With an engagement and wedding planning comes the big “say yes to the dress”!
I’ve had so many nerves leading up to the time of wedding dress shopping, and tried my best to take some advice, learn what I can about it and prepare myself.
As someone who’s not super big on shopping as it is, going out and trying on $1000+ dresses really didn’t seem like the best way to spend my time (& money).
Of course I have to find something to wear on my big day, and obviously I want it to be a more special piece than my regular fancy garb, but it all seemed pretty daunting and silly to me.
Because let’s be honest – you wear the thing for one day.
Now I know for some people it can be super important – but for others there are higher priorities for your wedding day.
Here’s some tips and tricks I’ve gathered from my experience wedding dress shopping!
Wedding Dress Shopping 101
Do Your Research & Set A Budget
I spent so much time researching local boutiques to find one that would fit the vibe I wanted and budget I could afford.
What I was really looking for was the more intimate boutique experience, as opposed to the department store vibe, but still staying on a relatively lower budget. I figured the more intimate experience would be less overwhelming for me than a department store, since I was a little anxious going into it.
Finding the price ranges certain stores carried was no easy task, but after scouring their websites and reviews, I was able to narrow down a few places that fit.
Many of their websites will have a dress price range in the FAQ section! There’s no use going to a store that starts dresses at thousands of dollars over your budget.
Set your appointments, discuss a budget with whomever may be helping you with the cost, and go into it with some confidence!
Keep An Open Mind
You may surprise yourself on the types of styles you like.
Let yourself try on an array of dress styles and types – you could be surprised! You may have gone into it thinking you’ll have a tight mermaid style, and come out with a gorgeous ball gown instead!
Sometimes models in the gowns don’t always look how it will on you – and that’s totally okay! Pick something that you feel confident in and love on your body.
Be Prepared For The Try On
You’re here to try on dresses – don’t wear your most difficult pants to get on and off, and for the love of classiness do not wear a black bra.
One thing I highly recommend is to invest in some “sticky boobs” as I call them. They’re about the same price (maybe a bit more) than a regular bra & most lingerie stores will have them.
I grabbed mine from Lasenza – they’re the Feather-Lite Backless Push Up Bra and they’ve held up well with washing them after each use and taking good care of them.
They just stick right on and you get a perfect backless look to truly see how those dresses look on you. Most wedding dresses will have built in cups and will be fitted to your body, so on your actual day you won’t be wearing a bra. But for try on purposes, these are so so perfect!
I use them for backless, off the shoulder, rompers and any tops/dresses where you don’t want straps showing and they’re so great, so you’ll definitely get your use out of them.
You’ll also be looking in the mirror a lot when you’re trying on dresses – do your hair and makeup up just enough to feel confident in a fancy dress.
You’ll likely be super dolled up on your big day, so showing up in a messy bun like you rolled out of bed will make it harder for you to imagine your dress for the big day. Plus, choosing a dress you feel good in is the most important thing, so feeling good as you walk into the store is key.
But beware not to wear too much makeup – some boutiques don’t want you trying on these white gowns if your makeup is so heavy it’ll rub off on them! You don’t want to get dinged for staining a $2000 gown.
Priorities
With everything in wedding planning, sorting out what is most important to you is key in allocating your budget, time and effort.
If the dress isn’t in your top five priorities for your big day, don’t allow it to overcome you with a ton of stress.
I’m guilty of becoming so overwhelmed with finding and choosing a dress, when, for me, it isn’t a key priority for my big day. I tried to remind myself that no matter what, I’d find something to wear & I didn’t need to drop thousands out of my budget for it.
If the dress is super important to you, then sure allocate more time, effort and budget! It’s all about what you want to do, because the big day is for you and your love, not anyone else.
Don’t compromise other aspects that are more important to you just because you think you need this elaborate dress shopping experience. You do you, girl.
And there ya have it! The dress shopping experience can definitely be daunting, but go into it with some confidence, a plan and it’ll really be lots of fun. Remember to do things your way and everything will work out in the end.