Wedding blog

10 Easy Tips How to Prepare for Your Wedding Dress Shopping

Your wedding dress will hands-down be the most stared-at, photographed piece of clothing you ever buy! So you deserve to enjoy every bit of this shopping day, which is a huge wedding planning milestone. And to help you get rid of all the anxiety, the pressure, and the intimidation that might come with your first wedding dress shopping appointment, I put together 10 easy tips on how to prepare for your wedding dress shopping. No stress, no anxiety but loads of fun, and in the end, your perfect dress- guaranteed!

Tip 1: Do research

Before you even book your first appointment with any bridal salon, go on Pinterest and look at what kind of wedding dresses you are drawn to. Do you love the bohemian style? Or have you always dreamed of a princess ball-gown wedding dress? Either way, it’s important to know the style you prefer so you can research the right bridal salon for you. Because unless it is a large salon, bridal boutiques tend to cater to a specific style, having only selected designers in their repertory.

Tip 2: Study the terminology

I don’t mean you have to literally sit down, study for hours, and be ready to write an exam on wedding dresses. But what I do recommend is to familiarize yourself with specific terms. Here is some vocabulary that might come in handy:

Wedding dress styles: A-line, ball-gown, mermaid, trumpet, sheath/column, straight, fit and flare, tea-length

Most common necklines: sweetheart, straight, halter, off-the-shoulder, v-neck, plunging

Waistline: natural waist, empire waist, drop waist, basque waist

Sleeve styles: strapless, spaghetti, cap, short, ¾, long

Fabric examples: lace, satin, chiffon

And finally, some adjectives for describing your dress: romantic, chic, bohemian, elegant, beachy, fun, whimsical, royal, classic, timeless, modern, simple, elaborate, delicate, casual, glamorous, minimalist, form-fitting, grand, sexy, plunging, open-backed

Knowing your preferences and being able to communicate them, helps you to get the most out of your appointment. After all, you only have an hour or two that you certainly don’t want to waste trying on dresses you know you are not going to like.

Expert tip: bring pictures of wedding dresses you either like or hate. Showing your consultant pictures helps them to get a better understanding of your vision.

Tip 3: Feel pretty

Wear (some) makeup, do your hair nicely, shave your legs. After all, you stand in front of the mirror for quite a while and present yourself to your entourage. So you should feel confident and pretty. And wedding dresses look so much better when you are dressed- up just a little!

Sidenote: please don’t overdo it though with the makeup! Keep in mind that you are trying on white, ivory, and cream-colored dresses.

Tip 4: Don’t starve

Don’t ever show up hungry at your wedding dress shopping appointment. If you are anything like me, you will experience one or even all of the symptoms: crankiness, loss of motivation, hot temperament, and impaired decision-making abilities. And that doesn’t help anyone! Because you will either end up buying the wrong dress, hating all dresses, or annoying your whole team (and you do need your team on your side).

Tip 5: Wear underwear

Nude panties. Strapless nude bra. That’s all you need.

Tip 6: Bring your own accessories

Most bridal salons have shoes you can wear during your appointment. But be aware that they only have limited sizes. So if you have a rather small or large shoe size, bring your own heels! You will feel so much better wearing something you feel comfortable in.

Tip 7: Gather your A-team

How many people should I bring to my wedding dress fitting? This is probably one of the most frequently asked questions concerning wedding dress shopping. My advice is to bring 3 to maximum 5 people. It can get stressful and complicated if there are too many opinions. Also, only bring people you feel 100% comfortable with, and you genuinely trust their advice. Make sure you have someone on your team who doesn’t shy away from being brutally honest.

Tip 8: Stick to your budget

First things first, you have to know your budget! Be honest with your consultant about it and ask her not to show you any dresses that are not within this set budget. There is nothing worse than trying on a dress that’s too expensive and falling head over heels in love with it. It might sound dramatic, but it truly can ruin your wedding dress shopping experience entirely!

Tip 9: Take pictures

Have you ever had the experience that you wore something you thought you look like a million bucks in it? Only to see a photo later on and thinking OMG what was I thinking? Yes, this can also happen with wedding dresses! So I encourage you, ask your team to take pictures of you.

Tip 10: Keep an open mind

I know, this goes entirely against tips one and two. But hear me out! Wedding dress shopping should be FUN! Try on different styles to see how it feels. You might be surprised how good you look in a fit and flare, open-backed, lace wedding dress. And trust your consultant, they have a lot of experience, and they are on your side!

If you stick to these 10 easy tips, you will find your perfect dress in no time! But most importantly, enjoy this season and have fun shopping. Go with your gut feeling- you will know when you have found THE dress!

If you like to get more tips about wedding planning in general, get in touch with me to find out how I can help you plan your dream wedding!

Love, Michaela