- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
@JoJo Bananas: He gives some good advice! I'll keep it in mind.
@blondy: Good idea. I would hate to pick a dress that is out of my budget.
@blondy: THIS! I tried on some dresses just for fun and LOVED this one (I think it was a Maggie, not sure of the name) until I saw the price tag. Then, I couldn't wait to get out of that damned thing.
I agree with Randy's rules, especially "Leave the entourage at home." Although I'm getting married in Ohio, I live in Texas, and thus having people with me when I shopped wasn't really an option (though I did go shopping with my mom and sister one weekend when I was home, and my mom flew out here when it was time to buy.) Even with that in mind, I still think it's a good idea to go to your first appointment alone. Just trying on the first dress is a kind of overwhelming moment; I'm glad I was able to just look at myself and think instead of trying to please people around me.
I would also add: keep an open mind. There was a certain type of dress I thought I wanted, and I ended up getting a totally different style. At my first appointment, I just tried on every different style I could to get an idea of what looked nice on me and what I felt pretty/comfortable in, rather than looking at the specific details of a dress. Then, once I knew the overall style I liked, I was able to start zeroing in on specifics.
Have fun!
Do wear make-up and have your hair combed... You cant imagine what youll look like on your wedding day if you look like you just rolled out of bed!!
Did the same as statutory Grape... so disheartening...
DON'T get hung up on sizes. I'm a street size 10-12, and tried on a size 28 dress that I couldn't pull over my hips (from a designer that obviously wants to make brides feel like crying in the dressing room). You just have to be ok with the fact that bridal sizing is wonky.
Be open-minded! Try on all shapes and styles so you know what looks good on you.
I just went dress shopping last week with my FMIL becuase I am a little delayed with my wedding planning. My wedding is in March and I wont even be ordering my dress until the end of the month! (Have to wait until the mone arrives - poo)
ANYWAYS a few pointers I have learned from last week:
1) Do it enough in advance! I am lucky that the dress I found gets shipped by early Jan. A lot of the more complicated dresses seem to take at least 6 months. (Plus you have to concider alterations) I am pushing my time frame as it is.
2) If a dress doesn't look good in the bag then you should still try it on! The dresses usually look a lot better on. The dress that I decided to get wasn't even a pick of mine. I thought it looked "semi nice" so I decided I would try it on. I ended up LOVING it. (Note: If a dress is really hideous don't waste your time. But don't ever pass a maybe!)
3) Try not to let whoever comes with you talk you out of your personality/style. My FMIL is a nice Christian woman and deosn't like that I got a strapless dress... I am pretty sure she winced everytime I tried one on. (Especially the corsetted ones) I love her to death but this is my wedding and my dress! Same goes for you! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Although, opinions are welcomed.
4) Only try on 15 per day. The first day I tried on at least 20+ dresses and I think I started going insane. That sounds stupid but seriosly - it gets confusing when you try too many on. They all start to look the same. And I hate to say it but it does get boring. Infact it becomes a work out! It sucks having to take those dresses on and off.
5) You can wear eye make-up but try to avoid concealer/foundation. I have seen a lot of dresses with smudges of brown stuff on it from that. I think that is disrepectful to the company who owns the dresses whether they are only to be tried on or not.
6) Take tons of pictures! If you like a dress get a picture from every angle. If you are short MAKE SURE TO GET A PICTURE OF YOU STANDING ON THE GROUND AND NOT THE STAND! A lot of dresses will make your figure look funny if you are short becuase unless you plan on walking in 10inch heels you wont be the same length you visualize yourself like when you are on the stand. (I had that problem when I liked corsetted things. They ended up making my torso look extremely long. It was wierd)
Good luck!
Just a few tips from my personal experience!
My advice would be try on every possible shape - it might surprise you what looks best on you! And listen to the consultant if she encourages you to try a particular style, she deals with different body types every day, knows her stock and may have a hidden gem you would have over looked the first time. Try to make sure you're well groomed with hair and makeup and don't hesitate to ask to see head dresses and veils! I only took my mum and BFF and I'm glad I did as they know me best and were totally honest.
Good luck x
If you plan to wear a bra with your dress buy it in advance. It is harder to find the right bra to go with your dress than it is to find a dress that goes with your bra (I saw this from the owner of Klienfields in an interview). For me, I had the bra built into the dress.
Try on dresses that you would not normally try on, they look alot different on the hanger than they do on. And try on styles that you would normally not. My dress is nothing like the ones I thought I wanted.
Take a hair clip if you have long hair, you will want to see what the dress looks like with the hair up, if you plan to wear your hair up.
Take LOTS of pictures if you can. I wanted a dress so bad that I almost bought it right then and there. Once I got home and looked at the photos, the dress made me look so boxy and not flattering, and that was from three different cameras.
