Shopping for your wedding dress is one of the most special and fun parts about planning your wedding. As a former bridal consultant, I’ve helped brides of all shapes, sizes, budgets, and attitudes. I’ve seen the bride who walks out of the store with the dress of her dreams, and the bride who became overwhelmed and walked away with no dress.
Avoid these 5 mistakes and you’ll be golden…
Criticizing Your Body
The quickest way to discourage yourself and put a damper on wedding dress shopping is to begin pointing out elements of your body that you don’t like. We all have “flaws” but thinking or talking about them negatively will make your dress shopping the furthest thing from enjoyable. Instead of criticizing your body, think about what parts you like and ask your bridal consultant to help you find a dress that accentuates them. Part of her job is finding dresses that flatter any and every body type/shape/size. She’ll find the right dress for your body.
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Not Being Honest
A bridal consultant’s goal is to find you the dress of your dreams. She doesn’t have a sneaky agenda. She’s trying to put you into a dress that’s perfect for YOU.To help her do this, you need to be honest about what elements you don’t like about the dresses and what elements you do like. This will help your consultant eliminate some dresses from her stock and narrow down on the best dress for YOU. With each dress, take time to tell her exactly what you think. She can handle it! You want the skirt to be fuller? You want less beading? You want a thinner shoulder strap? Vocalize your thoughts as she begins the process of elimination. It may take a few tries but she’ll find the right dress for you and she’ll be honest with you along the way too.
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Not Being Flexible
While it’s important to be upfront about your thoughts when trying on different dresses, it’s crucial to keep an open mind. I’ve seen a countless amount of brides come in for a wedding dress shop adamant that they are looking for a lace mermaid (cue eye roll) but without fail they leave the store with the dress of their dreams (to their surprise) a beaded ball gown. You may think you want a certain silhouette or style but be aware that your mind may completely change while you’re trying on dresses. Be open to all silhouettes just to see how you feel, and never judge a dress until you try it on.
Not Wearing Proper Undergarments
It is difficult to try on wedding dresses when you’re not wearing the appropriate garments for underneath the dress. I’ve seen the commonly forgotten strapless bra, and unfortunately – the occasional commando bride… not kidding! No consultant wants to unzip a dress and find—SURPRISE—you’re totally naked. This will make you and whoever is helping you get in and out of the dresses, uncomfortable. I beg of you, throw on a pair of freaking underwear and a nude strapless bra. This will help give you a more accurate portrayal of what you’d look like on your wedding day, and your consultant won’t be cringing as she helps you in and out of the dress
Bringing A Big Entourage
Many brides think they can get away with a large group of girls for wedding dress shopping. You may think your group will be nice and quiet and unlike the negative entourage we see on TLC shows. But no matter how you slice the cake, it’s just more personalities in the room with you. A nice and quite bridal entourage does not exist! Even if you WANT their opinion, it can often get to the point where girls have picked a ‘favorite’ dress from what you’ve tried on and it causes you to feel torn. You quickly begin to focus too heavily on each person’s opinion instead of listening to your own thoughts and what you want. It can become distracting and I’ve seen many girls leave without a dress because she can’t decide. Shop initially with two or three women who you trust more than anyone. Save the entourage for the fitting.
When done right, wedding dress shopping can be a wonderful experience for the bride, but a bit tricky because you’ve never done it before. Avoid the common cringe-worthy mistakes and you’ll be on track to finding the dress of your dreams!
Style Me Pretty Contributor – Kylie Thompson is a freelance writer, blogger and marketing professional from Grand Rapids Michigan, where she resides with her husband. When she isn’t working, you will find her exploring Grand Rapids’ newest culinary establishments with her husband, or traveling up and down Lake Michigan’s coast.