The Dress!

Once you have the ring, you gotta get the dress! You’ll check things off your list and plan how you want your big day to go. You’ll decide where you want to get married and who you want to cater, you’ll decide who provides music and announces, you’ll find someone to capture your day and you’ll decide who stands up next to you both to share in your excitement. But what about what you wear to this shindig? How do you know it’s “the dress”?

Do’s Of Dress Shopping

Budget

Knowing your budget can make your day (yes, I said day…) of shopping a whole lot easier. Does your budget include shoes and accessories? The undergarments? Alterations? Or is your budget strictly for the dress, thee dress, and nothing but the dress? If so, make sure you let the shop or boutique you’ve chosen to go to know exactly what you budgeting out and what specifically for. This will help them narrow down the selection of which dresses they bring to you and which they don’t. If you would like to search for dresses on your own, go for it! Your consultant can guide you what to look for, for not only your price range, but even a certain style.

Idea

Get an idea of what you may want to try on. Lace, no lace, straps, strapless? Search the web and try to decide which style may look the best for your personal body type. You and only you know what you like and what you’re comfortable with. Also, get an idea of where you would like to actually purchase your dress from. Is it a place that is well known? Do they have good reviews? Have you found a tiny place to purchase from? Read into them or ask around. You want to find a place that will give you quality and your dress, quality service.

Support

Including trying to find a place to buy your dress, you’ll want to also bring a group of people to hold your hand through the process. Bring people that will be politely honest with you and not over-bearing or boisterous with their thoughts. You want a group that will tell you if that dress doesn’t quite fit who you are, in the nicest way possible, but people that will support you if you truly fall in love with a dress.

Don’ts of Dress Shopping

Settle

After you’ve tried on countless of dresses, you’ll begin to become exhausted, you’ll know as soon as you put that dress on that it’s the one, even if you have a ton more to try on. If you don’t know, you may decide that you will just pick the one that your crowd liked the best, make sure you like it the best, you’re the one that has to wear it! If your appointment time is up, you’ll probably have to make another appointment and come back. This is ok. Don’t feel rushed by this, it’s just the way the wind blows.  That is not a failed trip, but what it does tell you, is the styles you’ve tried on aren’t for you!

Deals

Don’t fall for the “Online flash sale!” or  “$99 dress sale today only!” Those sales can lead to an ill-fitting dress or a style that just doesn’t match who you are or what you’re looking for. These deals may seem wonderful, but if you’re not 100% absolutely, positively sure that your dress is in fact “the dress”. And don’t forget, each dress is tailored to the bride, so you have to factor in alterations too!

Search too Soon

It’s ok to be excited and anxious to get your dress checked off your list of things to do, but searching too soon can either leave you with a dress that doesn’t fit or loving a dress and not being ready to buy, and running the risk of it being discontinued or not sold at that store anymore. Three to six months before your wedding is usually a good time to go and look for your dress!

When its the right time to find the perfect dress for you, make sure you have plenty of rest and a great support group with you, and don’t forget to hydrate! Trying on those big, bustling gowns in a stuffy dressing room can be quite tiresome! Prepare yourself with these do’s and don’ts and you’ll surely find the perfect dress for you!

Check out this article for finding a dress for your bridesmaids that won’t break the bank!