Make it fun. Even though I found my "it" dress by myself, I had the best time with my two bridesmaids the day we all went shopping. We had appointments then lunch, more appointments, then coffee, more appointments, the cocktails and dinner. I wouldn't give that day up for the world.
Don't let anyone talk you into a dress, only you can pick out the dress that is right for you.
Wear spanx or a slip, the odds are good you will be dressing with someone or need help.
Take notes. Take down the designer, model number, personal comments, price, etc....
Dress up to go shopping, to the nines. I actually went shopping twice, once with my maids in jeans (total blast) and once with my mother dressed up (she lives out of town). I could totally tell the difference in how the shops treated us, and some of them I was there with my maids. At one shop they were falling all over my mother and I and hardly paid any attention to us girls (even though I had my dad's credit card - he wanted to pay the deposit on my dress).
Good Luck and Have Fun!
Fab advice from the hive. I will add to it--don't put down any money on the first day, even if you find something you love. Go home, review your pictures (do not accept the "no pictures allowed" rule. There is not a single designer who makes that stipulation or no shops would allow it) and sleep on it. Once you do find your dress, shop around. You would be surprised how much prices vary within a metropolitan area. Even if a shop carries the brand but not the style, they can still order that style for you. Also, don't forget to check out the "pre-owned" sites. Many of these dresses have never been worn. You may find your dream dress at a fraction of the price. Have a great time!
1. Do your hair and makeup. It doesn't have to be over done, but you don't want to look like a hot mess
2. Wear a bra that has convertible/removable straps. Then you have the bra you need for the dress you are wearing
3. Try on your price range
4. Only bring a couple of people, who have opinions you can trust
5. Try all different styles - even if you think you hate it
6. Take lots of pictures
7. Shop around - as in, if you find it somewhere, try to find/negotiate a better price elsewhere
8. Ignore the sizing - no one plasters a big number on your back saying what size you are
9. Once you have found the dress, stop looking at others.
Bring your own strapless bra! You can't get an idea of the dress if you have bra straps hanging out, and it is really awkward having someone put a dress on you if you are topless haha. (Some stores have bras you can borrow--david's does--but wouldn't you rather wear your own?)
What everyone else has said--NEVER try on a dress not in your budget. Also, I found that they tend to bring you dresses at the high end of your budget. Say a number lower at first to see what dresses you can get at that price point, then raise your price point to your real budget once you are sure you can't get anything for less. If you say your budget is $1500, they are not going to bring you any $500 dresses.
If you dont "click" with your sales person ask for a different one. I HATED mine the first time I tried on dresses! It kinda ruined the experience for me esp because she kept bringing out dresses I didnt like at all.
1, Bring someone you trust...
2. Don't be convinced that you are too late to get a gown by a major retailer... (There will be gowns you can take home in lots of stores not just the "Wed-Mart" So don't let them convince you otherwise.
3. Call ahead, ask about sizes if you think that it will be an issue. (But don't be afraid to check out a store.
4. Do your own research. Have an understanding of gowns, styles, and materials. Realize that a higher end gown should have finer details.
5. Remember that this is your wedding gown, and that it should reflect you, but also reflect your family ... (Don't pick something that Grandma would be embarassed by...) And remember that you are dressing for your Groom and his family as well as for yours...) You can be as revealing as you want to be later in the evening.
6. Look in your price range, but don't be afraid to think about a gown that may cost more in making but less in alterations.
7. Think about alterations, some of those "Wed-Mart" stores may have cheaply made gowns that will be high end by the time that they are altered properly.
8. Think about your own personal style. If you are a turtleneck and long sleeve sweater girl, a strapless gown is going to look like it doesn't match you. You are going to be living with those wedding photos for a long time, so it's worth thinking about how you want to be seen!
Walk, wiggle, kneel, and sit in it! Though you'll be on a pedastel on your wedding day (theoretically) you won't just be standing in the mirror all day! Make sure you're comfortable! And ask about how the dress will bustle and how much alterations would cost!
Everyone's given great advice so far!
My personal experience (I'm in the midst of dress shopping right now too)
1. Do not bring a lot of people, bring someone you trust and who will be honest (for me, it's my mom)
2. Gowns look completely different on you than the do in the bag, on a model, in a magazine, online- be open minded!
3. Go in with some sort of idea- for example, casual, how formal your wedding is, etc to give the sales person some sort of direction
4. Like many before me said, wear undergarments that you are comfortable with other people seeing. Keep in mind with corset dresses, the salesperson will be tucking in ties near your bottom so, anyhting that covers that area is a good idea.
5. Ask questions! How would the bustle look, what other colors does this dress come in, etc
6. Have fun!!! This is your wedding gown!! If you don't find anything the first few times, don't worry!! Don't rush a decision and don't let a salesperson pressure you.
