first time shopper

speedyblazer11

Hello all.  I am going to go try on wedding dress for the first time next week and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for a first timer.  A little back ground on me, Im a "plus sized" bride, having a casual wedding, and I am not a very girlie girl.  I plan to take only my mom with me to try on dresses. Never been in a wedding before or even in a bridal salon so i have no idea what to expect.  Any words of wisdom or caution would be appreciated. 

QueerFemme

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_first-time-shopper?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:9c13f43d-40ae-48ec-a6b1-34f58c326a93Post:99c905ab-ca9c-474c-a7e3-6720c768a5f6">first time shopper</a>:
[QUOTE]Hello all.  I am going to go try on wedding dress for the first time next week and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for a first timer.  A little back ground on me, Im a "plus sized" bride, having a casual wedding, and I am not a very girlie girl.  I plan to take only my mom with me to try on dresses. Never been in a wedding before or even in a bridal salon so i have no idea what to expect.  Any words of wisdom or caution would be appreciated. 
Posted by speedyblazer11[/QUOTE]

Words of advice:

Bring a bottle of water and a granola bar.  It gets hot under those dresses, and depending on how many salons you are going to in one day, you can get hungry.

Do your hair and maybe a little bit of makeup (if you plan to wear makeup for the wedding).  It will help give you the whole look. 

If your hair is longer, bring a hair tie or a clip to put your hair up   Again, it gets hot and you can get sweaty.

Wear proper undergarments.  This could just mean some modest underwear and a strapless bra, or spanx or other shapewear.   The consultant will likely be in the fitting room with you helping you in and out of the dresses.  She is going to see you half naked, so make sure your junk is covered. 

Bring shoes that are the approximate height of the shoes you'll be wearing for the wedding.  It will help the consultant determine if they need to order a shorter or longer dress (for the designers that offer dresses in varying lengths).

Try on a lot of different dresses in different styles and cuts. You won't know if you love it until it's on your body.  Dresses look a lot different on models and in magazines.  Be willing to step outside your comfort zone for trying dresses on.  It doesn't mean you have to buy it, but your "dream" dress may not have been anything you have pictured yourself in.

And specific advice from a fellow plus size bride:   CALL the salons and make sure they have plus size samples before you go there.  I went to a couple of salons that had 2 or 3 dresses that I could try on. It was dissapointing and frustrating.   You are better off calling and saying "I am a size X in my regular clothes.  How many samples do you have that I will be able to fit into?"   If it was less than 5, I skipped that salon.

Also, try not to get caught up in the size marked on the dress.  Bridal gowns are sized differently than your regular clothes.  I am a 14/16 street size, and my wedding gown was a size 20.  This applies to most brides/designers. If they are a size 4, it's likely that their dress was a size 8 or 10.  If you are a 20, you might be in a 22-24.  Just don't pay attention to the size on the dress. Order the dress that FITS you.

Good luck !!!!

speedyblazer11

thank you so much! i did call and ask about the sample sizes before i decided where to go, but out of all the things listed that was the only one, ok besides clean undies..duh that i had thought of.

QueerFemme

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_first-time-shopper?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:9c13f43d-40ae-48ec-a6b1-34f58c326a93Post:ae0a6f48-6983-4447-bdcd-dafac938bbbf">Re: first time shopper</a>:
[QUOTE]thank you so much! i did call and ask about the sample sizes before i decided where to go, but out of all the things listed that was the only one, <strong>ok besides clean undies..duh :) that i had thought of.</strong>
Posted by speedyblazer11[/QUOTE]

LOL, you'd be surprised at how many brides come here and admit that they forgot to wear undies, or they wore a thong or a g-string, not thinking about the fact that the consultant was gonna be ALL up in their business. 

KnotIrene

cmg, I think your list of what to bring/what to do should be a sticky somewhere--it's so concise and helpful.

VineyardBride105

Bring a camera! Ask the consultant if you're allowed to take pics. If you're like a lot of brides, you won't walk out with a dress on the first run. A pic ensures you won't forget any details and lets you have an image to look at while you mull it over!