How did you choose your dress??

Shop around online? Or think about getting a non-traditional dress if the usual wedding dress template just isn't doing it for you.

I feel like in LA you can find some smaller boutiques that will have non-trad dresses.

Check out bnhld.com, http://www.daughtersofsimone.com/, http://brideboutiquela.com/ to start.

http://la.racked.com/maps/wedding-dresses-los-angeles

What vibe are you going for?

Me, I'm wearing a 3/4 length sweater and a tulle skirt.

I tried on 8 dresses, nearly settled for the one my mom liked, then my consultant brought me another to try on and I knew it was the one before I even put it on. It was beautiful and perfect and everything I didn't know I wanted. I put it on and couldn't stop smiling. The dress was truly perfect and I felt like a princess and I didn't want to take it off. That was how I picked my dress. I'm glad I didn't settle for a dress I didn't absolutely love.

I didn't have "the feeling" when I picked my dress. I had a checklist of things I wanted and by the time I visited the last store I was pretty disheartened and thought I wouldn't find my dress.

The dress I ended up choosing was gorgeous - it had everything I wanted from my checklist and more. While I didn't have a strong emotional reaction to any dress, I did find that I compared every dress I tried on that day to that dress. That's how I knew.

Definitely didn't have the feeling. I just picked one that had what I was looking for. Lace, strapless, buttons down the back. For me it's just a dress and it's one day. There were a bunch of dresses that would have worked just fine. Pick one you feel beautiful in. Find inspiration online and see if you can find one you like in person.

I personally picked the first one I tried on but I also had a pretty good idea of what I wanted. Think about the overall theme or style of your wedding, think about what kind of feeling you want to have on your wedding day, think about what you'll be comfortable wearing, etc. My dress is special to me and I definitely had a 'moment' with it where I knew it was my dress, and every time I put it on I don't want to take it off haha but it's not like that for everybody, don't be discouraged! There's definitely some unique dresses out there, I agree with Boozy and would say to try smaller bridal boutiques

I didn't have the moment where you put the dress on and cry and yell that it's the one, but it was the dress that I couldn't stop thinking about. The first time I tried it on I was intrigued and really liked it, and the second time I tried it on with other dresses I was pretty sure it was the front-runner. I still had to sleep on it but it was absolutely the dress I couldn't stop thinking about!

I bought mine second hand locally off FB. I loved it when I saw the pictures and once I had it nothing else came close. It's been altered, so now it's truly a one-of-a-kind dress.

I went to DB with my sisters and tried on several different dresses. The one I liked best was a huge satin ball gown, totally gorgeous. But

For a backyard ceremony and garden setting reception, it totally did not work.

Good luck with your decision.

Best wishes!

I went onto DB and saved a bunch of dresses. I kept trying to save this one dress over and over. So when I got to DB, I asked the consultant for that one first. Either she couldn't find it or hardly looked so she brought over a bunch of others. I actually saw another girl trying on THE dress and told my consultant I needed to put that on ASAP. Before it was even zipped, I said "I'm obsessed with this". And that was that!

I was overwhelmed with my mom's opinion alone. It was just her and I and I knew instantly which was best for me, but it wasn't her favorite- it made it feel overwhelming to commit. I'd say- less opinions. I did have "the feeling" but I am not sure all people do. I think, take a shot going by yourself and don't seek the opinion of another person, just let yourself imagine yourself as a bride and feel how you feel in it. Is it what you imagined for yourself? That was how I decided to stick to the feeling rather than the pressure I felt.

It was the one I didn't want to take off. I had tried on 9 dresses and kept going back to it. I think I tried it on 3x during the appointment, left to get lunch, came back, compared it to one more and said "yup, this is the one I want". No big moment, just a dress that I really loved being in because it made me feel absolutely beautiful.

I had looked online and then one day me and my boyfriend decided to go try some on. We both came out in our dresses and I absolutely loved hers and she hated it. So I went with my mom months later and tried on the one my friend did and I knew instantly because I had been thinking about it for months and when I put it on, I didn't want to take it off. Every single dress after that didn't even compare. All I wanted to do was put mine back on. So about a month after that my family stories me and took be back to the store to try it on one last time and decided to but it for me! I guess I knew it was the one because I never wanted to take it off lol

CocoMelody in the fashion District in Downtown L.A I bought my dress there and loved that I was able to customize it with the designer. He was super sweet and they include alterations with your dress purchase. I'm patiently waiting to schedule my second fitting next month.

ETA: you can browse their selection of dresses and write down any specific style numbers you're interested in that you view in their web store. They have a very small showroom, I would recommend booking an appointment via their website. They're prices are very reasonable too.

I didn't have a "moment" when I picked my dress. I had another dress in mind and my mom told me to pick the dress I thought would make FH cry when he sees me walking down the aisle and that's when I was like yupp this one is the dress.

I also agree with CocoMelody. That is where I wanted to go shopping but they were closed over the holidays when I was in town visiting.

I ended up getting my dress from Trendy Bridal, which is right down the street almost. There are a bunch of little boutiques in that area too.

It was the dress that I kept comparing every other dress to after I tried it on the first two times. I tried on a number of dresses after that, all of which I compared to my dress. A couple dresses confused me. When I went back to try on the dress I was comparing all the others to again, I was not sure I was going to say yes to it because I had found a couple that came close. However, it took me 30 seconds to smile and tell the consultant over and over again that I wanted that one. I think the fact that it was the one that any other dress would need to beat was how I knew it was the right dress.

Thanks everyone, I guess I need to do more research. I thought I'd be able to walk into a couple stores and find something easily... I think one issue is I don't really know what I want, my only must haves are: low back or keyhole back, lace (but doesn't need to be all lace), and form fitting. And some sort of balance between unique and classic.

I certainly didn't have "the moment" but I kept comparing all the other dresses to my dress and none of them held a candle to it so I knew it was the one!

Do your research! And by research I mean- buying some magazines and tearing out dresses you like or certain parts of a dress you like. Go to bridal shows, check Pinterest, just look at all different kinds of dresses and try on a dress in every style! That way you can pinpoint what you do and don't like. My dress is one of a kind, I chose two dresses from two different designers and asked my alterations contact to combine them. There's are no rules! It's a very special day and you should feel like a princess no matter what dress you are in.

@bride2b2017 I've looked at so many dresses on Pinterest and tried them all on and hated them... maybe I'm destined for a ball gown which I tried on once but keep saying I'm against it (too heavy and hot, hard to dance in)... isn't that usually the dress you end up loving? Haha

@OP i did not get a feeling. I just thought it was flattering and it was a gorgeous dress.

UO - Personally i cant imagine feeling strongly enough about clothing to cry and/or have a moment. But im not a very emotional person in general ask @LB lol

I had a little bit of a moment but I think it was more relief because it was finally something I was looking for (I picked the dress from the racks myself, my consultant kinda sucked). Don't feel like you need to be anything when you find a dress. Each person is an individual.

Oh and yeah, out of the two of us, I'm 100% more emotional than @FML.