Dress shopping question

powellcw

I am getting ready to start gown shopping and am looking for some advice. I have a large family (mom, grandmother, aunt, sister, counsins) and am the first daugher/grandaughter/neice. Everyone is excited and wants to go dress shopping and have a say and I vaule everyones thoughts. However, I have a hard time making decsions and am afaird too many opions are going to make it difficult to get anywhere. So my questions is: Is is very awakard or lame to go alone the first time and get an idea of a few dresses I like and then take the crew along to help make the final decsion? 

ootmother2

Then go ahead and do your shopping the way you wish.
There are no rules although taking your mother, if living, is generally encouraged.

kd.joseph

Not lame at all. Then you can narrow it down, have the salon keep that information for your return trip.

I went alone and I enjoyed the unbiased opinions of the strangers in there.

catloverd

No, not at all! I went with just my maid of honor. I trusted her and knew she really didn't have any opinion. She was just there so I didn't feel alone, lol. She's very tom boyish and said that everything looked good on me, never once did she say a dress was ugly. She's the best person to shop with. She often said, I liked the other one better, but this one's good too. So I felt in total control and was able to pick my dream dress without the drama. She thend took a picture of me and sent it to everyone and they all loved it, so it worked out well

Vireyda

I went alone.  My step-mom and my BMs all live very far away and I couldn't have them go with me.  I actually asked FI if he'd go with me, but he has been surprisingly (to  both of us) traditional about some things and doesn't want to see my dress prior to our first look photos.  I enjoyed going alone.  I'm gonna sound like a crazy woman, but going by myself really let me listen for the dress that spoke to me (not literally, of course, because I'm not actually crazy).

geographygrad

I only went with my mom and I regret not taking the time to include my sister and best friend.

You could pick out dresses ahead of time and if you narrow it down to two or three just bring everyone before you order. Or, if you find the one, I suppose you could get creative and try on a few for fun (maybe ones that you know they'll hate and you can all laugh together?) then pronounce that you've found the one and come out in your chosen dress (of course then you may get to hear unfiltered opinions about the dress you love). You could also look at it like going first by yourself is just a no pressure way to check out dresses and not worry about whether it is the one. Good luck!

Giaspo

Definitely go alone a few times to figure out what shape and style dress you like. You can also to on a few "scouting trips" with an audience without putting pressure on yourself to actually buy something. Then, when you're ready, you can go back with your mom and those close to you and make the purchase. Enjoy! It should be fun!

kay136

I went a bunch of times with people and then decided to go alone and that's when I found the one! I have a hard time making decisions on clothes and it was so hard with lots of people there. I brought my mom and sister before I bought the one and they loved it as much as I did. Good luck!!

kay136

I went a bunch of times with people and then decided to go alone and that's when I found the one! I have a hard time making decisions on clothes and it was so hard with lots of people there. I brought my mom and sister before I bought the one and they loved it as much as I did. Good luck!!

JoanE2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_dress-shopping-question-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:dc76c72e-54a3-403d-9853-3ecf24d175d0Post:f5495420-3371-414f-8bd5-9bba30a11d31">Re: Dress shopping question</a>:
[QUOTE]I advise against taking an entourage.  You will get as many opinions as you have people, many of them negative.  Everyone will  have their own "vision" of what you should wear. It's terrible to find a dress you love, and have other people shoot it down. <strong> Tell everyone you want them to be surprised when they see you walk down the aisle,</strong> and take no more than one or two with you to shop.
Posted by RetreadBride[/QUOTE]

This!  No one knows what my dress looks like except my mom.  I want there to be some element of surprise for everyone else!

Marytary

I also had lots of people that wanted to come. My solution was to bring everybody the first time to the salons to just decide what silouttes I liked and made the big decission with my mom only.

Nautigirl

I went with my mother (who lives out of province and was here visiting) and my MOH.  Both of them kept their opinions to themselves unless asked, and after we had narrowed it down to 4, neither would tell me which of the 4 was their favourite until I decided on my own. Lucky for me, my favourite was also theirs.  First and foremost they wanted me to have the dress I loved, without outside influence, and I appreciated that.

I would not take an entourage, and I would not take anyone who is pushy and critical, even if you feel they are someone you should take (i.e. your mom).  The important thing is to find a dress YOU love and that YOU feel wonderful in. No one is going to look at you on your wedding day and think about how they don't like your dress, but there are people who will certainly tell you that while you're trying them on in front of them.

I do wish that my FMIL had been able to join us (though I don't know if she'd have been interested) and I would have liked a couple of other close friends to be with me.  My solution to that is to invite the FMIL to join me on Monday when I try on my chosen dress for the second time, get measured and ordered it.  You will have fittings that you can also invite those you want to be involved in, but not influence the process to join you at.