How does Wedding dress shopping work?

Starting out with a budget is ideal (and don't try on dresses that you absolutely cannot afford!). It is helpful to have an idea of what you like and don't like; however, you need to be prepared to step out of your comfort zone and try on dresses you might not think you'd like. I ended up choosing a dress that I hated on the hanger!

I wouldn't schedule too many appointments in a day. You can quickly get overwhelmed; and all the dresses can start to look alike. As far as what to wear/bring, you won't really have anything in mind yer most likely. If there is something you know you want to wear, (like your grandma's veil), then you might want to bring it. Otherwise, I would say leave the initial appointments all about discovery. Don't bring anyone with you who might have a negative influence on the appointment, or who doesn't know how to put your needs above their own/doesn't know when to keep their mouths shut. That can quickly deflate your confidence, and derail the appointment. Also, if you don't love it, you don't want to feel pressured into buying it; dress regret is real! Your opinion is the one that matters most! Keep the party small; more people=more opinions.

You do not need to pick out bridesmaids dresses at the same time (or, actually, anywhere close). You probably need to make sure the dresses are chosen by about 90 days before the wedding. Focus on your dress first!

One thing that really helped me before going dress shopping was to view the designers held at the bridal salons and then I looked at dresses on the designers' websites - this helped both myself and my consultant get an idea of the style and material I was going for. I ended up choosing a dress that was my favorite from looking in advance.

You can definitely book multiple salon appointments throughout the day, a friend of mine visited 2 salons before selecting her dress. Bring maybe 2-3 people who would you want present - I ended up having my whole family (of 6!) last minute and it became a little overwhelming. I definitely would have preferred to have my mom, sister, and sister in law. If you're close with your MIL, invite them too to cherish the moment together.

You don't need to bring many items! I wore nude underwear, but if you're comfortable, you can go braless in the dresses.

Bridesmaid dresses are selected at a different appointment! Have this be a day for you and HAVE FUN!

Welcome, Samantha! Congrats on your engagement. Other brides will jump in and share their tips too. Here are mine:

* Share your budget with the bridal consultant so she'll show you gowns in your range

* I did a max of two stores in one day, with a lunch break in between. Allow for 60-90 min per store.

* Small entourage is better. Mom, perhaps FMIL, sis, 1-2 friends. You can also do different trips. Like mom & FMIL for one trip, girlfriends for another. I went to a few stores by myself first to understand experience and have a strong voice when I went with family.

* Bring water! Trying on dresses makes you thirsty.

* Bring pics of dresses you like yet be open to trying a different dress style. You may be surprised by a gown you didn't expect to look amazing on you.

* You might find "the one" right away. Or it may take you a few stores. Try "the one" on in a second fitting so you don't buy too soon and have dress regret later.

* Take pics! I ruled out a dress or two that had nice detail in person but looked blah in photos. The bodysuit I bought looked good on and killer in pics.

* Pay the deposit (usually 50%) by credit card in case there's a problem with the store you have a record and can dispute charges via CC company. Doesn't happen often but always pay wedding vendors by CC if possible in case there's a problem.

Very very exciting! When you find it, come back here and post a pic.

Hi Samantha! Welcome to the WeddingWire Community! We recommend beginning your wedding dress search about a year out, so you're off to a great start, especially with creating a budget. Since you have a budget in mind, it's good to start looking through selections for style inspiration. Once you've obtained an idea of the type of dress you're looking for, you should start planning your shopping visits. After shopping and selecting your choice, you should start to look for shoes and other accessories. We recommend doing your fitting closer to your actual wedding date to ensure the most precise fit; however, you can take any route that works best for you; these are just suggestions! For further guidance, you should check out our Wedding Timeline that Every Bride Must See! Good luck!

I looked at dress styles and had some pictures to show them. As far as who to bring, don’t take too many people. Too many people will
overwhelm you in making your decision. I only took my mom and sister. I went to one of my friends dress shopping and learned from that experience that I would like to keep mine intimate. Plus it will be a surprise to everyone when I wear my dress. Don’t forget to have fun with it! It was probably the best part of wedding planning for me. All the best!

You should schedule as many appointments in a day as you feel comfortable with, although I personally would stick to one, as they do take a while, and you will be pretty exhausted by the end.

You should bring those you feel comfortable with. If you would like to include members of your bridal party, great! Personally, I only had my mom and her best friend (who's like a second mom to me) attend mine.

Unless you feel comfortable stripping in front of the store associate helping you, I would bring a nude-colored strapless bra and nude-colored, full underwear.

You probably should limit the first appointment to shopping for your dress only. I bought my wedding dress in April and have an appointment in two weeks to go look at bridesmaids dresses with my mom.

So many great suggestions here! I would add to make sure your budget (or another portion of budget) accounts for alterations. These can range greatly from $200-$700 largely depending on the alterations needed and intricacy of the dress. Fabrics that have a lot of beading or fine lace work are going to cost more to alter. Be sure to ask your bridal consultant about these costs so you don't have surprises down the road.