Six Ways To Make Wedding Dress Shopping A Piece Of Cake
Wedding planning can be one of the most fun times in the life of a woman, and nothing about a wedding is as major as purchasing the perfect dress. As anyone who has ever been wedding dress shopping — be it for themselves or a friend — knows, it can also be stressful and confusing.
Having experienced the many facets of wedding dress shopping — as the shopper, as the friend, and as the consultant in a bridal store — I can offer a few pieces of advice to make the experience as rewarding and painless as possible.
1. Try on the dresses with undergarments, even if you are not sure if you plan to wear them. Most wedding dresses are designed to keep their form with a proper bustier and slip underneath. Countless brides come in to shop planning to wear nothing special underneath their dresses, only to try the undergarments on and realize what a difference they make. You can always try to dress on without them, too, and compare the difference. If you have undergarments already purchased for your wedding, bring them with you to get the full effect. If not, most bridal shops can provide you with loaners.
2. Do not fret about sizes. Wedding dresses are rarely sized the same as regular clothing. Generally, unfortunately, you will be wearing a size or two bigger in a wedding dress than you would in normal clothing. Keep in mind that different dress cuts are snug in different places, and so if you have a large chest and small waist or vice versa, you may wear a different size in different dress styles.
3. Try on different dress styles. I’m not saying you should try on something you hate. However, many women do not realize how stunning they may actually look in a particular cut of a dress if they come in having already limited what they are willing to wear before coming in. Many brides I have worked with have come in with one dress style in mind and left with another.
4. Have the sales associate bring you a few dresses they think you would look good in. Unless you are absolutely set on what you plan to wear, trying on a variety of dresses is to your benefit. The associates at a bridal shop have experience finding the perfect dress for all types of women. If you have specific restrictions, be it price, style, color, or other, let them know. They should be able to work with what you give them to help you find a perfect dress.
5. Be prepared to try on the wrong size or color. Unless you are shopping at a large retail chain — and sometimes even then — you will likely find that the dresses you want to try on are only in stock in one or two sample sizes and colors. This should not stop you from getting the full effect — clothes pins can be used to clip a dress that won’t zip to your bra, or fold over the back of one that is too large to give the full effect.
6. Call ahead for special sizing. If you are looking for a particularly small or large size, call ahead or check the designer website to make sure the dress comes in that size. While designers are getting better and better about this, there are still dresses that do not come in anything but medium sizes, and calling in advance will save you the trouble of going to a store where this is the case.
The most important thing to remember, however, is just to have fun. Shopping for a wedding dress should be a great experience, not a tiring one. Plan ahead — with ordering, money, and decision time, you should buy a dress no later than eight months before your wedding — and enjoy shopping for the dress that will make you feel like a princess on your wedding day.
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