go to the next appointment, you can always call and cancel that second appointment. Also, PLEASE make an appointment to come to the bridal shops, while you of course can walk in to most, an appointment guarantees you that a consultant will actually be available to help you every step of the way.
Step Two: Check out what designers that shop carries and take a look at their website and save a few you want to really look at and use them as a style guide for your consult. Show your consultant those pictures so they can know which dresses to pull and what styles you like so they can pull a couple you might not have seen online.
Step Three: Be realistic with your timeline. While some brides have over a year to get everything ready for the wedding, some brides choose a day where it gives them less than 6 months to get everything planned and paid for. Please tell your consultant at the beginning when your wedding date it, a smaller planning timeline can limit the dresses you can choose because of the turn around time.
Step Four: Have a budget. There is almost nothing more frustrating than a bride who comes in and doesn’t have a budget, pulls tons of dresses that are over what they want to pay, only to tell the consultant after the first few dresses that now you don’t want to spend over $1,200 while every dress you’ve showed them and chosen is $2,000-2,500. Now everyone has to start from scratch. Having a budget, even if it’s not a strict one, can help the appointment run smoothly.
Step Five: BE OPEN MINDED. This one is huge, I speak from experience with this one. I had this grand idea in my head of what I wanted and what I absolutely did not want and I learned I was wrong about everything I thought. I wanted zero lace, a mermaid, for it to be strapless, to have a long train, etc. The dress I wore on my wedding day was all lace, a trumpet style, key hole back, had lace straps, and a smaller train. My mom picked it out, and when she did, I told her I would try it on for her, but I knew I wouldn’t like it, and I was so obviously wrong. If I had been so caught up in what I thought I wanted, I would’ve never tried on the dress that ended up being absolutely perfect. So wether it’s your mom, your best friend, or your consultant who picks out a dress that you might not think is your style, just try it on, the worst thing that can happen is that it isn’t you, but it could also be the best dress you’ve ever tried on.
Step Six: Do NOT have a large entourage with you to your appointment. A few places have put a limit on how man can come to appointments, and it’s because they’ve seen first hand how a large group can completely derail an appointment and end up with the future bride in tears of frustration. Bring 2-3 people, for most people I recommend a mother figure, a best friend, and a sibling; if you don’t have a sibling, like me, I would potentially bring another friend. I have been to appointments with other friends where they had 6-8 people there, a mom, sometimes the mother of the groom depending on that relationship, and 4-5 friends, and very few times has it gone well. More times than not, we all leave with no dress chosen, some tears, and some bickering remarks said. All in all, limit your amount of people you take to your dress appointments.
Step Seven: Bring the shoes you’re wanting to wear on your big day. Even if this means just bringing a pair of heels because you know that’s what you’re going to wear, or some boots, or even your favorite pair of Toms or Converse. You’ll want to make sure you can move with what you’re going to be wearing while having the dress on.
Step Eight: RELAX and have fun! Trying on dresses is a blast! When do you really get to try one these elaborate gowns? Take your time, appreciate the dresses you’re getting to try on, and enjoy being waited on!
Photo Credits:
Rebecca Chesney Photography and Film | Melanie Baldi Photography | Kendrick Terrell Photography
