Wedding dress shopping can become one of your best, most treasured and favorited memories of your life. But, on the same hand, it can easily become the most stressful and hated of experiences if you haven’t done your homework.
The right kind of undergarments, knowing a bit about your budget beforehand and making sure you’ve called the salon ahead of your appointment are three key ingredients to a successful shopping trip. You’ll need to know a bit about what you’re looking for too. A wedding theme, color ideas and an overall vision may help in your choosing.
Without the proper research and decision-making done before you start trying on all the pretty tulle skirts and lace-up corsets, a disastrous day could be waiting for you. Have no fear though, we have the 5 most important to-do’s listed here, for you to do before you try anything on. Take a peek!
1. Pick your people wisely.
You need to pick your shopping buddies before you try anything on. Don’t take 5 of your best gal pals, then 5 others to another day of shopping, then go with your mom on the weekends and oh yeah, maybe take your mother-in-law to be on another day! Wedding dress shopping isn’t about your friends or loved ones experiences, it’s about yours and about finding the perfect dress. Choose people whose opinions you truly value and completely trust. And remember, in this case, the more is not always the merrier.
2. Look at your timeline.
Don’t wait til the last minute to choose the dress, but don’t start too early either. Most dresses you’ll have to order months (6-9 sometimes!) in advance. So, it’s imperative you go with that in mind. Then again, if you go too early, you could stumble upon the “yes” dress after you’ve already settled for one that was pretty but not the one. Be smart about your timeline and plan accordingly.
3. Do not limit yourself.
We urge you to do your homework and find themes or styles that inspire you. But, do not limit yourself to only one style. More than likely, you’ll end up falling in love with a dress that you never even knew existed! Have an open-mind and try on a variety of styles so you know what works with your body. Then, it’ll be easier to narrow down certain accents like sweethearts and keyholes.
4. Know your budget.
The absolute worst mistake you can make is walking into a bridal salon without a budget in mind. Don’t be one of the many, many women who try on a dress, fall in love and then look at the price tag only to find that it’s far beyond what’s in her means to pay. You’ll end up heartbroken and, more than likely, never find a dress that matches how you felt in that one. Find a range that fits your bank, and keep in mind accessories and alterations into that bottom line.
5. Call ahead.
A lot of bridal salons take appointments and not all of them will have your dream dress, even if they carry the designer of it. Call ahead and schedule your reserved time and make sure they have that one, special gown you tore out of the magazine to try on. This way you’re not disappointed when they don’t have the right selection or they don’t have enough time to squeeze you in to try on gowns!
photo credit via Apple Brides
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