Attire & Accessories Forum

How many dresses/shops until you found "the one"?

Hello ladies, I'm going dress shopping for the first time this weekend! Just for some fun and curiosity how many dresses/shops did it take until you found THE ONE? And do you believe in "the moment" where you just know it's your dress? 
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Re: How many dresses/shops until you found "the one"?

  • falsarafalsara member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
    Hi,  it kind of depends I technically went to 3 dress shops.  But the first shop I had an appointment at was specifically a Style appointment.  Basically I scheduled it to see what kind of styles and silhouettes I liked/ that looked good on me, not to really find my dress.

    The other two shops were on one day.  My dress was the last dress for my appointment at the second shop.   

    As far as a "moment" goes it really depends on the person.  Some people are more more sentimental/ emotional about things then others.  I had a "moment" but, for me it had more to do with fact that I had never imagined myself in a wedding dress ever.  I don't wear dresses normally, I never thought about my wedding or anything.  For me finding my dress was the moment that let me imagine what it would be like to be getting married.  Not everyone is like that.  There are several women on here who will say they didn't have a "moment".  

    As long as you feel beautiful and confident in your dress, that's all that matters. 

                                               

    Wedding Countdown Ticker

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  • 0 and no.

    I bought my dress online, so I didn't go to any shops.  And no, I don't believe in the one.  I think you need to find a dress that is flattering and pretty.  I believe lots of dresses could fit that bill.

    There's no 'the one' of any other type of dress anybody wears on a regular basis, so why are wedding dresses any different?

    Just my opinion.
  • 3ish. I went to a David's Bridal as a walk-in before I was even engaged (but we were ring-shopping) to see what shapes looked best on me, then scheduled a big bridal salon thing with the moms and a few other close-family ladies. I found one there I was almost ready to buy, but wanted to sleep on it, especially since there was a particular dress in another shop I knew I wanted to try on before I put any money down. It was almost perfect, but there were a couple things that bothered me about it, like my inability to sit down in it.

    I went to the third shop (to see the particular dress) with just my two bridesmaids, and tried that dress on first (but I pulled 4 or 5 and tried them all on). I knew I needed to try on the others I pulled, but I really didn't want to take the dress off. I tried the others on in quick succession, then put the dress back on. I think I knew it was my dress as soon as I put it on, but "the moment" was about two hours long while I texted my mom some pictures and tried to get her to answer her phone. We spent most of the second hour (between phone attempts) trying different veils and sashes with the dress.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • 0 and no.


    I bought my dress online, so I didn't go to any shops.  And no, I don't believe in the one.  I think you need to find a dress that is flattering and pretty.  I believe lots of dresses could fit that bill.

    There's no 'the one' of any other type of dress anybody wears on a regular basis, so why are wedding dresses any different?

    Just my opinion.
    I see what you're saying, but if we invested as much time in shopping for jeans as we did for wedding dresses, I think we really would each find the one brand and cut of jeans that fit us best and were our very most favoritest jeans. We probably wouldn't cry over them, since the happy dress tears are more over wedding emotions than the actual garment, but we'd still find 'em.
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  • doeydodoeydo member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    When I was engaged before, I went to two shops in one day (I was in a bigger city/area for a few days so I took advantage of my time there, I guess) before I found "the one" dress.  I didn't cry, but I knew it was the one I wanted to wear.  
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  • I went to two shops and tried on quite a few. When I put on my dress, I didn't cry. I asked if that meant it wasn't the dress and my friend asked me "do you want to take it off or wear it forever"? That's a better gauge than crying.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
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  • I went to a bridal event, Brides Against Breast Cancer, first and didn't like anything they had. After that I made 3 appointments for one day but I found my dress at the first store and canceled the other two appointments. I don't know if it's "the one" but I love it and it makes me feel pretty! Also, I was afraid that if I kept the other appointments I would find more dresses that I loved and be confused about what I wanted. But I'm happy with my decision and every time I try on my dress I love it more and more!
  • 1 shop, 7 or 8 dresses. I don't believe in "the one dress." You can't possibly try every dress on to know for sure, so all you can do is find something that you feel beautiful in and go from there. 

    I had a teary moment though... not because of the dress itself, but because when she put a veil on me I could picture myself walking down the aisle to marry my love and that got me weepy. :)

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  • aliwis000aliwis000 member
    5 Love Its First Answer Name Dropper First Comment
    edited May 2015
    3 appointments within one day. Thought I found my dress at appointment number 2 but kept appointment 3 anyway. Ended up finding and buying one from appointment number 3.

    I am in the camp that believes there is NOT just one dress. There are millions of dresses in this world, even if you try on 1000 of them you are not making a dent statistically. Plus at that point you cannot remember them all anyway.

