1. Look your best. This is a great bit of advice for when you shop for and try on wedding dresses. You will be looking at yourself in a mirror the entire time you are at the shop. If your hair isn’t pretty or your make up is a mess, that’s what you will focus on. It will be difficult to feel beautiful in your potential bridal gown if you are having a bad hair day.
2. Wear UNDERWEAR! I implore you. Buy a pair of granny panties to wear while shopping for your wedding gown. Your bridal consultant will be so grateful. If necessary, you can wear the thong on your wedding day. Bonus Tip: Make sure you are not hungry or dehydrated when you arrive for your appointment. Your stomach will thank you!
3. Learn the terms for the types of fabrics. For instance, silk is not the same thing as satin. You can make this process much more enjoyable if you EDUCATE yourself. To learn the different types of fabrics, check out magazines, websites that sell fabric (www.MoodFabrics.com) or even go to a high end fabric store to feel the difference.
4. Have an open mind. It may be entirely possible that you find YOUR dress in the pages of Bridal Guide. Lucky you! You can find a store that has it, try it on and order it. If not, you will take your collection of bridal fashion pages to a bridal shop and try to find a dress that pulls it all together. You will try on dresses that are like the ones you found in your research. It is also wise to try on one or two that have a different silhouette from your planned look. You may be surprised to find a different silhouette is more flattering. This is when you have to prepare yourself that you may end up with a dress TOTALLY different than what you thought you would wear. Good thing you had an open mind!
5. Be patient. Don’t be upset if you don’t find THE dress on your first shopping trip. It is important to know you don’t have to visit multiple shops to be sure you have seen all the options.
If you are clear about what you want, but aren’t finding it in a bridal shop, consider custom.
If you are unclear about what you want and shopping is keeping you confused or unsatisfied, consider custom.
6. Be careful if you order online. It is possible to find someone online to order “custom”, but it is important to establish a relationship with that person or company. Communicate directly with phone conversations or Skype. If travel is possible, try to have at least one fitting in person.
“Custom design is different than custom made.”
Custom design is a unique garment designed for and made for you. Custom made is having a garment made to your specific measurements (their design). Some sites claim to have custom made garments, but don’t actually customize. Be sure to do your research.
7. Once you purchase your dress, STOP looking. You can make yourself crazy with all the possibilities. Move on to the other details of planning your wedding.
