Helpful info needed

AW3380 · July 2015

I am making appointments with a few local bridal salons to try on wedding gowns. What are some tips, helpful hints, etc I should know and keep in mind for my appointments? Thanks!

MobKaz · July 2015

Most shops will forbid you from taking pictures of the dresses. If you had thought to do so as you go from shop to shop in an effort to organize/remember what you have tried on, think of another way.

Do not try on anything over your budget. Remember to allow some wiggle room in the dress budget to accommodate alteration, slip, and headpiece costs.

If your dress comes in early, ask if they will store it for you at no cost.

Choose your undergarments carefully. You will be "flashing" the salesperson every time you put a dress on and take it off. This is NOT the day to wear a thong.

Do not let salespeople try to pressure you into buying "right then and there". They may suggest it saves you a few dollars, or that the dress might not arrive on time, but try to ignore that until/unless you are sure it is "the one". If you do make a purchase, be prepared to leave as much as half the cost of the dress as a deposit.

Try not to bring too many people with you to the appointments. It can make the experience frustrating and/or overwhelming.

Do try on a few dresses that you might not typically consider.

Your dress does not need to "match" your venue in any way. It should lend itself to the level of formality of wedding, however.

lachattefatale · July 2015

If you think you'll wear a body-slimmer on your wedding day, you might want to wear one to try dresses on.

Take a bottle of water with you and remember to drink it.

Don't worry at all about the numbers on the tag since bridal sizing varies wildly, and don't be afraid to look at dresses with ill fitting samples. It doesn't need to zip to get an idea of how it will look, and if you can't even get into it, go ahead and hold it up to you. And if the sample is way too big, they'll just pull it tight and clip it.

Don't take too many people. Just take one or two of your most important people. (I took a crowd and it was great, but that's really the exception, not the rule.)

Do not let anyone pressure you into or out of a dress. Your friends/family might try talking you into or out of their favorites, for whatever reasons, but your own opinion is the most important. You might run into high-pressure sales tactics. Don't buy it. Literally, don't buy the gown if you're not 100% comfortable with both the price and the dress itself.

lildropofsunshine · July 2015

Wear comfortable undergarments that you won't mind being seen by a stranger in, eat beforehand and bring water with you, and if you can, take tons of pictures! I've been 3 places and all 3 let me take pictures (Alfred Angelo, David's Bridal and a local salon).

aliwis000 · July 2015

I posted this sometime ago. We are all different and many would not agree with me but these are just from my brain!

HTH! Good luck!

_______________________________________

Hello everyone!

I just ordered my gown yesterday and after my experience I wanted to give my perspective on some of the classic wedding dress shopping tips. Some I found were true others false. Disclaimer: These are my experiences alone so everyone is different. This is just offered to other people out there like me.

1. Classic Tip: You have to research online and bring in ideas of what you like/want. My verdict: FALSE!

I did not look at any dresses online. Not one. Why? Because of course every dress is beautiful on the size 0 model who has been airbrushed perfectly. I also had never worn a full length gown before so I had no idea what any of them would look like on. PLUS: The dress I picked looks so different in the online pictures it is crazy! I have a blush underlay and in the pictures online it is so pink it is ugly! The person who did the Photoshop on the picture obviously never saw the actual dress.

2. Classic Tip: Never refuse to try on a selection by the consultant. My verdict: TRUE!

The last bridal shop I went to (third one in the same day) the sales lady went through her questions and then offered to let me go around the store and pick out ones to try on. Without blinking my eye I just looked at her and said "I would like you to pick them all out." She was a bit taken back. Armed with just a few facts leaned in our initial conversation, like I hate my big hips and want to be comfortable on the day of, the first dress she brought back was the one I ended up ordering. Trust your consultant, or at least give them a chance, good ones know what they are are doing. PS. After shopping I had narrowed it down between two dresses from two different stores,both of them were dresses the consultant pulled.

3. Classic Tip: Limit the number of people. My Verdict: TRUE!

First time out took my mom and sister. My sister will tell me most things look good and my mom will be brutally honest. It was a good balance. If you think you found the one take a different close friend for round 2 to get a third opinion.

