7 Wedding Dress Shopping Mistakes All Brides Make

Are you about to start the oh-so fun process of wedding dress shopping? While finding your dream dress is one of the biggest (and exciting!) tasks brides get to cross off their wedding planning checklist, it can sometimes be, well, overwhelming. With so many dress selections to not knowing what (and who!) you should should bring to your bridal appointment, we know wedding dress shopping can be a tad stressful—But don’t freak out! Learning some of the basic mistakes most brides make while trying on wedding dresses will guarantee you’ll find a gown that gives your S.O. goosebumps. So, before you start booking any bridal salon appointments, sit down, pour yourself a glass of wine and read through these top wedding dress shopping mistakes. Trust us, you’ll definitely want to avoid these major no-nos.

Here are the top wedding dress shopping mistakes you definitely should avoid while you’re on the hunt for “The One.”

Forgetting to do your research beforehand

Before your appointment we suggest browsing through different wedding dress styles and designers online. Look through different collections, find out which trends or styles you like best or which ones make you shake your head and go “why?”. That way, when you walk into your bridal appointment, you’ll already have an idea of what you do and don’t like when it comes to your wedding dress style. Also, if you already know that a fairytale-inspired ball gown or a form-fitting gown isn’t exactly your style, this will make your stylist’s life easier too. Letting them know what styles or designers you’d like to try will let them easily steer you in the right direction as soon as you walk into the store.

Not sticking to your wedding dress budget

You must, we repeat must set and stick to a budget when you’re wedding dress shopping. One of the last things you’ll want to do while you’re shopping is fall in love with a gown that’s way out of your price point. Setting a budget before you start shopping will ensure that the dress you find is both affordable and something you love. Your stylist will also be able pull dresses that are in your price point, so you won’t mistakenly find something that will break the bank.

Bringing a huge entourage

Bringing too many people to your bridal appointment is a BIG no-no. You’ll end up with too many opinions and your whole dress shopping experience can easily turn into a drama-filled reality T.V. show #nothanks. We suggest inviting just a few close family and friends whose opinions matter the most to you—like your mother, sister or maid-of-honor—to attend your appointment. This will ensure that you won’t be overwhelmed with constant chatter of what you should and shouldn’t be wearing on your big day.

Getting “hangry” during your appointment

Make sure to eat something before you head off to the bridal salon. Being hungry while wedding dress shopping (or being hungry in general), is never a fun experience. Not only will it damper your mood and make you a bit of a grump, but it could make you rush the appointment—since all you’ll be able to think about is how you should’ve grabbed that granola bar as you were walking out of your apartment. We suggest having a light meal before—but don’t stuff your face or anything!—so won’t be hearing your stomach growl while you’re in the changing room.

Not looking your best

While you don’t need to get all foofed up for your appointment, you should at least try to look your best. Putting on a little bit of makeup or fixing your hair will make you feel confident while trying on different wedding dresses. Brides who often rush to their appointments and don’t take the time to get ready usually have a harder time trying to find their gown. Taking a few extra minutes to plan an outfit will definitely make trying on dresses easy and fun. Also, once you do find your dream dress, you’ll want to make sure your snap of you saying “yes” to the dress with your squad is Insta-worthy!

Overshopping

Once you find a dress that you love—stop shopping! Continuing to try on different styles when you’ve already a found a dress that gives you all the feels will only confuse you and make you second guess your gown. It’s totally okay to cut your wedding dress shopping short if you’re already head over heels for a dress.

Ordering the wrong size

No matter how much you want to say you’re going to be a size smaller on your wedding day, don’t try and guesstimate what size you want will to be. You’ll want to be realistic when you’re ordering your wedding dress so you won’t end up with a beautiful gown that doesn’t fit! Even with alterations, ordering the wrong size can drastically affect how your dream gown will look and feel on the big day. So, it’s always a good idea to order your dress in the size you currently are now, instead of trying to go smaller or larger.