the journal

You’ve been dreaming about your wedding since you were 12 and it’s finally here! AH! Choosing your wedding dress is one of the most exciting things you’ll get to do for your wedding, ya know, other than the actual getting married part. 😉 And there are SO many options for wedding dresses. Lace, satin, aline, ballgown, mermaid, the list goes on and on! So, here are some tips to help you through all of the options and to make sure you get a dress that is perfect for you!

~ 1 ~ Do your research. Know what style of dress you are looking for. If you go into your appointment and you have no idea what you want, chances are you’re not going to find it. The bridal consultants have to have a place to start. So, if you know you want lace, then suggest lace dresses to try on. Then if you really do want lace, you just ruled out more than half of the other dresses in that shop! That means one step closer to finding the perfect dress for you! Make sure you have an idea of what shape you’re looking for too! It makes it so much easier for the bridal consultants to help you find the perfect dress if you have an idea of what you’re looking for!

~ 2 ~ Be willing to try on other styles. On the other side of knowing what you want, is being able to compromise. When I got married, I really wanted a sheath dress. I tried on SO many of them and none of them seemed quite right. It wasn’t until I tried on a mermaid style dress that I realized that is actually what I was looking for! So, make sure you have an idea of the style you want, but if it doesn’t seem quite right or it doesn’t end up looking good on your body shape, remember to keep your mind open to other possibilities!

~ 3 ~ Set a budget! Oh, I cannot stress this point enough! If you have no budget, you will end up spending WAY more than you should on your wedding dress. Yes, you want it to be perfect, but I promise you, you can find the perfect dress on a budget! Set your budget and don’t go over!

~ 4 ~ Choose your party wisely. Having too many people with you at your bridal appointment is overwhelming and stressful! It is your day and it’s most important how you feel in your wedding dress! That means the less opinions you listen to, the better!

~ 5 ~ Shop around and stop looking after you’ve found your dress! Don’t be afraid to go to lots of different bridal shops to see what’s out there. I went to several when I was looking for my dress and I didn’t find a single dress that was the same at any shop! Each shop will have something different and it’s important to see lots of options. But after you’ve found your dress, stop looking! Trust that you’ve made the right decision and don’t get overwhelmed by how many options you didn’t see.

~ 6 ~ Listen to your heart. You’ll know when you’ve found the dress that you are going to get married in! Trust your instincts. When I was wedding dress shopping, I found 2 dresses that I really loved. They were super different and I couldn’t decide between them. I decided to try one more shop before I made a decision. I tried on a beautiful dress that was similar to both of the other dresses. But it didn’t look quite right on me. They asked if I wanted to see it in a different color. So, I tried the same exact dress on in blush instead of ivory and I loved it! My mind immediately went to my fiancee and I knew that this was the dress because it made me even more excited to marry my best friend!