The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Dress Shopping

My dress was an ivory taffeta ballgown with a sweetheart neckline. It originally had a big bow on the waist and I replaced it with a sparkly sash, which cinched my waist perfectly.
Sidenote: Isn't my husband handsome?!

Before I went shopping for my wedding dress, I knew I needed to do my research and educate myself on the beast that is shopping for the perfect wedding dress. I scoured Pinterest and soaked in all the information I could from all of the links that it led me to. I wish I could have had one place that had all the information I needed to know without reading countless blogs and articles.

So alas, I bestow upon you, dear bride-to-be, the ultimate guide to wedding dress shopping, in "dos and donts" form!

Entourage
DO bring the people you trust the most, who will tell you how beautiful you look, and who will also tell you what's not working in a dress.
DON'T bring everyone you've ever known. It's always safe to limit the entourage to 5 people or less, any more than that can be an overwhelming group to deal with and hear opinions from.

Plan
DO bring inspiration, do your research, find out what you like from photos, magazines, or Pinterest. It's always good to have some type of direction so you're not too overwhelmed by the thousands of huge white dresses in the shop.
DON'T rule anything out without trying it on. My advice is to try on a silhouette that you really want to stay away from. Worst case scenario, you prove to yourself what you thought to be true. Who knows, it could be the dress you end up saying "yes" to!

Decisions
DO keep an open mind. Like I said, don't rule anything out without trying it. It helps to know your options and be able to see them on you.
DON'T settle! If you're not 100% in love with the dress, if you can't picture yourself walking down the aisle on your wedding day in the dress, do not say "yes".

Budget
DO talk with whoever is covering the cost of the dress and agree on a budget, and figure out if that budget includes alterations or not (sometimes alteration prices can sneak up on you!). Make sure your consultant knows your budget and doesn't bring you anything outside that budget. Which brings me to....
DON'T try anything on that is outside of your budget!! Chances are, you will fall in love with it and it will be heartbreaking when you find out it's not in the price range. Always know the price of what you're putting on in that dressing room. I know that sounds stingy, but the truth is that most people planning a wedding do not have an unlimited budget and while it is a very very important purchase, you don't want to go broke buying a wedding dress.

Sales / Trunk Shows
DO look for sales or trunk shows that your favorite bridal shop is putting on! They usually will save you hundreds of dollars if you buy your dress the day of a trunk show or sale as opposed to buying it when you find it.
DON'T make that the first time you look at dresses. Sales and trunk shows are VERY stressful and you want your first time trying on wedding dresses to be exciting, calm and fun. I recommend going to that store to find what you love, and telling them you want to come back and get the dress on the day of their sale. (Sometimes they might sell it to you that day at the upcoming sale price!)

Additional Tips
1. Bring all the accessories and undergarments you'll be wearing at the wedding. Or at least what you have at the moment. It's best to get a feel of what the whole outfit will look like when you're trying on dresses. If you don't have these items yet, wear something similar so you get a little bit of an idea.
2. Keep the venue in mind. You'll want to look for a dress that fits appropriately with your venue and the time of year of your wedding. Lighter fabrics such as chiffon are great for summer and beach weddings, and you probably want to stay away from a sheer bodice in a Catholic church.
3. Try to get the first appointment of the day. Its likely that you're probably going to want to have your appointment on a Saturday, because that's the time that most of your friends and family will be available to go with you and weekends are prime-time for shopping trips like that. Everyone has the same idea, so Saturdays will be very busy for wedding dress consultants. I would recommend scheduling the first appointment of the day, so that your consultant isn't tired from working all day, and its not as crowded because not a lot of people like waking up early on the weekends.
4. HAVE FUN! Sure, finding what you're going to wear for the most important day of your life will be a little stressful, but you also have to remember to have fun. When I was dress shopping, it was stressful for sure, but the excitement of trying on multiple beautiful dresses on and my friends and family telling me how beautiful I looked outweighed the stress tenfold.