There are a ton of tips for wedding gown shopping, and there can be conflicting information regarding this as well. I don’t know if you know this, but I worked with Olivia’s Bridal House for over a year for their branding photos, and after seeing fittings in their shop, I can tell you, these tips work. So let’s dig into 5 important wedding gown shopping tips.
1. Schedule your appointment.
Wedding gown shopping isn’t like shopping for everyday wear. You definitely need someone to help you find gowns, not only in your size, but in styles that are flattering on you. If you show up to a gown shop without an appointment, you might get turned away because they don’t have enough hands on deck to accommodate you. A lot of gown shops I know also book several weeks in advance, especially on weekends. So if you know a gown place you really want to shop at, take the minute or two it takes, and make the appointment. You will be way less stressed during the appointment, and the customer service will be awesome!
2. Come with an Open Mind
You have been looking at gowns online and loving a certain style or specific gown. Your heart becomes set on this gown, and you go into your appointment only requesting that gown. But when you try it on? It isn’t the fireworks you were expecting! So what happened? After all the gown appointments I have been to or captured, the best advice I can give you is to trust the gown consultant and to keep an open mind. Sometimes what we think will look great on us will be a flop, and something we never considered will look gorgeous on us! Bring a few gown designs you love with you, but also let the gown consultant find a few you’d never thought of. I bet you will find a gown you adore in a style that you hadn’t thought of if you do this.
3. Bring the bra/underwear you plan to wear under your gown
I don’t know about you, but I have the hardest time seeing how something comes together. This includes trying on clothes with the wrong undergarments. For your gown appointments, I encourage you to bring with you neutral or nude bras and underwear, as well as strapless bras, to get the full effect when you try on the gowns. That way you’re not distracted by a bright pink bra, when looking at yourself in the gown. As well, bring with you heels and a veil, if you plan to wear either with your gown. As someone who sucks at visualizing this stuff, I cannot tell you how helpful it is to do this!
4. Do not bring a ton of people with you
It might feel like it goes against convention, but honestly? Only bring 3 to 4 people max with you to gown appointments. Adding onto this, only bring people with you whose opinions you trust and who aren’t overly critical of you. If you bring too many people, or people who are too critical, the less likely there will be to find a consensus on which gown is the one. Further, it might make you question what you love when there are so many opinions swimming in your head. So ditch the idea that you need to bring your entire wedding party with you and pick those whose opinions you value most.
5. Go with your GUT
At the end of the day your gut is never wrong. You are going to be trying on a lot of different styles of gowns, and you might get confused as to which look you love best. You didn’t expect to love a ballgown style but here you are, loving how it makes your waist look tiny. And you feel like a queen. But you also loved that mermaid gown on you as well, with the beading. So you’re torn. This is where your gut comes in–I would try on the gowns you love best and then see how you feel in it. Whichever one your gut talks loudest about, that’s your gown. Don’t let other opinions take away from this, too many women question their gut, when it’s the right thing. I will bet you anything trusting your gut will get you a gown you love!
So what style of gown floats your boat? Did you use any of these wedding gown shopping tips in this blog? I failed at making an appointment the first time, but I learned my lesson!
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Have me Capture your Wedding!
Love my work? Want me to capture you and yours? Let’s talk!! It’s easy, my email address is Christine@swishnclick.com. Let’s have a heart-to-heart, get excited about the possibilities of your wedding or session and come up with a plan that is uniquely you! I want to hear from you!
I appreciate your suggestion of bringing all the accessories and additional garments that a bride would want to wear when trying dresses. My sister loves having over-the-top designs for everything, and this is especially true for her upcoming wedding. With all the additional things she wants to wear to impress all her guests, I’ll make sure I remind her about your tips if ever we start shopping for her wedding gown.