5 Tips to Find the Perfect Wedding Dress
One of the most exciting parts of planning a wedding for a bride can also be one of the most stressful. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be! Make shopping for your wedding dress a positive experience with these 5 tips to finding your perfect gown!
Remain Open-Minded
The idea of a flowing white wedding gown has become so ingrained in wedding culture that it can feel like the only “correct” option when choosing your gown. The traditional wedding gown is always in style, but with the number of options available for today’s modern bride, it would be a shame to limit yourself to a specific style when another option may be a better fit for your personality. When you begin shopping for your wedding dress, try to maintain a level of flexibility that allows you to evaluate different options, such as length, fabric, fit, and colors.
Start Shopping Early
If possible, it’s ideal to start wedding dress shopping about 9-12 months prior to your wedding day. In most cases, a bride will need to try on a considerable amount of dresses before finding the one. Giving yourself plenty of time allows you to take a more relaxed approach and provides the chance to reflect on your options before making a decision. As you shop, use this opportunity to practice being photographed; for every dress you try on, take pictures from different angles. This will allow you to see how the dress photographs, while providing everything you need to compare your dresses later.
Bring the Proper Attire
If a wedding dress seems almost perfect but not quite right, it may be that you aren’t in full character. Give your dresses a fighting chance by bringing necessary accessories to your appointment, that allow you to imagine the dress on your Wedding Day vs. a random Wednesday.
For example, you may struggle to get an accurate representation of a strapless dress’ look and feel if you’re wearing undergarments that take away from the dress’ true design. That being said, make sure you bring along the following day-of items that will help bring your vision to life:
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Undergarments
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Accessories
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Jewelry
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Heels with the correct sized heel or the shoes you plan to wear
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Makeup fashioned in a similar style to your wedding day plans
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Hair set in a way you are happy with
Research in Advance
Every bride is excited to get out there and start trying on dresses, but by taking the time to research bridal boutiques and dress styles ahead of time, you can save yourself a lot of frustration. As you make your appointments, consider the following tips:
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Inventory: Boutiques usually carry a certain style. For example, dresses in California often differ from dresses in New York. As you research the boutiques you’d like to visit, take a look at their inventory to ensure you have the opportunity to try on dresses that represent your personality.
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Recommendations: If you have friends who have been recently married, ask for recommendations of places they enjoyed. With the details that go into every dress, you want to make sure you have an enjoyable experience; which is heavily impacted by customer service and overall gown knowledge.
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Designers: So many brides of ours have shared stories of how they thought they wanted one dress, but left with something they never thought they’d wear! As you research different designers, try to remain open-minded! Then, as you visit different boutiques, make sure they carry designers that interest you, so you can try on their many styles.
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Pinterest/Instagram Galleries: Save anything you think you’d like, so when you visit your boutique you can share your galleries with your representative. From there, they may surprise you with gowns and/or designers you didn’t know existed!
Budget Exceeds Face Value
If you are operating on a strict budget, it’s important to remember that the total cost of the wedding dress often exceeds the cost of the sales tag. Nearly every wedding dress requires some form of tailoring and/or accessories, which can add a chunk to the price. While searching for your perfect gown, ask your representative questions regarding:
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Deposits
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Rush Fees
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Tailoring
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Accessories
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Cleaning
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Preserving
With answers to these questions, you’ll be able to make your purchase in full confidence!
The Perfect Wedding Dress
Finding the perfect wedding dress isn’t always easy, but it should be an enjoyable experience that makes the dress you choose that much more special. When you find the one it should feel like a match made in heaven, so be patient, have fun, and follow these to tips to finding the perfect wedding dress!