6 Tips For Finding Your Dream Wedding Dress | Wedding Bells

If you follow me on social media you'll know I had my first wedding dress shopping experience two weekends ago. I no idea what to expect, so of course I headed to the blog world to read a few ladies' different experiences. I found it really helpful to read real brides' perspectives so I thought I would throw in my two cents while doing a run down of my experience!

The first dress (or second, or fifth..) may not give you the feeling you expect. I was expecting the first time I tried on a dress to have the overwhelming feeling of excitement and "I'm getting married!!", but the first couple of dresses I tried on ended up being super unflattering. I couldn't help but think "oh great, is this going to be worse than going jeans shopping??" but don't give up!
Be firm with your budget before you try a dress on. The worst feeling I could imagine was to try on a dress, fall in love and then realize it's totally out of budget. Most bridal stores are good at keeping within but if they bring you something and don't tell you how much it is make sure you ask! Remember alterations are typically always an extra cost. Ask if they offer any discounts/alteration credits - the one I ended up choosing was originally over budget, but since it was an in-house designer they offered a discount that put it back into my price range.
Bring any accessories you already have. I knew I was going to be wearing my great-grandmother's veil on my wedding day so I had my grandma bring it to my appointment. Because it's 87 years old and has been worn by multiple brides in my family, though it's in very good shape it's obviously not pure white and so I didn't want my dress to be either. It wasn't really until I tried my dress on with the veil that I really had that "bridal moment"!

Try on at least one dress that your mother loves. If you've come with photos of what you have in mind for your dress, your consultant will be pulling from that when bringing you dresses to try on. What I thought I wanted wasn't looking the best on me (hence tip #1), but my Mum asked if I would try on a style that she thought would look good on my shape. It wasn't anything like the styles I had in mind but I said OK and it ended up being the one I chose! Even if that's not the case, you can always just move on to the next!
Don't feel bad if you don't find the one at your first appointment! There was a girl in the change room next to me that seemed to look perfect in every dress she tried on, but she just happened to have a figure that looked great in everything! Not everyone is going to have that experience. Don't get down though, there is something out there for every body and style!
Once you find the one stop looking. I loved a dress at my first appointment but left empty handed as I wanted to know what else was out there. I went to another shop and found another dress I really liked, and knew after that I wasn't going to look at any more. For an indecisive person like me too much choice can be overwhelming, so I took a few days to think and then went back to the first shop to try on the first dress again. They asked if I wanted to try on any more while I was there but I said no. Once I had the dress on again I knew that was it! 
Now two week from my first appointment I've ordered my dress, and chosen my venue, date and photographer. It's amazing how quickly things can start moving once you've made the biggest decisions! Next week I'll share some of my vision/inspiration for the day so keep an eye out for that, and thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging and sharing their tips during the first part of this process!
If you're married, what was your dress shopping experience like? 
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