1. Be open to different styles. I already had an idea in mind, but since I'd never tried on wedding dresses before, I wasn't sure if my vision would actually work. Turns out, it didn't. The consultant picked a few based on my body type that I probably wouldn't have picked myself, and they looked phenominal! Sometimes what you didn't notice before, can really surprise you, and in a very good way!
2. If you have a budget, stick to it. I didn't want to go overboard on my dress, considering we had other expenses to worry about (venue, food, officiant, ect). I immediately asked the consultant, "what do you have for $1,000 and under?". They pointed to two racks, and we stuck with those. I didn't want to make the same mistake as the other brides I've seen on all those wedding shows. The bride has a budget, but fell in love with a dress way over it. I intentionally stayed away from the other racks, because I knew if I so much as took a peek, it might have left me heartbroken and empty-handed. There were PLENTY of dresses within my budget. Also, if you can find a shop that offers layaway payments like mine did, that's even better!
3. If someone else has a budget, stick to it. I've seen one too many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress where Mom or Dad or whoever offer to buy the dress, and the bride keeps going for the ones out of budget. If someone else is generous enough to purchase something as important as your wedding dress and voices a budget, you should respect their wishes. However, I'm sure if you offer to chip in some of your own funds for something that costs more that what they're comfortable with, they certainly wouldn't object to the assistance!
4. Don't lose your voice. It's completely understandable if a bride wants to bring everyone and their mother dress shopping. It's an important moment and you want their input and their approval. But sometimes too many opinions might leave the bride confused about what she really wants, and frustrated if everyone isn't on the same page. In my experience, less was more. This was before we announced our engagement, so my mother nor any other family went with. I brought one of my bridesmaids with me, knowing she'd give me her honest opinion, and wouldn't try to steer me towards something I didn't want or couldn't afford. My advice, especially if you're bringing a close family member like mom or sister, would be to voice your vision and stick to it if it's what you really want. Chances are, not everyone may like what you choose, and that's okay! It's your wedding dress, no one is wearing it but you.
5. Plan plan plan! Once you say yes to the proposal, it doesn't hurt to plan a timeline as to when you should start looking for a dress. Usually a lot of brides start looking about a year in advance, as shops like the one I chose took a minimum of six months for some of their dresses to ship to the states, and that didn't even include time for alterations! Timing is everything, and I shake my tablet every time I watch a bride look for a dress six weeks before their wedding because they procrastinated, then get upset when their dress isn't ready in time.
Wedding dress shopping is an adventure within itself, and a very good one! But waiting until the last minute can make it quite stressful, which is something you don't want. And you certainly don't want to sacrifice other parts of your wedding because of going over budget on the dress. You will have enough to deal with regarding the venue, food, and picking the perfect photographer. Shouldn't your dress be that magical time every woman looks forward to? Time goes by fast, just blink and you might miss it! Stick to your plan, and most importantly, enjoy yourself! This is an exciting time that should be cherished, take advantage of it!