@SapphireSun: I can vouch for that! I tried on a size 6 Sophia Tolli dress yesterday and it fit PERFECTLY. But the next ST I tried on was an 8 and it fit decently too. And then I went to a different store and tried on a Maggie Sottero dress and the 10 wasn't even able to do up. The 8 was TINY!
@Leprechaun: I never wore a bra with any of the drsses I tried on lol. I wish I would've for some of the ones that were huge on me only because then I was self-conscious of my boobs hanging and too worried about that to look at the dress.
Have fun! Don't get discouraged. I've been looking for a dress for almost a year and just yesterday may have finally found 'the one'!
This may seem strange but the first time I went to try on dresses I went by myself. I told the sales lady I had no idea what I wanted and that I wanted to try on every style.
Well i ended up narrowing it down to 3 dress after going to 4 different bridal shops. I brought my mom and my uncle and showed them my three choices, since they were the ones I liked the best, and then let them give me opinions on those. It was just so easy to not have anyone be like well I like that dress and blah blah, they only got to decide between three that I absolutely loved!
Also I wore my hair similar to how I am wearing it on the big day and that helped out a lot because it gave me a better idea of how the differnt neck lines of the dresses and the backs would look with my hair since it's going to be half down.
Best of luck! And congrats your going to have a blast! Dress shopping was sooo fun!
Great tips! I am going dress shopping for the very first time this Saturday. Eeeeeek!!!!
Do not go when you're bloated, do not eat a big meal the night before. Don't be afraid to try on styles you think you won't like.
I totally agree with missrobots... try on different styles, even if you're unsure about them! The dresses I THOUGHT I would love the most are the ones that looked the worst on me, so stay very open minded! Besides, it's fun to play dress up in lots of different styles :)
Always know your top dress.
The best advise I got from a sales consultant was to do dress shopping like going to the eye doctor. Only compare two dresses at a time.
So, compare dress #1 and #2, pick your favorite. Compare the winning dress to dess #3, pick your favorite. Compare the winner to the next dress and so on and so forth.
It really helped weed out some of the just "ok" dresses. They are all pretty!
I have to echo what pinkpinstripes said--have them demonstrate what the bustle would look like! I thought I had found my dress, but then HATED the way it looked bustled.
Another bit of advice is to move around in the dress. Do you plan on dancing?--get an idea if the dress is too heavy to boogie in all night. Do you have to kneel during your ceremony?--Check if you physically can do this in your dress!
Wow, bees! So much great advice. Thanks, everyone. I can't wait to try on dresses and will definitely keep your advice in mind!
even if you LOVE a dress at that moment, don't buy it that first day!!! They might try to entice you with a 10% off or whatever, but honestly, they will probably give you that deal again if you buy it another day. also, you don't want to later regret that choice because you were being pushed by emotions!!!!
Thank you so much for this thread. I'm going dress shopping Friday for the first time and I'm actually nervous about it. This helped at lot.
@funniegirl: I will definitely keep that in mind...or try to keep that in my mother's mind!
@Miss Emily Marie: I'm glad! Good luck!
@caszos: I totally agree! I think this is especially important if you have narrowed down the style you want, and all the dresses are somewhat similar. They all start to blend together quickly, so its easy to always be comparing the current dress on to your current favourite. You can always go back and re-try on any tight contenders.
Bring a water bottle. I was surprised that water was not made available at the shop. i was so thirsty after hours of trying on dresses, and I felt kind of rushed at the end because I just wanted to get out of there and have a drink!
@espinaca: That's funny you mention that because, now that I think about it, the first thing I did after trying on dresses was have my mom go through a drive through so I could get a drink!
@espinaca: That is such a good piece of advice. It had never crossed my mind!
this thread is awesome!! great advice..... saturday will be my first time trying on gowns and i cant wait and will really use all the advice from you bees..
This was all great advice! I went Friday and followed all of this advice, and it made the whole experience more enjoyable. I could focus on the dress instead of stressing about everything.
Well, bees, I went dress shopping! I had so much fun...but I haven't found THE dress yet. Thank you for all of your advice! :)
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| Brielle | 44 |
| ndreighton | 36 |
| caseyleigh10 | 30 |
 vorpalette |
29 |
| les105 | 24 |
| ellisrobertson | 24 |
| mypinkshoes | 23 |
| fishbone | 23 |
| lionskitty | 22 |
| SouthernGirl | 21 |
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| vreelans | 6 |
| chikita | 5 |
| Jenlon | 4 |
| Brielle | 4 |
| lorelai | 4 |
| takemyhand | 4 |
| tonights | 4 |
| TeeVeeBee | 4 |
| turtles73 |
4 |
| Katherine27 | 4 |
Hi bees,
I have my first bridal appointments coming up. I've made appointments for two shops on two different days. I'm so excited!
What is your advice on the do and do nots of dress shopping?