Every bride dreams of finding the perfect wedding dress. But with the variety of options, places to shop, and unrealistic expectations, wedding dress shopping can be a stressful and daunting experience. But it doesn’t have to be that way! As the bride’s mom, Maid of Honor, bridesmaid, or a special friend or family member, you play an important role in making the bride’s shopping experience a memorable and special one.
In this blog post, you will learn practical tips and ideas on how to make wedding dress shopping a wonderful experience for the bride.
Let’s get started!
Wedding Dress Shopping Tips
Whether you write these down or bookmark this page (ctrl + d) for later, these tips for making wedding dress shopping a fun and special experience are easy to implement and will make a memorable day for the bride.
1. Set a Budget – and Be Firm
Ah, the budget: no one wants to talk about the wedding budget, as it’s usually the elephant in the room (and the room happens to be a very elaborate bridal shop). But setting a budget for wedding dress shopping is probably the most important thing you’ll do even before you set your foot into that bridal showroom.
Why?
When you set a budget and agree to stay on track with a price, you will be able to set realistic expectations. Try on the wedding dresses you can afford and give yourself plenty of neckline options, silhouettes, and styles to try on so you can get an idea of what type of dress you like the most.
And also, since making wedding dress shopping special and fun is your goal, try to avoid trying on dresses outside of your budget as it may make you feel disappointed. It may surprise you when you see how many budget-friendly gowns are waiting to be tried on!
TIP: You may want to read Here’s Who Pays for the Wedding Dress — And Why. It’s full of great tips.
2. Plan and Research
Before you head to the bridal boutique – and after you’ve set your budget – check out the types of styles, designers, and bridal boutiques you’d like to visit.
Head to Pinterest and view some bridal gowns. Buy a bridal magazine and tear out pages of gowns for inspiration and put them into your notebook. Get acquainted with some of your favorite designers online through their social networks to see what kind of fashion styles they create.
Make an Appointment
One of the most important wedding dress shopping tips is to make an appointment first before you plan to visit. Many bridal shops are by appointment only, rather than just popping in on a whim.
Be sure to schedule an appointment, don’t be late, and be prepared with some ideas of dress styles you might like to try on.
It is helpful to try one place, and if time allows, have a second location planned for later.
You don’t need to know the exact designer name or type of dress you want to try on, but try to have an idea if you’d like a longer or shorter dress, formal, semi-formal or more casual, and what type of train (if any) you wish to have. These are all great suggestions to let your bridal consultant know, and they’ll be monumental in helping you to find the perfect wedding dress with a little research on your part ahead of time.
The bridal consultant may ask you questions about the date of your wedding, the venue, the type of theme you’re planning, and colors, so have this information ready.
Bring a Few Items
When you go wedding dress shopping, bring along just a few things:
• Strapless Bra or Sticky/Adhesive Bra
I highly recommend this one. It will make trying on all kinds of necklines so much easier, knowing you don’t have to worry about straps showing. You may even want to wear the same one to future dress fittings and on your wedding day.
• Shapewear
THIS ONE is the only one I swear by; it won’t roll down. And it’s nice to have that foundation to feel confident in the dresses you try on, especially because some can be clingier than others (satin has entered the chat). :)
• Claw Hair Clip
Wear your hair down, but bring a claw hair clip with you to try some updos in a pinch. Some necklines look better with your hair pulled up, so it’s handy to have a hair clip to give a visual of how your hair might look on the wedding day.
• Pair of Heels
You don’t need to buy wedding heels yet – you should wait until you’ve found the dress. But it does help to have a pair of heels that may be similar, as you’ll get a feel for the length you like, how the gown will move with your body as you glide down the aisle in heels, and how you might like to style your shoes – or wedding boots! – for the big day.
It’s nice to have a simple low block heel in a neutral shade that goes with everything, like these from Lulu’s.
Put these all in a tote like this for easy transportation. And to obviously show off that you’re the bride. ;)
3. Invite Supportive People
The most important rule of how to make wedding dress supping fun? Don’t invite any negative nellies.
If someone doesn’t have something nice and positive to say, they shouldn’t get invited wedding dress shopping, period.
You want a crew of people, whether it be friends or family members, who are supportive and will help with the decision-making process. If that means just you and your mom, or you and your Maid of Honor, or Mom, MOH, and Bridesmaids, or whomever, just make sure every single person invited is supportive of you.
Wedding planning is a beautiful and personal time in a bride’s life, and trying on dresses in front of others can be an awkward and difficult experience. You may feel pressure to invite people because it is the “right thing to do”, but it’s really up to the bride to decide. If you keep it small, that’s great! If you have a huge group of people who are all rallying for you and supporting you – with constructive criticism when you need it – then go for it!
Only invite people to come dress shopping with you if they are genuine in their excitement and there with the best intentions at heart.
You deserve to try on dresses in peace with people who will love and support you.
4. Keep an Open Mind
The dress I chose for my own wedding day was tried on, ON A WHIM! My mother can tell you that I had another dress in mind, but grabbed “The One” as an alternate because I wanted to try on multiple styles. Who knew it would end up as winner? :)
The bottom line is, you should definitely plan to try on different styles, especially ones you have no considered before. You may not think you’re going to look amazing in a sweetheart neckline, but give it a go. Never been a fan of a mermaid fit-and-flare? You never know until you try it on.
There are plenty of tips on finding the right dress based on body type, but don’t be so scared to try on a different option “just for fun”. You may be surprised, as I was!
5. Eat! Take Breaks! Don’t Stay Out Too Long!
The worst part of wedding dress shopping is the fatigue you experience once you’ve been at it a while. There are many zippers, layers, and SO MANY BUTTONS! It can be tempting to carve out an entire day for the event, and you likely will be able to fill in those hours with plenty of gowns. But keep yourself – and everyone else in tow – happy by staying hydrated, bringing along some snacks, and taking breaks.
At some point, it will require you to give a little self-care and call it. You will eventually tire of trying on dresses and the shopping day must come to a close.
Hopefully, you’ve found the wedding dress of your dreams, but if not, don’t feel pressure to pick one just because the event is ending.
Dress shopping can be a longer process for some, so enjoy the process and appreciate it for what it is. You can always go out again to keep looking, but at least you’ll have a sense of what you like, what you don’t like, and what styles you’d like to explore.
Last but not least, go out! Treat yourself! Cap off the event by going out to lunch or dinner with your crew, whether that’s just you and your mom, a small group of you, or a large party. There, you can discuss some of the dresses you tried on, look at some photos, and then just revel in the moment.
Conclusion
In closing, keep in mind that as an important person to the bride, you play a major role in the overall memory of wedding dress shopping. Be sure to keep an open mind, help the bride to make an informed decision, and be as supportive as possible.
As the bride, it’s important to stay on budget; focus on what you like, don’t spend time worrying about what you don’t like or cannot afford. Stay hydrated. Be sure to take breaks. And be patient in finding the dress. I promise your perfect wedding dress is out there waiting for you, and I can’t wait to find out what you discover!
I’m sure it’s going to look awesome on you.
xo
Emma
