When you get engaged one of the first things you want to do is go wedding dress shopping. Some of us know exactly what we want and some are unsure. I fell in the middle, I knew what I didn’t want and a general idea of what I wanted. Most of the wedding dresses you see out there are strapless and that was something I did not want. So I knew I had to do some research to find where to go and look for the perfect dress. Here are some tips for wedding dress shopping.
-Do your research! Especially if you are picky about what you want then you are going to want to research which designers you like and which wedding dress shops carry those designers.
-Write down a list of possible wedding shops to visit
-Write down the designers/style numbers of the dresses you like and then call the dress shops to ensure they have these designs available for you to try. It is no fun to show up at a shop with your dream dress in mind and find out they don’t have it there for you to try.
-Make appointments! Especially if you are going to have to go on a Saturday or Sunday which are busy days then you will want an appointment. Some places don’t take appointments but it’s always best to make one if they do.
-When you go don’t take a million people with you. If you’ve ever watched any Say Yes to the Dress shows or anything similar you know they don’t like it when you bring every aunt, cousin and friend you have. It really makes it harder on you because everyone will state their opinion and you will just find your self miserable and confused. Unless you’re really good at being like hey this is what I want and this is what I’m getting. That’s not me so I took 3 people with me.
-Don’t get pressured into making a fast decision. If they start pressuring you into buying this dress because it may not be here tomorrow or you have to pay for them to write down the style number of the dress. Or maybe the sales girl you’ve been working with won’t be there tomorrow, don’t feel bad that she won’t get the commission. This is your one wedding dress so don’t get rushed into purchasing it. So don’t get frustrated if you don’t find it the first day.
-Always buy a size bigger than you think you need. They always say expect to be a size or two bigger. So when the girl measured me and said I was the exact size I am we were confused but she insisted she’d up’d it one size from what she measured me. We should have had her order a size bigger. It’s much easier to take a dress in than it is to let it out, because on most dresses you can’t let them out.
-Buy your dress at a place where they do the alterations. If you don’t then when you pick up your dress you have to walk out the door with it knowing they won’t do anything about it if the alterations lady can’t get it right.
-Don’t try on dresses outside your budget, especially if it is strict. If you have a strict price range don’t let them bring you dresses outside of it because then you will fall in love with the one you can’t afford and that’s going to make you miserable.
-Try on a variety of different styles, my motto is you never know until you try it on. It may look bad on the rack but it could look great on and if not well at least you can rule that one out!
-And last but not least, have fun! Enjoy this experience, don’t take any negative nellie’s with you and let it be a fun time!!!
P.S. Here are a couple pictures of my dress, I kind of loved it!
Photos by Jessica at Images by Daniel Michael
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