Dress Shopping

singleMOH79 · December 2009

I just made my first appointment (and hopefully my last) to try on wedding dresses for Dec 26th at Harold's in New Haven. I'm a little nervous, but also excited!

A few questions for the ladies who have done this already. I'm thinking it will be best to wear a strapless bra and spanx to the appointment, right?
And did you bring pics of dresses with you? Or is having a general idea of what you like good enough?

For the ladies who went to Harold's...anything in particular I should know going in? I had alterations to a bridesmaid dress done there, but that's about it.

Thanks for the help!

jmestyle · December 2009

I would goon the Harolds website and see what designers they carry and go on their individual website to print out dresses you would like to try on

good luck

ggmae · December 2009

I went to Mariella's, but:

I brought pictures of styles/dresses that I liked.

I wore a strapless bra and full-coverage underwear. They had a strapless bra available in case I hadn't brought one. Also, if you are planning to wear heels, bring shoes of similar height so you can get a good idea of what to expect.

Don't bring too many people with you. I brought my mom first, and then my 2 best friends to make the final decision. Too many people = too many opinions. It's about what you want, remember that.

Also, make sure you decide on a budget BEFORE you go in and stick to it. My budget was $1200, but I told them $1000 because I knew they'd bring out ones a bit over that.

Vikki2pay · December 2009

Bringing pictures is a good idea and also try on things you don't thing you ever would. Because you never know it might actually look great on.

And yes, full coverage undies and a strapless bra is a good idea.

starrbuk13 · December 2009

you may want to ask the shop what to bring. i brought a strapless bra and they made me use theirs anyway. (which was ridiculous since it was a corset type thing and all the boning showed through the dress, but whatever.)

just try to bring either white or something close to your skin color so it doesnt show through the dress.

Sterna1 · December 2009

I bought my dress at Harolds and LOVED THEM. Annette was great to work with. I would also recommend full coverage underwear as you are getting changed in front of the people you are with and your sales girl. I showed Annette pictures of dresses I liked and she started bringing a bunch out. She also brought out some styles that were not at all like the pictures, just to get an idea.

My biggest piece of advice is to trust your gut and the sales person. Annette pulled a dress out that at first I was like no way, but once I put it on I knew it was the one.

Have fun!!

Whippet8 · December 2009

i also got my dress at harolds and LOVED them...and I loved Annette too!!

Pretty much, I brought pictures with me to give Annette some ideas of what I liked, but i also wanted to try on all types of things. They also have a lot of dresses out on the floor, and they let me go through and pick which ones i wanted to try out. based on my feedback from trying on dresses, Annette was able to go and pull the perfect dress that happened to be "the one". I actually this second just finished reading sterna's post..haha too funny!

I would suggest bringing a strapless bra and full coverage underwear since you will be just taking dresses on and off constantly, it just makes it easier...

malissa033 · December 2009

i'm another Harold's bride.. I really enjoyed my experience with them (i worked with lisa). All the sales associates were really nice and the best thing I liked is i didn't feel pressured at all, I felt they gave up honest opinions and most of all I didn't feel rushed - they gave me plenty of time to try on all the dresses.

One thing to keep in mind is while you might have a set style you're thinking of wearing don't limit your choices to only what you picture - they might pull something completely opposite of what you are picture and it just might be the one (my dress is actually a dress my mom pulled that I would of never pulled for myself && i ended up loving it!!).

Ditto the other ladies - strapless bra and full cover panties... also dress light going in there... while their dressing rooms are huge compared to most bridal salons they get very warm!! BTW if you're contemplating a dress and want to 'fully' picture what you will look like with everything the day of just ask them to pull different pieces.. they have shoes, tiaras, veils etc .. not to mention their 180' mirror is really nice to see how the entire dress looks!

ohh and one other thing.. prior to trying on anything remove your bracelet(s), necklace and/or any type of busy hanging earings.. sometimes if you're wearing different jewelry it can alter the appearance of the dress.

Enjoy && GL!! Happy dress shopping!

SuMmErKuTiE · December 2009

I didn't go to Harolds, but ditto pp's on wearing a strapless bra and bringing in pictures of dresses that you like. But, don't be afraid to try on dresses that you never thought of. I went in to my first dress fitting thinking I was in love with a certain style and ended up going a completely different way once I found "the dress". The consultant had me try on something that I never would have considered trying, but I absolutely loved it and ended up going with a similar dress. Good luck and have fun!

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