    You find the shape that fits you best then from there it is what you like best out of probably 20 or so options. I love my dress but I am not under any kind of illusion that there might have been one out there I would like just as much or even more. I am happy with my dress and cannot wait to wear it. That is enough for me.  :)
  • spglspspglsp member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    My dress was the first one I tried on. I then tried on another six or seven in the same store but ended up sticking with dress one. In retrospect, I probably should've gone to one more store because when I got it back I had lost that loving feeling. Since then and with alterations I've gotten back to being excited about it but I think that the feeling of "there's something better out there" really spun me around for a bit. This nonsense about "the one" cost a friend of mine a dress she loved, she didn't buy it in time because she wasn't toppled over with emotion. By the time she realized it was perfectly lovely dress that she wanted to wear, it was gone.
    Just Married!

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  • haleyk620haleyk620 member
    First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Anniversary
    edited May 2015
    I went to two different shops and probably tried on about 10 dresses. I put on the dress I ended up buying, took it of and tried on a few more and then had to put 'the one' back on. My consultant said she knew I was going to buy that one the minute I put it on the first time! Once I had it back on for the second time, I decided within a few minutes that it was the one I wanted to wear on my big day!
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • I went shopping 11 times and probably tried on over 100 dresses. Definitely too much. I did not have a "the one" moment. I ended up picking the dress I wore because I was sick of looking and it fit me, looked nice enough and was cheap. 
    Image result for someecard betting someone half your shit youll love them forever
  • 2 shops, about 10 dresses. I also don't think there's "the one" but for me, "the one" was the designer. In the 2nd & final shop I went to, I picked out 8 dresses w/o looking at label or price. 7 out of the 8 were by this same designer. I just loved her aesthetic and every dress was so flattering. Honestly, out of the 7, there were probably 5 I would have been completely happy with. Sure enough, I ordered one and when I tried it on, it needed zero alterations or shape wear.

    For me, it was finding a designer that I clicked with. (Amy Kuschel)

    Go with a relaxed attitude - it can be a fun experience or miserable (like the first shop I went to!). Have fun!
  • I only went to one shop but I went twice. I tried on about 5 dresses the first time in different styles to figure out what I liked and was happily surprised to find that the one I thought I wanted worked on me. The dress was the 4th one I tried on (the 5th was to humor mom even though I knew I would look like a short cake topper). The price tag made me want to sleep on it even though it was in budget, just a lot of money to be spending on a dress so I went home.

    I went back to the same shop a month later with my MOH to try on again and put on 4 more and the one I thought I wanted again. It came down to two and after a bloody mary and discussion with MOH I went with the original one from the first appointment.

    I didn't have that emotional moment over the dress. The two I was debating between both would have been beautiful but were very different styles so they made me feel different. After I told her which one I thought was it she said she knew that was it because of my face when I came out in it but she wanted me to make the decision, she said I just looked happy.

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • I've gone to DB and two other stores so far. I've tried on maybe 15 dresses. As soon as I have the dress pulled up, I can very quickly say yay or nay. I've had four "yay" out of those I've tried on.

    My mom is coming to visit this weekend. I have appointments at 5 bridal salons over two days. We are starting with my front runner dress as of right now, that's the only dress I'm trying on at that store. I'm returning to one of the other salons that had two dresses I liked. And I'm going to three new salons that were recommended to me by friends.

    I already know that if I can't find something that beats my front runner right now, that I'll have purchased a dress by Sunday evening. It's under budget and lovely. 
  • hellohkbhellohkb mod
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
    edited May 2015
    4 shops, probably about 50-70 (or maybe even more!) dresses until I buckled down and went with the dress I couldn't stop thinking about (Allure 9212)


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  • three shops tech 4 if you count the quick run in at davids to try on a dress.


    first shop was sample only gowns and consigment gowns. dresses i tried on were the samples they had a good selection of plus sizes but nothing in my bridal size or sizes larger than my bridal  would fit right  they couldnt get the back to zipper and lace up all the way and the samples were from older bridal collections about 2-3 years old from the designers 

    second shop had a ton of plus sizes and everything i tried on in my bridal or higher they were able to lace up or zip up there were a few dresses i narrowed down but i needed to visit one more place.  just to see a few other designers

    third place they let me look and try on anything even if it was a size 6 they said no problem i'm thinking ok how can a street size 22 fit into a sample 6? none of the dresses were arranged by size they were on racks without bags which was nice but it would have been nice to separate them by sizes. consultant kept putting me in various dresses and everything was perfect on me according to her. there were at least 7 dresses that i knew did nothing for me but she was wanting a sale there was only one dress she put me in that she said was bad it was a bubble hem mermaid style and it didn't look good on me. 

    she then asked me what i wanted i said a taffeta dress with pick ups alecon lace beading and lace straps. i knew then my dress was at the other salon.

    as i was leaving the owner was at the chair asking me why i didnt get a dress 
  • The "one" I had in mind turned out to look completely unflattering on me. I'd always wanted lace, but it looked horrendous on my small frame. I quickly learned, after trying on 40+ dresses, that A-line suited me best with a sweetheart cut (never would've known this before this experience!)

