Wedding Dress Shopping - What do i bring?

I didn't bring anything special, and all my appointments went very smoothly! It might help to bring a shoe that is the approximate height of the heel you plan to wear just to give you an idea. It does not need to be the exact shoe since you won't be able to pick that until you select your dress, and all the sample dresses will still be too long anyway. Also, if you want to wear shapewear, you could do that, but I think that is more important for the fitting. I think most places will supply the champagne if you purchase a dress, but not if you are just trying on. Good luck - it is a lot of fun!

I brought nothing with me. My boutique supplied wine and champagne and definitely no robe needed. I didn’t even bring shoes, although once I had the dress, I picked the right shoes and took them to my fitting

I brought shoes I thought I wanted to wear but that was it. I didn’t even put the shoes on.
By the dress appointment i I went to I had already bought my veil so I brought that to try on with and dress I might wind up choosing (and I did pick one that day)

Thank you all! I really appreciate your feedback! Looking forward to finding my dress.

I didn’t bring anything but an open mind. A robe wasn’t really needed. My consultant suggested a pair of heels with a height I was comfortable with and she provided them when I tried on dresses. The only thing I brought was my face mask because my city requires them with covid.

I didn’t take anything when I went dress shopping. I will take things when I go for my fitting but nothing for the initial shopping

I wore nude underwear and a strapless bra. Shoes and undergarments aren’t needed until your fitting.

The only thing I brought was a clip for my hair to see what the dress will look like if I decide to wear my hair up. Most salons have a robe for you, but could be slightly diff with COVID restrictions. I didn't really need a robe. . .got out of street clothes into dress, out of one dress into a new dress. Shoes are not necessary at the time of trying on dresses, salons have a small riser you stand on to get the look like wearing heals.


Once you've selected your dress and in the alteration phase you will need all of your undergarments and shoes.

I brought nothing. The bridal salon didn’t allow alcohol inside, so we did lunch and champagne afterwards, which I think I actually enjoyed more than trying to get in a dress. The salon allowed me to pick out a pair of shoes to use to try on dresses with, although I’m wearing flats so it wasn’t really necessary. My salon also provided full undergarments that I could wear to try the dresses on with. A robe isn’t really fully necessary I don’t think.

I didn’t bring anything, I just put on stick pads and some spanx. Enjoy the process!!

View Quoted Comment Good thought!! I’ll make sure to bring some!

View Quoted Comment Okay thank you! I’m thinking lunch and champagne would be perfect!

View Quoted Comment Great idea with the clip! I’ll make sure to bring one!

I only took my mom. When we went looking, I did not have it planned to purchase my dress. But the timing and price was perfect.

The bridal boutique you are going to should tell you what to bring. Mine recommended a strapless bra and shoes of a similar height to what you think you want to wear for your wedding, but I ended up using neither. Most dresses I tried on worked better without a bra, and shoes are really more important when you go for fitting and alterations, and less necessary when trying on dresses for the first time and placing your initial order. I also would NOT bring alcohol unless you clear it with the boutique ahead of time - there may be laws against that. Keep in mind at many boutiques the champagne comes out when you "say yes to the dress" and put down a deposit vs just when you are trying them on.

Other things I'd recommend are some non-messy snacks and a bottle of water. Wear nicer underwear (I'd recommend a no show, seamless panty in a nude color). If you own shapewear and think you might want to wear it under your dress, bring that. If you have long hair, bringing a hair tie can be helpful for getting hair out of the way as you are constantly buttoning and zipping up dresses.

If you are comfortable without makeup, I'd skip it for the day (or do a light hand) as the bridal shops don't love when makeup stains get all over the sample dresses, and you're also likely to smear it on your face if you are pulling clothes up and over your face constantly. If you can't imagine going bare faced to your dress appointment, bring an old t-shirt you can put over your face when you try on dresses to prevent transfer. To be fair, I stepped into all of the dresses I tried on (there were none I pulled over my head), but I've read this tip in the past and think it's good to go by, just in case.

Definitely make sure you have a camera or smartphone with you and take photos of all of the dresses you try on. My friend took photos of the dresses as well as the tags so I knew the price, designer, style, and options available. This was super helpful when comparing dresses later.

I've never heard of anyone bringing a robe to their bridal appointment. When you are trying on dresses in the room it's going to be you and maybe a friend or family member who is going to help you and probably see you semi-naked. It's best to just get comfortable with this idea early on. I found it so much easier to not have to worry about covering up every time I switched dresses.