Dress Shopping Prep!

YAY! How fun!

First off, I think it's great that you're only taking two people, especially if you get overwhelmed easily. To prepare, I looked at some bridal gowns from the shop that I might want to try on so I had an idea of what I was looking for and I shared them with the people I chose to go with so they knew what my vision was. It was very helpful because nobody really selected anything that wasn't my style, except for my mom/MIL picking one dress that really just wasn't me. You get a limited amount of time so you want to make sure you try on things you really like. I'd try on a variety of styles as well, as you might be surprised what fits look best on you! I thought I'd leave with a ballgown and ended up with a mermaid. Bring some water with you, because trying on dresses gets tiring and you will be thirsty. Something I wished I had told my people was to not comment on the dress until I made a comment. There was one dress that my mom just yelled "I HATE THAT" before I had a chance to formulate my own opinion, so it kind of ruined that dress for me. So politely ask that they wait for your response before commenting, it'll help them possibly tailor their response as well so you won't get upset/overwhelmed.

Go with the dress that makes you feel the best and then stop looking (if you find it at your first appointment!). Most people get dress regret because they keep looking after they've found the one, especially indecisive brides. Best of luck!

To prepare, I just compiled a bunch of photos of dresses that I liked. This helped point my consultant in the right direction.

My best advice is to be open minded. If you consultant brings you something you wouldn't normally like, try it on anyway! You might be surprised what looks good on you. Also, the only opinion that matters is your own.

To prep for dress shopping, I browsed through styles online to get an idea of what was out there! Otherwise, I didn't really do too much - I planned on trying on all different styles when dress shopping, so I didn't have my heart set on any one style. I figured by trying on dresses, I would kind of guide myself through finding the dress.


I am also super indecisive!! I don't impulse buy, and I also don't like being rushed into a decision. So I was upfront with the consultant that I would not be purchasing the gown that day, and that I would need to step away and think about it if I found one I liked. My advice would be to take your time and consider all options. If you are super confident that it's THE dress, purchase it! Otherwise, take some time away from the dress to think about it. Take pictures of each dress so you can look through them again later, after the excitement of being in the dress has calmed down, and you're able to think more logically rather than emotionally. If you start getting overwhelmed, take a few minutes to sit back and relax. Also, listen to your opinion the most. If everyone is telling you that they love the dress, but you're not as crazy about it, don't let everyone else's opinions convince you to buy something you're not sold on. If you try it on and you love it, that's what matters! Happy dress shopping!!

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You gave a lot of great advice!! The salon I'm going to had me select 5 dresses from their website (BHLDN-Anthropologie), that I liked so hopefully that will help with sticking to my style! That's also a great suggestion about asking them to wait until I comment first. That's a huge problem I have with my mom lol, she just says the first thing she thinks of no matter how hurtful it may be!

Thank you so much!!!

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Thank you Meghan!! You're def. right about being open minded. I hate mermaid style dresses, but I could find one that looks great on me!

Best advice is to take pictures of yourself in the dress (if the salon with allow it). Seeing how you will photograph in each dress is SO helpful (much more so than I realized going into it). Also, I see a lot of women here post about how they were unsure if they picked the right dress because they "didn't cry." That's ok!! Everyone processes emotions differently, and there's no overarching rule that you have to cry to know it's the one. You will know.

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Thank you for the advice, Lisa!! I get what you're saying about looking at pictures of the dresses after I've left the salon. I can get swept up in the excitement of things, which alters my decisions drastically, so I think that suggestion would work the best for me!

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Hi Stacey! Thank you for your input! It's encouraging to hear you say that it's okay to not have that 'bridal moment' feeling! That was something I was worried about, like...is it really the dress if I don't have this big emotional response to it?? I feel a lot better to hear that that's not necessarily the case!

Yay! Congrats, Shelly! I hope you have so much fun shopping for your dream dress! Especially with your MOH there! To prep for dress shopping, I made sure to do everything I could to not be bloated or puffy when I went shopping because I wanted to feel super confident. I also went for styles that would compliment my body shape and my best features. All the dresses are gorgeous, so it will be hard to feel anything but beautiful!

In terms of being indecisive, I can totally relate! I went with my MOH who is my older sister and mom, and they were both pressuring me immensely to get the dress they loved, even though it wasn't truly what I wanted. I was so stressed!!! We didn't buy anything that day since I couldn't decide, and I am so glad we didn't! I found a dress online a few weeks later that was perfect for me. I think having people come dress shopping with you is normally for their sake, not yours. You are ultimately the decision maker for your dress, so don't let them sway you if you aren't sure about it yet. It is okay to not buy a dress from the first or second salon you go to! You can always go back to look at a dress again before making a final decison!

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You're welcome . I had the same issue with my mom, my best friend got SO mad at her for saying something before I could, so she spoke up for me while I was in the fitting room and said, "let's hear from her FIRST." And it really helped because my mom kept quiet until I was able to see and give an opinion!

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Aw, thank you Connie!!

That's a great point about the bloat and puffiness! My mom and MOH want to try and go to one more salon that afternoon if I don't find a dress at the first salon in the morning, so I'll def. take your advice into account when we eat in between!

You're so right about choosing the dress I like, and being okay with not getting my dress the first go around. I still have plenty of time to find one, so I have to remind myself not to overthink and pressure myself too much!

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That's so great to hear that!! I know my MOH will stick up for me and intervene if she needs to, so I'm confident I'll have some backup!

Yayyyy have fun. I LOVED going dress shopping!! Definitely accept opinions but don't buy a dress that you don't love, even if everyone else loves it. Make sure to get something that YOU love.

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Thank you!! I'm super excited, and hope It's a blast!! That's great advice, def. need to stick to my gut and get what I love!

Try on everything. You are the one who will be wearing it so ignore other opinions. You will know it's the one when you don't want to take it off. When you find one, stop looking.

Very important: make sure that every dress you try on: you move around in. You're going to be wearing it 5+ hours. So dance, bend over, sit, walk, etc to see how easy you can maneuver in it.

Alright, so my 3 (sorry you get extra) pieces of advice are:

1) Don't expect to find "the dress" on your first go. So much pressure. I would take this time to pick out 4 dresses with the same fabric (either satin, lace, organza, etc. but all 4 in the same fabric) these dresses should be each of the major silhouettes: ballgown, mermaid, a-line, sheath/column. This way you get an idea of the *shape* you like

2) WEAR THE UNDERWEAR/SPANX you want to wear to the appointment. People say to get it for the first alterations appointment, but it really makes such a difference even when trying it on for the first time.

3) Have fun and try to limit the number of dresses you try on the first time. You'll get a good idea of what works on you, and then make a follow-up appointment to get specific (if you go for lace, WHICH lace dress do you want, or if you want a mermaid, at least you know to focus on mermaids in your next appointment). It takes a LOT longer than you think to try on a dress

HAVE FUN

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Never thought about moving around in it! Thanks for that suggestion!

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Thanks for the advice, Julie! Your suggestion about trying on different fabrics is one I'll def. think about! I hate lace, but I need to try it on because the dress I love just might be lace!

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Alot of brides don't think about it so they get a dress they later say they can barely walk in and change into a different dress for the reception instead of wearing the dress they love as long as possible.

Okay so I picked my dress pretty quickly it was the second dress I tried on but then I continued to try on 8. I felt the prettiest and the most me in the 2nd one though. But when you are done this is the key!!! Go back on your moh and moms pictures of each dress, and I mean look at the dress but the most important part, look at your face!!! Look at your facial expression! I had a “blah” face for every dress but with my dress my face lit up and you could just tell it was the one. Good luck!!