Finding your dream wedding dress can seem a little daunting, especially if you have a tight budget and/or timeframe. If you’re about to start looking or are in the midst of trying to find the perfect dress, have a read of my top tips to make this decision a simpler, more enjoyable one!
Make a day of it!
Make sure you book ahead with any bridal boutiques you plan to visit, so you can maximise your time with the consultant - it will be much less stressful, trust me! Definitely go out for some sort of food first; this will provide you with much needed energy for the task ahead and also makes a great excuse to catch up with your bridesmaids, friends, sisters or mamma! I’d recommend keeping the rest of the day clear, as trying on bridal gowns can be a little time consuming - all that zipping and buttoning and modelling etc… will take at least a couple of hours. You don’t want to feel rushed as this is a pretty huge decision!
You don’t need an audience
Having too many opinions of each dress will definitely make the decision harder than it has to be. I only had my mum with me when I found my dress and I really valued her opinion. If I had my bridesmaids with me too, I would have been a bit overwhelmed and may have second-guessed my final choice! That being said, you may really value the opinion of each of your bridesmaids, friends or family. I’d recommend sending them a photo of one or two of your favourite picks later on (that’s if you aren’t keeping it a secret!) Try choosing one or two people to attend the appointments with you, this will make it a much more relaxing and enjoyable experience.
Stay flexible
Its great to have an idea in mind of what style of dress you want, but you never know you might just fall in love with a dress that you may have never imagined would suit you! If you’ve got time, go ahead and try a couple gowns that you might not have planned to wear and see what you think. You can always get your dress altered to create something completely unique and suited to your style. I had the back taken out of my dress as I couldn’t find one that I liked, and I was so happy with the result!
Get snapping!
I cannot stress how important this is. By the time you’ve tried on twelve dresses, you’ll begin to wear out and they will all become a big blur of lacey white frills! That paired with hunger will make it hard to remember what each dress looked like and felt like on you. Being able to go home, sit on the couch in your trackies and look back at photos of each dress, from all angles will make the decision MUCH easier. I highly recommend bringing someone who can snap away while you practise your go-to dance moves and throwing your bouquet over your head in each dress. Oh and take video too - even better!
I hope these tips will help you find your dream wedding dress! Just remember to enjoy yourself and you’ll be sure to make some treasured memories.
All the best!
Petra
x
Image by Lucas & Co. Photography