Things to concider before wedding dress shopping

Set your budget

Before looking at places to make a fitting appointment, before looking at your dream style, before anything, set your budget! It is so important to know how much you are able to spend to avoid any disappointment or financial struggle. Make sure you allow room in your budget for extra costs such as alterations but set this before booking an appointment. 

Have inspiration pictures...

If you have a specific style in mind, have a few reference pictures with you when you come for an initial appointment to find your wedding dress. Make sure your bride tribe is on the same page with your personal style and which silhouettes look best on you. 

...But keep an open mind

You might have a specific dress style in mind when you start looking for your dream dress. Inspiration is good, however, very often the bride ends up choosing a dress style that she wasn’t even considering. You might go in looking for a lace dress and end up with a silk dress. We advise you to keep an open mind from the beginning and try on many different styles to determine which is the best for your body shape, suits your needs and makes you feel gorgeous, confident

Limit your try-ons and focus on the aisle

When you enter a bridal wear store there are so many options! They’re all so beautiful and you want to try them all on to make sure you pick THE ONE. But believe it or not if you try on too many it can begin to drain the excitement and become even more overwhelming. 

Every once in a while we will meet a bride who has tried on more than 100 dresses and is really overwhelmed by the experience of finding her dress. The pressure is real! The world is full of beautiful dresses but pick a few places and choose the dress you love from those visits. 

Remember that it’s okay to not get emotional about a dress, not every bride does. Don’t chase that moment of finding the dress; instead, focus on the moment of wearing your dress down the aisle! On your wedding day you won’t be thinking about those other dresses!

Understand bridal sizing 

Bridal sizing is different from high street sizing. Some bridal shops may have different sizes for different measurements than other shops. Your dressmaker will take your measurements during an appointment but just be aware they might seem different than your typical understanding of sizes. 

It’s crucial to order the correct size to save you the stress of excess alterations. Check the sizing guide on the company’s website (most places should have them - if not, send them an email) and see which size would fit most accurately. 

See our size guide here!

Prepare for extra costs to get the perfect fit

You checked the measurements and ordered the right size but it is more than likely that you will desire a few alterations to ensure the dress fits in all the right places. Be ready for extra costs so you aren’t surprised or over budget. If you want a rough estimate, ask your dress provider what they imagine the alteration fees would look like. Remember that through the chaos is a fun and exciting memory to make. Enjoy the process and happy dress shopping!

Do your research

Do your research! Before booking an appointment, check out the location's price points and styles. Some brides allocate the job of booking bridal dress appointments to their friends or family members. In this case, make sure that they know your budget and the style you’re after so that you avoid wasting your precious time.

Blog post and photography by Caitlyn Raymond