Drama Free Dress Shopping

Shopping for your wedding dress is an exciting experience, but it can also be a little overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you know what to look for? How do you know the "perfect dress" is out there? With hundreds of appointments under our belts, we figured we know a thing or two about wedding dress shopping. That's why today's blog post is about the Top 5 Things we've learned to do (& not do) for drama free wedding dress shopping!

1. Start With an Open Mind
Often times we see brides come in thinking they know exactly what they want their dress to look like but as soon as they actually try it on for the first time it doesn't look the way they wanted it to, & end up hating it. It's good to do a little research beforehand, & find some styles you like, but don't limit yourself to only those styles/details, especially when you're first starting out! It's difficult to know how something is going to look in real life as compared to the photo online, so it's good to try lots of different shapes & styles. More often than not we see brides purchase a dress that is the complete opposite of what they imagined they would leave with, & that's totally normal! So that gaudy "cupcake dress" your future mother-in-law wants you to try may not look anything like you, but there's no harm in trying it, you never know!
  
2.Too Many Opinions Only Ends Up Being Confusing
 We know you want everyone to feel involved in your special day, & we totally agree they should be! However, sometimes brides feel like they have to bring everyone they know to their appointments, & things get confusing when each person has a different opinion from another. With 15 different people telling you what they think, it can be difficult to figure out what you like or don't like in a dress. In our experience, a group of four people is the perfect amount! You have enough people that you feel like you get different opinions, but not so many that you become overwhelmed.

3.You May Not Have a TV Moment, & That's Okay!
Every now & then we'll have a bride that gets shivers up her spine & leaves everyone with watery eyes when she tries on the dress for the first time, but more often than not, that isn't the case. Just because you don't have a big dramatic TV moment the first time you try on a dress you absolutely love doesn't mean it can't be the one. If you feel beautiful in the dress, & can imagine yourself walking down the aisle, then it very well could be! We've found that the biggest indicator of someone being in the dress is that she doesn't feel like she wants to take it off! If you can't help but look at yourself in the mirror, & get excited about possibly wearing this dress on the big day, chances are you've found the one.

4. Don't Be Afraid to Say "Yes"
When the time comes that you do find the dress you can't take off, don't be afraid to pull the trigger! Often times brides feel like they need to try on every dress in the world before they can for sure "say yes to the dress." In our experience that only leaves brides feeling confused & overwhelmed. Don't get us wrong, we want you to make absolute sure this is the dress for you, but at the same time you have plenty of other things to worry about when planning a wedding than weather or not you're missing out on other dresses somewhere in the world. Again, as long as you look & feel beautiful, & can imagine yourself walking down the aisle in this dress, it will be perfect!
...Or "No"
This is your appointment, & it will be your dress, so just because everyone else likes a dress, doesn't mean it has to be your favorite. It may not feel like it, but you are allowed to say no! We understand that you want everyone to like your dress, but what is most important is that you like your dress. If you don't feel good in a dress, it doesn't matter if everyone else loves it, it's simply not your dress, & that's okay!

5. Have Fun!
We know this can all be a little overwhelming, but the most important thing is that you have fun & enjoy yourself when dress shopping. You're getting married, & that's SUPER exciting!! So don't let all of the stress of planning take away from that awesome fact. This is supposed to be a happy, fun experience, so try not to get too stressed out with all of the little details!