What You Wish You Knew Before 1st Dress Appointment

Enjoy the experience and have fun!!

Knowing that you are anxious about being a "larger" bride, keep in mind that bridal sizes are several sizes larger than what you normally wear. I am a size 12, I ordered a plus size gown (either an 18 or a 22). When they first told me I was shocked!

Don't be upset if you don't have a *bridal moment* or find one the first day. I had to try on over 30 dresses before I found my dress and I didn't cry when I found it, but I knew it was right!

Think very carefully about who you bring. I brought my grandmother (you would think that would have been nice!) and she was so awful to me that I cried the whole way home. Hopefully you have a better first experience than I did.

Hello fellow DC area bride! What i wish I knew before I had my first appointment is to not expect a "Say Yes to the Dress" moment. I went alone dress shopping and felt a little self conscious because every other bride had people there with them. i did not like the person assisting me. I could not find any dresses I liked.

So my advice is stay calm and dont worry if things are not perfect (the people, the dress selection, etc.). All that matters is that you get a dress you love.

I'm a size 14 and I had ordered a size 18 dress. I first went to a bridal shop without a ton of plus sized gowns and it was so frustrating to me. I'm a very visual person and even though the consultant pinned and clipped the dress it just didn't feel the same. I loved being able to try on dresses that actually fit me! I'm glad you found a shop that specializes in plus sized gowns! There aren't too many I'm told.

I didn't cry either. But I knew it was the one because I didn't want to take it off!

Enjoy it!

I'm also a larger bride and it wasn't a problem. The staff didn't even blink. I do my hair and makeup before I go do that I feel like I should. They will ask what you like about the dress, be prepared to give feedback, be honest they won't feel offended.

I wish I knew not to waste my time on dresses that didn't fit what I pictured. I always wanted a ballgown because that is just what I imagined. I tried on a ton of different styles and it became overwhelming once I found different dresses that I really loved (like mermaid). I spent so much time stressing over what I wanted to do after that and ended up realizing that it isn't what I imagine myself walking down the aisle in after talking to people about what I should do. It is nice to just know what you want and try as many as you can in my opinion.

ETA: Disregard. Apparently this was just my experience. It looks like many others didn't find this to be more stressful. Good luck to you and try to have fun!

My first experience was awful.. my consultant wouldn't let me try on the styles u wanted to and did I had to be a lot skinnier for that.. I kept my cool the, but cried when I left.. I put off going for a while but I find a gorgeous dress today. I'm normally an 8 but ordered a size 16.

Try on all styles- even if you think you'd look awful in one (& all those damn "which dress type is right for your body" articles tell you not to.). You won't know if you don't try.

& enjoy it. You don't get to try on dresses that cost that much every day!

Yes try on everything! I bought a style I hadn't expected to like. Also listen to PP's--the size you buy is going to be weird. In normal clothing, I'm a size 6 or 8. In wedding dress world, I bought a 14!

Don't feel pressured into making any decisions that first day. It's OK if you don't find one you love, or want to take time to think on it.

My advice: It's completely okay to go in with an idea of what you want and leave (if you find something) with something completely different. Everything I envisioned looked terrible on me, and I trusted my consultant on some different styles and fell in love.

Try on everything! Don't limit yourself to what you think you want. Expect to need a few sizes up from your normal size, but remember they can do some amazing things with clips so you can put on gowns that are too small or too big.

Don't be discouraged if you don't have a bridal moment or fall in love with something on the first try.

I'm a street size 16, my gown is a 20. I was so worried about trying on and honestly loved most of my appointments.

Listen to your stylist and be open minded. I ended up with a dress I never picked on my own.

Also don't be afraid to look at bridesmaid dresses or dresses that aren't necessarily "bridal"

Don't go alone, I did that and settled and when I went with my mom I ended up buying a different dress! And also, when you find the dress you love it won't make a difference the size! You'll be a beautiful bride!

I am a bigger lady and I was really worried about not being able to fit in the samples. However I was shocked to fit into everything my stylist brought. I had a general idea of what I wanted and had browsed the website and flagged some dresses. I also had a firm budget.

I'm not an incredibly girly girl and we are eloping to Hawaii in 3 weeks so I was fortunate enough to find my dress the first day and get to go back next weekend and pick it up. My stylist brought a lot of dresses but stayed in my budget. I fell in love with the second dress I tried on but tried on a few others before making a final decision. If there's something you don't like (my stylist gave me a poofy slip. I don't do poof) don't be afraid to speak up.

1. 99% of wedding dresses are horrible. Don't be discouraged. It's not you.

2. Even if it looks bangin on you, don't buy it if you don't feel like yourself when you try it on.

3. Bridal consultants have seen more boobies than a strip club bouncer. If you're comfortable with changing in front of them, don't worry about keeping a bra on. Nobody cares.

4. Dresses look different up close in the changing room mirror than they do out in the 360 showroom mirror.

5. Dresses don't have feelings. It's okay to say that you don't like something the second you put it on.

I would really bring at least one person with you. It's nice to have the opinion of someone you trust that knows you. It can get a little confusing trying on all those dresses!

Pick four or five favorites. Try different styles. Keep an open mind. Enjoy your appointments.

The dress sizes are aweful lol im an 8-10 normally, well the 8 i tried on wouldn't go past my hips ...my dress i ordered is a 22 !!