5 Tips for Wedding Dress Shopping
How to make it your perfect experience
Choose your team wisely - Bridal shops are limiting the number of guests that can be in an appointment. Some bridal shops only allow 1 additional person while others allow 3 or 4. Communicate with your bridal team/family members so that they don’t feel left out, but choose the person(s) that will help you achieve your vision!
Have an exploratory trip - There is so much pressure to find the perfect dress. But give yourself a break! You should take one trip just to try on dresses, without any expectations. And you might have an idea of exactly what you want (I definitely did). But you might be surprised! I really liked a few dresses that I never thought I’d like.
Set a budget - Bridal shops tend to ask you for your budget. But once you get there, they sometimes pull dresses that are higher than the budget you shared. Make sure you look at those price tags as you’re trying them on!
Remember that add-ons (veil, additional straps, etc.) and alterations can be quite costly. Simple alterations might cost between $200 - $500. However, alterations can be thousands as they get more complex.
Have inspiration pictures - If you’ve already taken an exploratory trip and know what you like, why waste time? Before you get started, show those helping you pictures of what you like. They’ll be able to quickly pull what might be of interest to you.
Plan for a food break - Dress shopping was a little exhausting. Fun! But exhausting. I needed a break after the first two shops. Appointments tend to last 60-90 minutes, so take a snack break with your family/friend(s). If you’re anything like me, you’ll need it!
Bonus Tip: Enjoy yourself! If you don’t find the dress within the first few trips, don’t worry. You will. And it’ll be perfect.
