Let me just start out by saying that I am by no means a dress expert. I've never worked in a bridal salon, I don't have any professional experience in the wedding industry, and my knowledge of wedding trends is minimal at best. All I can really go off of is my own dress shopping experience (and a few hundred episodes of SYTTD).
Feel free to take my suggestions with a grain of salt.
With that said, I do feel like my dress shopping experience was an extremely successful one. I went to just one store, tried on fewer than ten dresses and ended up buying the very first one I tried on. Since purchasing my dress I have had zero dress remorse, and still get that dreamy "Doug sees Patti Mayonnaise" feeling every time I think about her.
There were definitely some missteps in my appointment, but if my dress still makes me feel like a lovesick cartoon character, clearly I must have done something right. So I figured the least I could do was offer some insight as to why I think my shopping trip turned out so well.
Tip #1: Research, research, research!
I cannot stress this enough! You can't go into your appointment without at least an idea of what you're looking for. If there's one lesson I've learned from Say Yes to the Dress (and that's why we watch the show, right -- to learn? hehe) it's that there's nothing worse than being unprepared. Whenever a girl leaves Kleinfeld's without a dress, it's usually because she came in with an unclear vision, and not even Randy could help her find one.
For me, I knew what styles tended to look good on my body, so I used that as a starting point. I started saving inspiration pictures on my computer, and then compared them to see which features were consistent. I also familiarized myself with the most common dress fabrics. I've never been a big fan of shiny fabrics, so I learned early on to avoid dresses made of satin and taffeta. Taking the time to familiarize yourself with dresses before you go shopping will make the consultant's job much easier, and you'll be able to narrow down your choices much faster.
Tip #2: Don't psych yourself out!
People may tell you that if you're not crying, it's not your dress. I'm sorry, but that's bullshit.
If you build up this fantasy experience in your head and expect your appointment to go just like it does on television, you're probably setting yourself up for disappointment. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's a fact. There's nothing worse than looking at yourself in the mirror, and thinking, "I love this dress! I love everything about it...so why aren't I tearing up? Maybe this isn't the one. Should I keep trying on more dresses?"
It sucks. Trust me, I've been there.
There's a lot of emotion that comes with buying your wedding dress. It's probably the most expensive garment you'll ever wear, and thousands of pictures will be taken of you in this ensemble. All eyes are on the bride pretty much all day - it's a lot of pressure! As such, the most important factor in your dress selection is how you feel in the dress. For me, it just felt right. If it's right for you, you'll know. Don't let a lack of tears throw you!
Tip #3: Stand up for yourself!
This is probably the most important lesson I learned while dress shopping. When I first tried on the dress I ended up buying, the saleswoman put me in a push-up corset bra contraption that made me feel like my boobs were at about chin level. There was also a mermaid slip that she insisted would give the dress the volume it needed. I walked out of the dressing room and stared in horror at my reflection.
Everything about it was wrong. My boobs were spilling out of the dress. The poofy bottom made my hips look enormous. The dress accentuated every insecurity I had about my body. I was devastated. Still, the consultant put the veil on me and kept saying that, in the correct size, it would look perfect. When I expressed my concern about the mega-cleavage and explosive volume at the bottom, she said she thought the bottom balanced my top half nicely, but if I wanted to try on some other styles, she had several selections in mind.
Disappointed and unsure of where I wanted to go from there, I agreed to try on her recommendations. The process was rather hit-or-miss, and I could feel myself getting exasperated. The most frustrating part was finding styles that suited my body. Sample dresses are a size 10. My waist is between size 6 and 8, while my bust requires at least a size 12. This complicated matters because, in my opinion, nothing cheapens an elegant wedding gown like too much boobage. Fun and flirty are fine, but above all else, my dress needed to be church appropriate, which meant we had to find dresses that kept the cleave to a minimum.
Still, there were a couple dresses that I liked well enough to allow my sister to take pictures.
But they just didn't seem quite right. I couldn't get over my frustration that the first dress had looked so terrible on me! So my mom and sister urged me to try on dresses that were outside what I thought I was looking for. Before I knew it, I was trying on huge, poofy ballgowns and trying not to choke on the mountains of tulle in the dressing room. The results weren't pretty.
I think the look on my face says it all: "Are you kidding me with this?!" I felt like Cinderella, which is the opposite of what I wanted. I mean, it's a gorgeous dress, but let's be clear: If I were a Disney Princess, I'd be Belle, hands down!
Finally, I spoke up. I told the consultant I wanted to try on the first dress again, but without the push-up bra and mermaid slip. She seemed dubious (undoubtedly they are trained to sell a bra and slip with each wedding gown) but I stood firm. I walked out of the dressing room and gazed in wonder at my reflection.
I couldn't believe it - it was a whole new dress! I started dancing around the store and kept gleefully posing in the mirror. Now that is how a wedding gown should make you feel! We ordered the dream dress and when it arrived (in white) it was even more beautiful than I had imagined. I really couldn't be more thrilled, which is exactly how it should be!
Did your shopping experience go the way you planned? What are some of your dress shopping tips?
*All photos in this post are were taken by the Lil Sis, unless otherwise noted.
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