Dress appointment

Bring - a strapless bra, some water and snacks, and shoes similar to the height you think you might want to wear on your wedding day. To be completely fair, I did all those things for my appointment and ditched a bra entirely after the 2nd dress and never bothered putting the shoes on. Unless you are buying something off the floor and having alterations pinned that day, shoes really won't matter, but they can be helpful with you getting a sense of moving in the dress or a better sense of overall dimensions after alterations (chances are dresses will be really long on you, so it can be helpful to have the hem pinned up so you can see what it looks like shorter, as it will change the proportions of the dress and you'll look less like a 6' tall model with really long legs once the dress is the correct length for your height). I did end up taking advantage of a snack and some water though!

I went during a non-prime time so probably ended up having closer to a 90 minute appointment and probably tried on a dozen dresses. In one hour 5-6 dresses is probably quite reasonable.

If there are any dresses you are strongly considering, be sure to try on bridal accessories with the dress. A veil, tiara, hair comb, etc can change the look entirely, and its kind of hard to mimic/envision yourself in those things later because its unlikely you've worn them before.

I wore a strapless bra but took it off before trying on any dresses. We weren’t allowed food or drink inside but they had tables to put drinks on outside. I didn’t bring special shoes and tried on all the dresses barefoot. Basically nothing extra except me and an open mind!

I brought a strapless bra, but never used it. For some, I kept my bra on and for others I just went braless. Honestly I’d only use one if you have a great one— otherwise you risk judging the dress because of it, so watch out for that !


Be open minded, drink plenty of water — you’ll be surprised how exhausting trying on dresses can be !

First tip: try on different styles, you may go in thinking you want one style and leave with a completely different style. I thought I wanted a plan mermaid style dress for the longest time, i never was into the poofy big dresses. I went to my first appointment and all I tried on was that style, I left with one of the dresses I thought I loved at the time but the more I looked at the picture of me in it the more I hated it. I ended up returning it and getting a big poofy dress with a lot of details. And I absolutely love it and still love it months later.


Second tip: figure out how much you are able to spend not just on the dress but the alterations, shoes, jewelry, etc. Most people only thing about the cost of the dress and never factor in the cost to alter it.
Third tip: don't bring a lot of people with you. The most I'd bring is 2 people with you. When you invite to many people you get to many opinions and you may end up leaving with nothing and feelings so torn.

I would probably take your shoes. However when I went to try on dresses, I didn't have my shoes. I took my shoes when I went to get my dress altered for the length so that I would not be tripping over my dress. My appointment for my alterations was about an hour. Definitely take your shoes for your alterations.

When I went to try on dresses, I have to say I didn't do anything the other people have posted. I showed in my everyday clothes, bra and shoes. Hard to bring shoes when you don't know what you think you will want. Also most salons have you stand on a pedestal which will give the appearance of wearing heels.

Have an idea of what style you think you want, but also be open to all styles. I ended up with a style I didn't think would look good on me.

Know your budget, which should include alterations, do not try a dress on you're not willing to pay for.

I have to also say listen to the stylist, they know what they are talking about and know their stock.

View Quoted Comment Thanks everyone. I brought a strapless bra, spanx and shoes. Didn’t need any of it but was glad I had it. Went to David’s and had a great experience. I was her last appointment of the day and she was amazing. I was there for almost 90 minutes. Tried on about 10 dresses!!