The process of shopping for a wedding dress is one of the most enjoyable wedding arrangements for a bride. It’s the time every girl feels extremely specials, breaks down into tears of happiness and turns into a princess. As the bride’s dress sets the tone for the wedding, turns her into the center of attention and becomes the source of wonderful memories, it’s rather important to find the right one.
However, choosing a perfect wedding gown that suits your body type and doesn’t cost a fortune can be quite stressful and emotional. These tips will guide you through the wedding dress shopping and help you find the gown of your dreams.
1. Do your research to understand what you like
You’ll look through millions of wedding dress pictures to decide which styles, materials and silhouettes you like the most. It’s better to do that at home to be able to determine your preferences and set the goals before you go dress shopping. That will save you a lot of time and nerves.
2. Book appointments
Decide which bridal salons you’d like to go to. For that matter, call different boutiques and shops to find out which designers they carry, which price ranges they work with, how much they charge for alterations and if they sell shoes and other accessories the bride might need.
Schedule appointments on weekdays to not to feel rushed when trying the dresses on. Don’t book more than two appointments a day not to feel overwhelmed. Ask your friends and family members to film the process, as being able to look back on different gowns and the way they fit your body will help you choose a perfect wedding dress.
3. Consider different options
Coming to the wedding dress shop knowing what you’re looking for is quite time and budget-efficient. However, you should also try on gowns you haven’t even considered to wear. As bridal consultants share, they often see women come to the salon, explain what they like, go through dozens of gowns, but choose a wedding dress that looks completely different to what they’ve envisioned. Therefore, be open to various styles, silhouettes, necklines and decorative elements to meet your dream gown.
4. Come with your wedding planner
If you hire an event planner to help you organize the ceremony, make sure to invite her to the wedding dress trials. She (or he) may give you valuable advice on which gowns are the most practical to wear, as well as take notes to base the venue décor and the style of the ceremony around the dress of your choice.
Haven’t found a wedding planner yet? Leave a request on HireRush.com and our team will match you up with the best event planners in your local area.
5. Don’t look at the dresses that exceed your budget
If you have a set budget for a wedding dress and there’s no way you can stretch it, make sure to give the bridal gown shop consultants a heads-up. Ask them not to show you the dresses with the pricing tags you can’t afford. This way you won’t be even tempted to buy the dress that costs more than you’re ready to spend.
6. Shop for a custom wedding dress in advance
Normally, it takes anywhere from 6 to 8 month to make a custom wedding dress. Therefore, if you want to go for a custom design, make sure to plan an appointment with a tailor well ahead not to pay extra. At the same time, schedule the last dress fitting as close to the wedding day as possible to make sure that if you lose/gain a bit of weight or decide to change something about the gown, you still have a chance to do that.
7. Wear the wedding day bra and heels
Come to each wedding dress shopping appointment/ fitting wearing with the bra and with shoes similar to those, which you’ll wear on your wedding day. This way you’ll make sure that your dress will look just as perfect during the ceremony as it did during the fittings, as well as tailor the gown’s length to go well with the heel size.
8. Save by shopping off-season
Avoid fighting the crowds and paying elevated costs by going wedding dress shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Major designers reveal the trends for the text season by that time, so you’ll be able to choose the most fashionable gown ever while making the full use of the off-season bridal sales.
9. Go for a corset wedding dress if there’s no time for alterations
If you don’t have any time or desire to attend multiple fittings, consider purchasing a corset wedding dress. It’s a perfect, flexible option for those, who want to be able to make the gown as tight or loose as they need without worrying too much about maintaining a strict diet and losing/gaining a few pounds before the wedding.
10. Make sure that the dress feels comfortable
You’ll have to wear that gown throughout the ceremony and reception, which makes more than 12 hours of the wear time. Choose a wedding dress that looks stunning, but also feels comfortable and allows you to move/dance/lift your hands up freely. Ensure that the style of the dress is appropriate for the venue the ceremony will take place in and that your gown will last through the wedding looking just as good at the end of the reception as it did during the down-the-aisle walk.
