Dress Shopping

It depends on where you go. If you have an appointment at David's Bridal on a weekend, don't expect to have the consultant to yourself. At smaller bridal shops, you should have your own. I went shopping on a Monday and my mom and I were the only customers in the shop. It was amazing.

My dress has a chapel length train. I would imagine the one you like comes without a train because, well, some people don't like trains. For example, many people who get married on the beach don't want to drag a train through the sand. Of course it can be bustled, but why not just get it without if that's a possibility? I would also think that the option without the train is cheaper. It's just a matter of preference.

I went shopping at David's Bridal on a Saturday and the consultant was with me and just me the entire time. If you make an appointment, it won't be an issue. They were definitely busy, but they took care of me first because I had made an appointment.

I also have a chapel length train, but almost wish I had gotten a longer one just because I love the way they look.

How exciting! I went dress shopping on two Saturdays because it was most convenient for my schedule. I would have been stressed trying to go on a weekday because of my job. My second time out, I didn't realize the bridal salon I was visiting was having a sample sale that weekend and the shop was very crowded. I did have my consultant with me the entire time, but we had to look for an available room for me to try on dresses and generally speaking it was a little hectic in the store. It also wasn't easy for my guests to browse the racks, since there were so many other folks. If you go on a weekday, there's less chance that the store will be full and you may get a little extra time with your consultant if there aren't appointments just before or after your own. All that to say, I still found and purchased my wedding dress in that crowded store so I suggest doing whatever is best for your schedule.

As for trains, I had a chapel length train and loved it. We bustled during the reception so it was easier for me to move around and dance. You'll get a better sense of what you like after you start trying on gowns. Be sure to have the consultant show you an example of what the bustled dress would look like so have an idea of that too. Not everyone likes the look of the bustle. Have a great time dress shopping!

I went to a boutique on a saturday as well!

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That's a good point. I initially thought I won't get a train because it just seems like less hassle. But after seeing some pictures of dresses with trains I think it would look beautiful, both in person and in pictures.

I do plan on going to David's Bridal, and that's what I was worried about. I have a dress in mind that I pretty much have my heart set on but at the same time I would like to be able to look around, because what if I put this dress on and end up hating it? I don't want to be rushed. Thanks for the input!

Well, I went on a Monday since that was my day off at the time and it's best to go on a weekday since so many brides are carrying around dresses on the weekends that you may want to try on. I think the option to not have a train is helpful for brides getting married on the beach or on grass where it might get dirty

I went on a weekday after work for my wedding dress. I made an appointment for 7 at David's Bridal and I was the only one in the store so I had the help of everyone which was amazing. My bridesmaids got their dresses on a Saturday and it was a COMPLETE NIGHTMARE even with having an appointment, each consultant was assigned to at least 4 groups so it was very hectic

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That's what I was thinking. I could take off a day during the week because the end of the year is slow for us but if I don't have to and can go on a Saturday and have the same experience then why take off the day?

I'll make sure to have them show me the dress bustled. Thanks for the advice!

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That was the main reason I didn't want a train. My reception is in a barn but the ceremony is outside and I don't want to get the dress dirty if I can help it.

I work everyday from 8:30-4:30 and knew Saturdays would be nuts. Most stores I looked at had 1 evening/week where they were open later. I was able to get an appointment from 6-8 p.m. on a Thursday. We were the only ones there. It's great that way.

My dress has a chapel length train.

I made appointments and went on Saturdays both times.

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I got my dress at David's Bridal. I made an appointment for a Saturday (I couldn't go during the week because of work), and even though the store was packed with others with appointments as well as walk-ins, I had a consultant all to myself for the entire appointment. Here's something I would suggest though. Go on their website before your appointment, and look at their dresses. They even have a quiz to determine what is the best silhouette for your body type. I would create an account real quick, and then you can "favorite" the ones you like best, and it adds those to a type of online showroom. Then when you go to your appointment, you can pull up those "favorites" on your phone, and tell your consultant that you want to try them on. It just saves a lot of time, because you've done most of your browsing online before your appointment.

I made back-to-back Saturday appointments at David's since that worked best for most of us. Luckily everyone was able to make it: MOH, all bridesmaids, flower girl, my mom and FMIL.

We had a great time and were out in less than the allotted time needed.

It was a little hectic, but if you make an appointment you're given priority over walk-ins.