    In the end, it was down between two. I tried each on about 4-5 times. I did start crying when I made my decision, but that might've more been because it was finally over :) I kid. Kinda. 
  • Thanks for all the input! Today I tried about 15 dresses from two stores and I don't know! I didn't LOVE any of them. I liked some, really didn't like others. But I didn't fall in love with any. Even after trying three on twice. It feels like a lot of pressure. And even though some say "it doesn't matter as long as your married at the end" while that is somewhat true, I also want a dress I absolutely love and can't stop thinking about.
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  • My mom and sister are coming up we're going to DB this Wednesday, mostly to try on styles and see what I like, then Thursday we have appointments at two other shops.  I have one dress that I'm just in love with, and hopefully it actually looks good. 

    I hope you find your dress and have your moment, but if not, just find something you like and feel pretty in. Also, @hashtag42316 if your username means what I think it does, we share a wedding date! :)

    Daisypath Wedding tickers
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  • Haha it used to mean the wedding date but I got my knot username before I got a venue and it was the date i wanted but that date was already booked so we went with a week later lol. I just never changed it!

    And I think I'm going to go again and try on some more styles just so I can try and find something I actually am in love with. I might actually take future BIL just so I can get a guys perspective. Haha
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  • I went to 5 stores but only tried on dresses in 4 of them. And I tried on a total of 12 I think... 3 in each store.
    I didn't have a "moment" or anything. I just really like the details and style of my dress and it fit into my wedding ideas.

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  • I haven't started the dress shopping yet - likely not for another year or so (getting married November 2017). I just wanted to say I never would have thought to book an appointment somewhere as more of a trial for different sillouettes than for actual dress shopping. 
  • 3 stores and maybe 10 dresses?  The first was just an impromptu visit to a consignment shop after brunch with my MOH.  I tried on pretty much everything they had in my size that wasn't completely hideous, so maybe 6 dresses?  I got a good idea of what looked good (and what didn't!).  My mom was in town the following weekend so we did one more consignment shop and then an actual bridal salon, which is where I found my dress.  I'm a pretty indecisive person, and also don't like shopping, so I found having a consultant to help guide me was really helpful for me.  I never got the OMG I LOVE IT feeling with the dress I got, but I think it's pretty and it's comfortable.  What made me decide was the other consultants (in addition to my own) coming over and telling me how nice it looked.  Having a veil really helped too.
    Married 9.12.15
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  • I've gone to DB and two other stores so far. I've tried on maybe 15 dresses. As soon as I have the dress pulled up, I can very quickly say yay or nay. I've had four "yay" out of those I've tried on.


    My mom is coming to visit this weekend. I have appointments at 5 bridal salons over two days. We are starting with my front runner dress as of right now, that's the only dress I'm trying on at that store. I'm returning to one of the other salons that had two dresses I liked. And I'm going to three new salons that were recommended to me by friends.

    I already know that if I can't find something that beats my front runner right now, that I'll have purchased a dress by Sunday evening. It's under budget and lovely. 
    Well, I'm updating to let you know that I canceled the last two appointments as I found "the dress" at the third store on the first day. It was my second time at this shop and as soon as I put it on I just knew it was my dress. And it's the complete opposite of what I thought I wanted. I was looking for a lace fit and flare, I purchased a taffeta and tulle ballgown with a sweetheart neckline. And I absolutely love it!  


  • I went to 2 shops, and tried 3 dresses on total. I knew that I found the "one" when I tried it on, looked in the mirror and it looked amazing and no alterations were needed. When you can't stop staring at yourself, you know that's it :)
  • That's such a good way to describe it. I want a dress that I'll feel happy in and can't stop thinking about all day. I already forget the dresses I tried on. So that's not a good sign. Haha
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  • One store, consultant pulled 10 dresses. It was the 8th one I tried and I knew it. I tried on the remaining two and neither looked good on me so I put number 8 back on and said yes.

    I didn't cry and I don't think there's "one" dress for you. There were several I would have felt great in, I just liked the one I ended up with the best.

    Once you buy STOP SHOPPING / LOOKING!
  • I'm going dress shopping in July. It's super early, but it's also probably the only time my FMIL and my mom will be in the same state until the wedding. My FMIL has no daughters of her own and she and I get along really well, so I want to include her in the process.

    If I don't end up finding the dress (I am super picky) in July (which is a year-and-a-half out), I will go looking again in December (a year out), when I'll be visiting my mom for the holidays. The hardest part for me is that I don't live near any close friends or family, so I kind of have to do this stuff when I get the opportunity. Thank goodness we both wanted a decently long engagement.





  • I think I went to five wedding dress shops and probably tried on about 20 dresses in total, although a few were very similar. In the end I went to DB and bought the first dress I tried on there! It was such a relief to finally have bought the dress! Good luck x
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