Wedding Gown Shopping Advice

maglinpa

So, I made my first appointment to shop for wedding gowns this Saturday.  I am excited and nervous at the same time.  Excited that I ge to finally try on wedding dresses but nervous that a) I am without my mother and b) that the gowns that I love in photos will be just awful on me.  My Mom had a major stroke last year so she is unable to come.  Any advice on what to do/not do?  Will the bridal salons let you take pictures?  I would like to be able to send pictures to my Mom so that she can see the dresses that I like?

fallbride1109

Don't wear thong underwear.

Don't take a million people with you.

Be open to trying on dresses that you think you won't like (try lace, different silhouettes, etc.)

I am sorry your mom won't be there.  Most places will let you take pics, but there are some that won't.  And don't worry if the dress you have pictured in your mind or on a photo isn't the one--there is one that will be.

shortgirltx

Some will let you, some won't.  If they don't, you could possibly try to sneak some.  Maybe you could explain your situation to them and hopefully they will let you or on SYTTD they had skype so the bride could share the moment with someone.  My aunt wanted to take a picture of a hideous dress everyone else wanted me to try on but when we were pretty sure we were going with the 3rd dress, they let us take pictures for the rest of the dresses.  I'm sorry your mom will not be there but try to enjoy it the most you can.

You don't know that the gowns will look bad on you so stop saying that   Just relax and go with the flow.  I was so uptight thinking I was going to hate my experience that it kind of ruined it a bit.  I wish I would have been loose and enjoyed it a bit more.  Good luck!

MarieSD

Oooh, have fun! My advice would be to tell the person helping you (if it's the kind of salon where you have someone working one-on-one with you) what you like, but also let her suggest dresses for you to try. My first time shopping, I went to a boutique in my hometown and let the lady pick 3 dresses for me of any style. She was awesome -- they were all perfect, even though one was a mermaid style (and I never thought that would look good on me). I ended up getting one of those three dresses when I was actually ready to buy (locally, several months later).

Some salons let you take photos, but others don't -- which stores are you going to?

Circle Park Bridal is where I bought my dress, and they don't let you take a photo of the dress unless you buy it first.
I also shopped at DB, and I could take photos there of any dress I wanted.
At salons where I couldn't take photos, I wrote down the style numbers so I could look them up later. It's not the same on a model, but at least I knew what I liked.

carmen9311

Stephie is wise. Pretend I said all of that! 

Some bridal stores will only allow you to take pictures after you purchase the dress; however, if you explain that you'd like to have your mother weigh in on a dress you are serious about, they will likely let you send her a picture. 

professorscience

Strapless bra, nude underwear.  And I wore a thong, but I never do and I was miserable all day.  =(  Most salons have bras you can wear while you try on, but ew.

Mockingbird Bridal let us take pictures of all the dresses, as did DB and Alfred Angelo.  At David's and Alfred's we were pretty much on our own (moreso at DB), and at Mockingbird I had a consultant who I loved so much I wanted to invite her to the wedding. 

Don't be so critical of yourself.  And if stuff isn't turning out the way you envisioned it (the dress I bought was nothing like any of the pictures I'd saved), just relax.  Don't go in there SO SOLD on a style that you refuse to try anything else.

ETA: About the pics, most places said we could only take pics if I was wearing the dress.

texaggie07

"Be open to trying on dresses that you think you won't like (try lace, different silhouettes, etc.)"

This. I was pretty set on a style and ended up finding the perfect dress because I went a little out of the bounds of what I had originally wanted. I am SO happy with my dress and I tried on at least 20 dresses in one consultation. If they let you take pictures it is very helpful to take them from the front, back, and side so that after the 10th dress you can look back and have a visual of what the dress actually looked like on you.

laurencste

I think my advice would be to have an open mind.  I wanted something specific (non strapless), and that was hard to find at boutiques (I actually got mine at David's Bridal, and I never thought I would, but it's gorgeous!).  I was also surprised at the way the consultant at some places came in with you and saw you undressed immediately-- I was a bit uncomfortable at that (I'm not sure why I was unprepared for that, but I was!). Also, if you are wanting something that isn't your standard strapless, I found consultants were less than willing to help (the lady at Lulu's kept going ON and ON about how conservative Dallas brides were, I'm sorry but boobs in church is just not my thing).

Pick your trying-on party wisely too.  I took my mom and maid of honor, and she took the photos while Mom and I cried.  It was so fun.  We had "the moment," where we both cried at THE dress (don't ignore the moment!), tried on a few more, bought the dress and then had margaritas to celebrate.  Have fun!

Summerof09

Don't go into the day expecting to find "the one", especially if it's your first time. 

Just try on as many as you can, and get an idea of what you like and don't like. Narrow down the playing field.

If you go into the day determined to go home with a dress, you will put too much pressure on yourself and the experience will more than likely be frustrating. If you can get an idea of what styles look best on you, then you can go back in a few weeks to different stores and only try on those styles and it will be easier to find your dress with a smaller range of choices. 

Don't compare your body to other girls'. "Well, it looked good on her!" Everyone is different. So, just keep an open mind. 

Have fun! 

maglinpa

Thanks so much ladies.  I appreciate all the advice.  You have managed to calm my anxiety quite a bit.

I will definitely go in with an open mind , try not to put too much pressure on myself, and have fun!!!

KendallandAlbert

In addition to these, I found that giving my consultants pics of things I loved and things I knew I hated helped a lot.  She saw I loved lace but hated tulle and immediately zeroed in on things I might like more.  Just don't go overboard

meghanttu08

Give yourself about 2 hours at the place. Most appointments last about 1 1/2 hours, but there is also that extra 30 mins for anything that can happen.

I would take maybe another fam member or a couple girlfriends that are close. No more than 3 people I would say.

Ask questions!! Ie: what would a bustel look like? Can it be altered by this or that? How long does it take for ordering? etc

Try on headpieces with the dress-it will make you feel complete!

Remember, YOU are wearing it. It's what YOU like. Yes, bring people to give their opinions, but in the end, you're buying the dress you love, not what they love.

shimmer193

The most important thing I think is not to buy something just because they pressure you. I almost spent way over my budget on a dress that I didn't like as much as the one I bought a few weeks later just because the woman pressured me so much. My mom told me I should not plan on buying a dress the day I see it first, no matter what they say they'll throw in for free. David's Bridal was really bad about that.

Also, I tried on a few dresses by one designer and realized they were really my style. I tried on some other styles to be sure, and I'm really glad I did. Then I went home, looked up the designer, and went back to the shop (Lasting Bridal Couture in Addison) and tried on a few more. The dress I ended up with (the perfect dress) was actually one suggested by the girl helping me, not one I found on my own, so ask her opinion!

Good luck and have fun! I remember the first day I was going to try on dresses and it's so exciting!