How do you know when you find "the one"?

So I looked online also for months and did research on dresses before actually trying on. I kind of had in mind 2 different styles that I loved. I went to go try on dresses and the first dress I tried on, I was blown away. I knew it was the one and everyone I was with felt the same. I hated every other dress I put on. I felt like they were poop compared to the first one. I couldn't commit tho bc it was the first dress I tried on/ i went to a couple other boutiques but felt the same way. Nothing compared. I literally would dream about the first dress so I decided just to go with my gut and ordered it. I am obsessed and happy with my decision!

View Quoted Comment Girl same! I am pretty sure I found “the dress” but when I was asked I just couldn’t say “YES to the dress” either- I’m going back on Friday to see if I felt the same way when I did the 1st time I tried the dress on - If I do then I’ll say “YES to the dress”

As much as I love shows like Say Yes to the Dress, they totally have given brides this perception that the dress they pick is the single most important decision of all. That if you don't get the PERFECT dress, what is the point? There is more of an emphasis in the wedding industry on finding the perfect dress and that making or breaking your day than finding the perfect guy. This also feeds into why having "wedding dress regret" is a common thing but you rarely hear "wedding flower regret" or "wedding venue regret"- because the industry has placed a very specific emphasis on your outfit.

I bought the 3rd dress I tried on out of 5. I love it and it makes me feel more beautiful than I ever felt, however is it THE one? Probably not. If I went to 10 more shops, I probably could find a better option. If I doubled my budget, it would open up more options. If you look at all the options out there, really unless you get something personally made, designed and tailored for you, hypothetically there always will be a better option out there.

Find something you love that makes you feel beautiful and makes you feel like a bride. At the end of the day, you've already made the most important decision by saying yes.

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Always go with your gut!

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It almost seemed too good to be true that I could find my dress so quickly and easily. Glad I'm not the only one. Good luck on Friday!

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I've honestly never thought about all that, but you're so right. I know that at the end of the day it's just a dress and I need to remember that on my next trip. As long as I get to marry THE guy, I guess in the grand scheme of things the dress truly isn't that important. Thanks for giving me that perspective!

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Absolutely !

I went to two places and my dress ended up being the second one I tried on at the second place. When you know it’s your dress, you know. It’s clear that you’ve been stuck on this dress for a while. It’s scary to take the jump but if you keep looking nothing will compare.

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You're right...it is a little scary. But I have a feeling I'll end up with this dress in the end.

View Quoted Comment If that’s your feeling, then go ahead and get the dress! You’ll feel so much better when it is taken care of.

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Before I left for my appointment I said to my fiance, "I just want to get this done." It's not that I'm not excited to find the dress, I just want to be able to cross one more thing off my list. I'll most likely be back for the dress. Thanks for the advice!

Same thing happened to me. First dress appointment, first or second dress... kept going back to it... but still had other dress appointments. Like you, I can’t just make a decision like that without at least seeing all my options. I was 100% more confident in my decision once I went to all my appointments and tried on all the dresses. I love my dress but i didn’t want to be wondering for the next year if I would have found something I liked better.

I had a huge fiasco with my dress situation and ended up buying my dress off the rack 3 weeks before my wedding! Before that, I had a dress custom made and to make a long story short, it was poorly made and I hated it. So 3 weeks before my wedding, my mom and I road-tripped several hours away to the only two dress shops in Virginia that had anything available to purchase off the rack in my size. At the first shop, I almost bought a dress because it fit perfectly and looked way better than my disastrous custom dress, but my mom talked me into going to the second shop just to see what they had before I bought anything. And I found THE DRESS! It was the second one I tried on out of maybe 5 total that I tried on, and I kept going back to it. It was totally different than how I ever imagined my wedding dress looking, but the more I looked at myself in the mirror the more I loved it. I honestly didn't have any time to spare in the process and I knew I had to buy a dress that day so I'd have time to get it altered. The time crunch sealed the deal for me. After alterations, it ended up being the absolute dreamiest dress I could have imagined, even though it was so different than what I always pictured myself wearing! I have ZERO REGRETS! I think if you look and feel pretty, you don't need to worry about "what else might be out there." I think there are probably dozens of different dresses that you would look equally amazing in! Once you pick one, get it altered, and see yourself in it, you really do fall in love with it.

View Quoted Comment Hopefully I'll feel the same way after I try on a few more!

View Quoted Comment Oh my gosh I would be so stressed out! But I'm so happy everything worked out for you. And you look stunning! Thank you for the advice!

I didn’t cry over any of the dresses I tried on. The one my mom cried over, I ended up hating and exchanged it for the dress that I couldn’t stop thinking about (after trying on several others).nobody is going to react the same way to things in life, and I feel like a LOT of those reactions on ‘say yes to the dress’ are highly manufactured to make the show more interesting, and to make viewers think they have to spend a small fortune in order to get a beautiful gown to wear on their wedding day.

View Quoted Comment You're right about that! Some of those reactions are very over the top. If I can't stop thinking about this dress I think that's probably my sign that it's the one.

I haven’t bought my dress yet, but getting it this week! For me, I knew which dress was for me the moment I tried it on. I didn’t has a teary moment, but I saw a David’s bridal dress online, and when I came into the store, I didn’t see it until the consultant told me to look in the clearance rack to see if I liked any of the dresses. When I went to the clearance area, I saw the dress and it looked more beautiful in person! I knew it was the dress because I felt beautiful, it checked all my boxes & honestly didn’t want to take it off. All I could do was smile! On top of that, everyone else in the shop told me how much they loved the dress on me. I went to another store & tried on dresses but couldn’t stop comparing them to the dress I loved at DB. Needless to say, I went back to David’s bridal the following week & retried on the dress & knew it was the one because my reaction wasn’t the same like it was with other dresses. I don’t think you have to cry to know it’s the one. As long as it checks all your boxes, you feel beautiful and can picture yourself in it without any regrets, it’s the one! Good luck (:

View Quoted Comment Thank you!

If you're unsure, shop around a bit.


I didn't buy the dress that made me cry. I tried it on at my first appointment. I'm not sure why I cried. I think it was because that was the first dress I felt pretty in..the first one that made me feel like I was getting married. I put it at the top of my list. The more I thought about it..the more I realized that it wasn't me and wasn't going to be comfortable. It was form fitting with boning in the bodice. It was a no go. Being comfortable is huge to me.
I went to a second store and found my dress. It's so much more me than the first I had considered. It was the first I tried on there. I remember thinking..okay we are done when I put it on. I kept trying more though. I ended up with four that I really liked. I was confused. Then I was told that I might not be able to get any of them (except the Maggie sottero that was as is). I knew immediately that I would be upset if I couldn't get the first dress. Luckily it was going to be made in time. I never got emotional with it on..not yet anyway..but it's the one. My mom cries every time she sees me in it!
Best of luck!!