What was your wedding dress shopping experience like?

So I went WAY before COVID hit. It was just my mum and myself. We just happened to be buying something for her and we just decided to shop for dresses because I would eventually want one. I already knew what I wanted from the very beginning. When I went in I knew I wanted an a-line or ball gown but was open to trying on other silhouettes. The people there were so nice and just took everything that I had to say into account while also having my mum give her opinion. I tried on a mermaid, empire, a trumpet, a ball gown, and an a-line. When I knew it was the dress was when I put it on and I didn't want to take it off and I couldn't stop smiling. I choose the Belle dress from Alfred Angelos's collection. We also tested out different veils and crowns. I wanted to feel like a princess and sure enough, I did. I choose my veil and the headpiece I wanted as well. When we ordered it, it took about three weeks to come in. I LOVE it!! It is breathtaking and beautiful and honestly, I am so happy I didn't take ANYONE else because I will forever cherish those memories I made with my mum. My advice to you is to limit the number of people. Have people who will truly say if you look good or bad in something and support you as a person. Have an open mind to the possibilities of different styles but don't shy away from what you want. Have fun and enjoy the process too!! This is supposed to be joyous and fun!! Good luck!! I cant wait to see pictures of what you find!!

Looking back...I went on five trips. One friend went with me twice. One sister went twice (once with the friend and once with just me and her.). And once with my mil. And once on my own (when I got my dress.)


My friend was extremely enthusiastic, to the point that everything was stunning and beautiful. Conversely, both my sister and mil seemed bored and unimpressed with everything. The best my sister could say was “that’s ok.”
So not the best people for shopping. And I wish I had tried on a few more different necklines. But in the end I’m happy with the dress I wore.

My experience was magical, my biggest advise is try to do your makeup and hair so when you try on dresses you can see pretty much the whole thing together, and take the shoes you wanna use on your big day! I went to my appointment with my mom and sister because due to COVID the store just let every bride go with 2 people, but I feel that at the end was great because usually your own family will want you to be happy and won’t be “jealous” like some “friends” could be, a d they will tell you the truth, good luck and enjoy this experience, it’s amazing!!!

I bought my dress in June which was the beginning of a lot of bridal stores being reopened in my state. Many didn't have a lot of set guidelines yet because it was before the Minnesota Mask Mandate. The shop I got my dress from had a restriction of three but, let me have my four due to them making the guidelines a few days before my appointment. Everyone wore a mask but, I was allowed to take it off every once in a while to get a look of the dress without a mask. My mom, both my grandmas and one of my BMs were with me.

We also went to David's Bridal that day but, they only allowed 2 people (no exceptions which I understood but, was still upset they hadn't told me until less than a day before my appointment). My friend went home and my one grandma stayed in the store (which was allowed just not back by the dressing rooms) and then would switch with the other grandma as I tried on dresses. I also was allowed to slip the mask off but, not as often.

I agree with everyone here, don't bring too many people dress shopping! It will just make it harder with more opinions and at the end of the day you are wearing the dress so you should be absolutely in love with it no matter what other people say. I went dress shopping 5 times and I had good experiences all around! I had done a lot of research ahead of time and pinned a bunch of dresses to my Pinterest board so I could show the consultants what I liked. I also chose boutiques which I knew had the designers I liked and were in my budget range. The first time I went dress shopping I just went with my best friend and MOH. I first tried on dresses in all the different types of silhouettes (the consultant first put me in a sheath dress and then we kept going all the way through ballgown). I basically knew I wanted a mermaid/fit and flare, but wanted to make sure I tried all different types on to be sure. Once I settled on the mermaid look, she started pulling a few dresses in the style I liked to try on. I did love one of the dresses I tried on, but didn't want to decide at my first appointment. Then I went to a few other dress shops with my mom and one time by myself. I ended up finding THE DRESS at my second time dress shopping, but again, I tried on more dresses at another boutique just to be sure. When I went back and tried on that dress again, putting it on I knew it was the one! It was also $1 under budget so it worked out perfectly My advice is to keep your group small for your appointments, bring your inspiration photos and tell the consultant what you like, be open to trying on different styles and of course have fun! Wedding dress shopping is exciting so enjoy!

It depend on you what are you looking for. DO you want a crowd of people telling you what to buy? i had my sister and bridesmaids with me and my soon to be mother in law and her sister. I had a nice time.

Hi Haley! I was nervous and excited about dress shopping too, so I totally understand. It's normal to feel insecure, but don't worry because if you go to the right stores they'll treat you very kind and make you feel comfortable. They are there to cater to you. It's very helpful that you already have dresses in mind to show them. It'll make it easier for you and them to find "the one."

First, I researched the stores I wanted to go to. Then I began making appointments. During this pandemic they're only allowing brides to bring two guests. I brought my sister and sister in law to my first appointment with the intent to figure what style I liked, so I went to David's Bridal. It was surprisingly fun! My sister helped me with the difficult task of getting into and out of the dresses. An hour went so fast I didn't get to try on all the dresses I wanted to, so I made another appointment for a month later.

This time I brought my sister and my mom. I saw one dress I loved, but wasn't sure about it. Luv Bridal was the next store where I almost found "the one." It was between the David's Bridal dress and Luv Bridal dress. The thing that stopped me from purchasing the second dress was that I'd have to spend extra time and money on getting it cleaned, repaired, AND altered since it was a sample dress. I decided to sleep on it and risk someone buying it, so that I can go to the last few stores I really wanted to go to before settling. I gave myself 1 week. If I didn't find a dress at these last dress stores, I'd go back for the Luv Bridal dress and hope that no one purchased it.

I'm glad I listened to myself because I ended up finding "the one" at the very last store I had to go to. I ended paying less for a brand new dress, in my size, than the one I was planning on going back for. That was July. They said it would take about 4 to 6 months for the dress to come, since it was brand new they'd have to make it if they didn't have my size already made. My wedding is in April 2021, so I have enough time. Enjoy the process of finding your dress. Have fun with it and think of it like you're playing dress up.