wedding dress shopping guide

Welcome Back Bloomers! Today, I want to talk about things that made my wedding dress shopping process easy and stress free. When it comes to choosing your dream dress, you want to make sure you share this moment with those closest to you. There are also so many options and designers it can truly get overwhelming. This is why I thought it would be perfect to put together this wedding dress shopping guide for my bride-to-be’s. I will also share my journey as well.

DOs

Figure out what silhouette fits you best. Here are a few types of silhouette’s to choose from: Mermaid, A-Line, Ballgown, Trumpet, Tea-Length, and Slip.
– My personal favorite is the Mermaid. I love the elegance and sexiness it embodies. I chose this style to accentuate my curves.
Pick your dream team to go with you. You want these people to be those that help you stay stress free and are supportive of you and your relationship. Anyone you wish to share this special moment with you, that will not give you a headache, is safe to invite. This can include immediate family, bridesmaids, and close friends. This should be your HYPE team! The process should be fun and enjoyable at the end of the day. Anyone you feel may give negative comments you should refrain from inviting.
– For me, I chose my cousin, Desiree, who was a bridesmaid and my best friend, Amanda, that was my maid of honor. Desiree flew in from Missouri and Amanda from Colorado. It meant the world to have two supportive people that have been there for me for what seems like forever. They have encouraged me to be my best self and take risks. They have also celebrated my now husband and I accomplishments.

Choose your undergarments properly! Wear white or neutral. This comes in handy if the dresses you are trying on do not have a built in bra as mine did. I highly recommend if you could find one with a built in bra do so.
Choose a few bridal boutiques and make appointments. When you are searching for your dream dress pick a few boutiques to make an appointment with. This must be done in advance. I booked appointments with 3 boutiques a year out from my wedding day. I was able to find dresses on their website that I loved and created a bookmark folder with them all. I was even able to print a wishlist from some of them. This helped me cut down time to waste and helped me keep my sanity with fewer options.
– My boutiques of choice were Lulu’s Bridal, Stardust Celebrations, and Brilliant Bridal here in DFW.
Try on different styles (necklines). I can not stress how important this is. Common necklines are: Sweetheart, Halter, V-neck, and Strapless. Funny story, my top pick dress was a halter mermaid dress. It was different and unique. I was obsessed with the look of it and the color. However, once I arrived to my first bridal boutique I was informed by the stylist that the dress would make me look short as I was already 5’2 with a short torso. I was a little bummed however it led me to my dream dress which was one on my list to try on.
– I tried on a V-neck, A-Line, Sweetheart, and Mermaid and ended up with a dress that had a V-neckline and was a mermaid style, the combination of the two was perfect.

Bring your wedding day shoes. If you have picked them out already this would be beneficial to bring as measurements will be taken of the perfect length for you. You also get a first look of how you would look on your big day. This is very helpful as you may not actually like the shoes you purchased with your dress after all.
Plan your budget! Ensure you have created your budget before going to appointments. Consider your veil, hair accessories, and alterations if needed. These items can definitely add up. Some salons can charge $400+ for alterations and your veil can be $180+. Only you will know what you can or cannot afford so saving up is best.
* Transparency time: My budget just for my dress was $1500 or under. There are so many designers and prices of ALL ranges. So do not be discouraged. I knew that the designer (Morilee) I choose was within my budget. Thankfully, Lulu’s Bridal had their dresses online by price point to browse which helped me tremendously. My dress and veil came out to $1,446. I chose not to do in house alterations but got them done with a local seamstress that was delightful to work with. I also knew I did not want a cathedral veil.
Do your hair and makeup. If you are similar to me and are a visual person, this is the best thing you can do. Opting to have your hair and makeup done similar to what you envision for your day helps create the scene during appointments. When I do not have my hair or makeup done and try on clothes I do notice I may not like as many options as I am not putting myself in character of how I would look wearing the items. This will give you the full effect. I will add you do NOT have to get your makeup and hair done professionally.

DONT’s

Don’t try on dresses you cannot afford. Make sure you inform your stylist of your investment amount up front. If you are on a budget, ensure that only dresses in your price range are pulled for you. This is best to be done before the appointment as sometimes a stylist may pull dresses for you early. Avoid the self sabotage of going broke just on your dress.
Don’t take an entourage. Limit the amount of people you take with you. Sometimes the more people you bring the more opinions roam the air. This can create unnecessary stress with so many outside influences as well as hesitation in choosing the best dress.
Don’t make too many appointments in a day. Each appointment is going to be 1 hour 45 min to 2 hours long. Having too many appointments in a day can confuse you with all the dress options.

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DOs

DONT’s

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