Before your first appointment with boutiques to look for wedding gowns, it is crucial that you determine your budget. Call ahead to see which designers they carry as well as their price ranges.
Doing this will save you from experiencing unnecessary heartache when looking at gowns outside of your budget.
1. Know Your Style
Before shopping for your wedding dress, it’s essential that you have an idea of what your desired aesthetic might be. Spend a few days or weeks perusing bridal magazines, websites and Pinterest in order to start creating a visual file of styles you find appealing.
Starting early to shop and find your ideal gown can make all the difference when ordering and receiving it on time. Don’t leave finding it until the last minute; start early.
Do your best to approach appointments with an open mind and listen to advice from your bridal consultant; they know best! Being open-minded may result in you discovering an outfit you never considered would become your ideal dress. Keep an open mind and read here to get a dress that you never would have dreamed would become part of your vision – this doesn’t have to be exactly in line with expectations from family or friends; any dress can fit you beautifully!
2. Know Your Budget
Shopping for your wedding gown can be both thrilling and costly; therefore, setting a budget before embarking on your search can help ensure that you don’t fall in love with something outside your price range.
Consider that fabric and embellishments will increase your total costs; embroidery, hand-embroidered lace, and fully boned corsets all increase this figure.
Cost of AlterationsIt’s also essential to factor in the costs associated with alterations, although this can be an added expense. But this expense will ensure your dress fits perfectly on your wedding day! To save money consider selecting simpler silhouettes with less detailing or adding visual interest with jewelry or other accessories; or consider shopping at less costly bridal shops where your dream gown might just await you!
3. Know Your Size
Your wedding gown should typically be ordered one or two sizes larger than your typical dress size in order to allow for adjustments that will ensure it fits you perfectly.
When measuring waist sizes, the best method is to lay out a tape measure across the smallest part of your waist near its natural crease and measure accordingly. Make sure not to stretch it too tight but rather allow at least enough room for one finger between it and your stomach for measurement purposes.
Remind yourself that it’s your wedding dress and choose a size that makes you feel confident and comfortable in it. Each designer offers their own sizing chart- you may need size 14 from one designer but 20 from another!
4. Know Your Shape
Your wedding gown should fit comfortably, flattering your figure. If you have fuller hips and shoulders, v-neck or sweetheart necklines would likely work better for your shape.
Before visiting your appointment, take some time to familiarize yourself with gown silhouettes (ball gown, empire waist gowns, A-line gowns, sheath dresses, mermaid and fit-and-flare) so that when it comes time for you to visit a bridal shop you know which options will narrow down. Also ensure you know your size before going in; that would save a lot of disappointment on wedding day if something you fell in love with didn’t meet airline regulations for travel!
5. Know Your Vision
Finding your wedding gown requires more than simply shopping on your own; to be effective you will need an appointment with a bridal consultant who can guide the search. Before your appointment, it would be useful if you knew exactly which style of dress you had in mind for yourself.
Stay open-minded during this process of finding a dress. Even though you might think you want a fit and flare style, you could end up preferring something completely different! Or it could turn out that what seemed too casual at first actually highlights your figure the best!
Finding your dream dress on your wedding day is key, and can have an enormous impact on both how you feel about yourself and how your fiance reacts to you on this very special occasion.
6. Know Your Body Type
A good stylist will take into account what features are most flattering about your body type, then recommend fabrics, embroidery details, and silhouettes that will accentuate them.
People-pleasing can be tempting when selecting your wedding dress, such as choosing something just because your mom or maid of honor likes it. But on your big day, the dress that makes you feel most beautiful should take precedence.
Bring along a strapless bra that fits you well to get an idea of how the dress will appear from both front and back views, which will help give an accurate representation of what will show up on camera – something especially helpful if planning an outdoor ceremony.
7. Know Your Personality
Your gown should reflect both your personal style and the mood you want to convey on your wedding day, such as feeling sexy, understated, modern or traditional. Envisioning all these aspects together with your dress consultant can help find you a dress perfect for this momentous occasion.
As you shop gowns, it is essential to keep in mind that looking good and feeling great are two distinct things. Although a dress may look great on its own, if it does not make you feel like yourself on your big day then it is likely not the ideal dress! So it is crucial that when trying on gowns you listen to your instinct – after all, your opinion matters the most!
8. Know Your Shoes
Selecting appropriate shoes is just as essential to finding your dream gown. Wearing too-high heels for the style of gown or those which clash with wedding decor could ruin the entire effect.
Before beginning your dress hunt, set a realistic budget. This will help narrow down dresses that fall within your price range and reduce heartache and frustration by trying on gowns you cannot afford. If a particular gown catches your eye that goes beyond what your budget allows for, don’t attempt on it; doing so only causes disappointment and disappointment!
Bring style printouts with you when attending your bridal appointment to help the stylist find a dress that reflects your vision for your big day, as well as ideas from accessories that could add the final touches.
9. Know Your Accessories
If you need help choosing shoes to match your gown, ask the boutique for photos of brides with similar hairstyles and shoe colors so that you can be certain that yours will complement it seamlessly. That way you’ll know your shoes will complete the ensemble perfectly!
If your dress features a strapless neckline, bring along a supportive bra in order to test its fit and a light sweater in case the temperature during your wedding day exceeds what was initially anticipated.
Asking a friend or family member to store your dress until your wedding is a great way to ensure its safety from moisture, dirt and stains as well as wrinkles from travel or wear – and not steal all of the spotlight away from yourself and other details of your big day!