4. Classic Tip: Shops will not let you take pictures. My Verdict: TRUE and FALSE

We all know there are shops that will not let you take pictures. Luckily all the ones I went to not only said I could take photos but encouraged it. If you think you have found the dress you HAVE TO TAKE A PICTURE IN IT!!! Let me repeat. TAKE A PICTURE IN IT. Find a store with the gown that will let you snap a shot on your phone OR ask the sales lady to use her own phone so you can see it. I passed on many dresses because of the difference in how they looked in the mirror versus the picture. (Yes I realize these dresses were not sized perfectly for me etc, but you can get a really good idea.)

Obviously a good photographer can take a good picture then edit anything they need to. But most of your guests will be snapping away on cell phones.

5. You will not fit into any dresses. FALSE!

I am a street size 12ish, but have big hips. I was amazed at how many dresses zipped up and those that needed to be clipped still did not look horrible. Wedding gowns are so different from regular clothes. Their structure just makes them fit better...even if they don't "fit". So do not be scared.

That is all I have at this point. Sorry it was so long but I put this out there to those of you who are like me and try and find all you can out about something before you go do it.

hyechica81 · July 2015

if you need special sizes like plus sizes make sure when you make an appointment tell them your street size and ask them if they have more than one gown for you to try on.

the worst part would be getting to your appointment and finding out they have nothing you can even try on.

if the salon says they just dont make sample sizes that big thats a big false i had a salon tell me that once and i said to the sales lady how come i have seen plus size sample gowns elsewhere she had no answer for me.

if they tell you try the dress to your body with it attached to the hanger don't you cant get an accurate feel for the dress. i had a salon tell me come on in we can order to your size we will place the gowns next to you and you decided what one you think would work. no no no.

i had a great experience at the salon i got my dress from small shop owner and consultant were not pushy at all

[Deleted User] · July 2015

Eat before you go (it will help you avoid becoming a snickers commercial)
Take something to drink with you
Take some time to do your hair some and if you wear makeup, put some one. Basically don't roll out of bed & go. If the rest of you looks like a mess, you won't like yourself in any dress
Go with an open mind on styles, try stuff on you don't necessary like on the hanger, you might be surprised
Have fun, if you don't find a dress your first day out, it's ok
Take into account where you are getting married and what time of year when picking out a dress. You may not necessarily want to wear a big satin ballgown for an outdoor wedding in July when it's going to be 80 degrees. It would be big and heavy & hot

julieanne912 · July 2015

Agreed to all of the above. I didn't run into the no pictures issue anywhere I went. Also I had gone on another day previously with just my MOH, and she made me try on every dress they had in my size (it was a consignment shop so no samples and we could just pull whatever we wanted). I was glad she did because I learned what styles looked good on me, even if I wasn't interested in the actual dress. I went into it all thinking I'd like a tea length 50s style dress. Once I put one on, it was not flattering at all.

One thing to add on about alterations that I learned, if the dress is lace, add extra. It's costing me $250.00 just to hem my lace dress, and that was even after we ordered it in a petite length.

I also think cramming too many appointments into one day is hard. My mom was in town for one weekend so I set up a whole day of appointments at 4 shops. Thankfully, I found my dress at the second shop and was glad I did, as I was pretty tired by that point... I would have been dead on my feet by the 4th shop.

And yes, try on the dresses the consultant picks. That's the one I ended up buying, and it was not one I would have picked from pictures online or even off the rack. But on me it looked AWESOME.

julieanne912 · July 2015

Also agreed on the hair and makeup thing. I wish I had brought hair pins and a hair tie so I could see the dresses with different hairstyles, and on my first trip out, I wish I had more makeup on.

climbingsingle · July 2015

I went to privately owned bridal salons and I was allowed to take as many pictures as I wanted.

Be open to ideas. I went in with a very clear idea of what I wanted. I ended up with an extremely different dress. I'm glad I agreed to try it on, because it loved my dress.

Don't let yourself be talked into anything. If you're unsure, sleep on it.

mzelizabethlynn · July 2015

Try on very any every dress! Don't be steered away bc of how it looks on the hanger! Also don't bring to many people with you...one or two max otherwise you have a million opinions flying around. Also snap a photo of the tag so if you do decide its the one you an research it and maybe find it somewhere else cheaper

Helpful info needed

Re: Helpful info needed

Choose Another Board

Search Boards