Wedding Dress Shopping

MuckeyMuck

I'm going dress shopping for the first time tomorrow. Is there anything I should know before I go in or anything i should ask or do or anything at all... any tips? Thanks in advance

loca4pook

1) if they have "love at first sight" discount, believe it...They won't give it you if you leave and come back...Learned the hard way

2) if yo are short, make sure the dress can be hemmed with "hem to hollow"

3) Not everyone has that "magical moment", so don't feel bad if you dno't have it.

4) stop looking once you pick one!

5) HAVE FUN

JoanE2012

Be open to trying on all styles of dresses.  What you think looks horrible on the rack might look fabulous on you!  You might also find some styles you thought would look good on you don't really flatter you.  Point is - don't limit yourself.  

Have a budget and stick to it.  There will always be bigger and better for just a little bit more. And a little more than that.  

Wear underwear you don't mind the consultant seeing you in.  A strapless bra is good too.  

And finally, once you say yes to the dress, don't browse online or in stores "just for fun".  You may start second guessing your (perfectly good) dress.  Move on to another part of the wedding planning process.  Good luck!

abbyin

Totally agree with the above tips, especially about trying on silhouettes you hadn't considered before.

Also, if you're not buying on the spot and the store allows it, take photos of the dress and ask for style numbers so you can remember that they look like after you leave the shop.

Spunky414

Bring water, those dresses are hot 

nursing2u

All of these are GREAT!! depending on where you go you may have to share your consultant. And the biggest tip I NEVER KNEW ( until one boutique owner told me)...DO THE SIT TEST!!!! WE DONT THINK ABOUT SITTING.. make sure you can sit comfy in your dress..for me it was good to make sure my girls looked good in my sweetheart neckline WHILE SITTING. and if u can... like it was stated above. Take pics.. pics totally help...

walgrrl

Really, my only piece of advice is don't rush into any decisions.  Once you put money down, you are pretty much stuck with the dress.  Dress shops really never let you change your mind once money has changed hands.

Even if you really love a dress, don't put money down right away, especially not on your first shopping trip.  It's easy to get swept up in the moment and swept up in other people's opinions and this is how so many girls end up with dress regret.  It's smart to go home and sleep on it.  It's also smart to go to more than one bridal shop before making your final decision.  I learned this the hard way.  I bought my dress on my first shopping trip after only trying on 5 dresses, and I really wish I had shopped around more.  My dress is ok, but I'm not in love with it and now I'm pretty much stuck, lol.

If the shop lets you, have someone take pictures of you in the dresses you like.  After you go home and you're thinking about your choices, the pictures will help you make your decision.  Also, some dresses look great on you, but may not photograph well.

Giaspo

All these things are good pieces of advice. I'd recommend leaving jewelry at home just so you don't have to worry about it and you can take the gowns off and on easily. Also, do not bring an entourage. Go with your mom and maybe one other person. If you want an entourage, plan a fun trip that isn't serious (although try to go on an off day so the salon doesn't lose business). If something isnt right, definitely speak up graciously. I had an appointment once and shared the mirror with an entourage that was there to play dress up. The group included 2 babies and a dog. I told my consultant nicely that if I couldn't look in the mirror I couldn't buy a dress. So she guided me to a more private dressing area in the back of the store which helped. Oh and definitely sleep on it. The gown you're still dreaming about a few weeks later is the one!

loca4pook

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_wedding-dress-shopping-19?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:cd530cac-f0da-4d1d-9be5-0811a36d471dPost:336c1b94-77d2-4bb1-abfd-bae443c3186c">Re: Wedding Dress Shopping</a>:
[QUOTE]Really, my only piece of advice is don't rush into any decisions.  Once you put money down, you are pretty much stuck with the dress.  Dress shops really never let you change your mind once money has changed hands. Even if you really love a dress, don't put money down right away, especially not on your first shopping trip.  It's easy to get swept up in the moment and swept up in other people's opinions and this is how so many girls end up with dress regret.  It's smart to go home and sleep on it.  It's also smart to go to more than one bridal shop before making your final decision.  I learned this the hard way.  I bought my dress on my first shopping trip after only trying on 5 dresses, and I really wish I had shopped around more.  My dress is ok, but I'm not in love with it and now I'm pretty much stuck, lol. If the shop lets you, have someone take pictures of you in the dresses you like.  After you go home and you're thinking about your choices, the pictures will help you make your decision.  <strong>Also, some dresses look great on you, but may not photograph well.
Posted by walgrr</strong>l[/QUOTE]

I totally agree. I had that experience with both one of the dresses I loved and one of the bridesmaid dresses. once I saw pictures of them both, I hated them as i felt they both looked cheesy in pics.

I personally took pics at stores that didn't allow it. For me, a "solid" shop would allow you to take pics so I had no issue breaking that rule. We "snuck it" whenver they walked away. The reason some places don't allow you to take pics is because they "rip tags" and are afraid you'll look the dress up and find it elsewhere for cheaper...(ripping tags is illegal, even though many shops do it btw--according to my wedding planning book)

Coincidentally, my sneaky camera pic DID help me in the end because I realized how bad some dresses looked photographed......and one shop was completely rude to me, so I DID have to use that picture to see who the designer was (because they "ripped tags") and bought the dress as  much nicer polite shop

luverly7

Don't bring a lot of people with you! Two max.