You’ve said yes to the love of your life, have a gorgeous engagement ring to prove it and now it’s time to find the gown of your dreams. But wait just a minute! Before you get too excited, understand that choosing your perfect wedding dress takes time and usually, you’ll know “the one” when you see it. When searching for your bridal gown, avoid regret by dodging these very common wedding dress shopping mistakes.
Shopping too Early or Worse… Too Late
If you just got a ring on your finger yesterday, it’s recommended to take a bit of a breather before hitting up bridal boutiques. Your style may change, your weight could fluctuate, and to put it simply… rushing is never a good idea. Do a little internet research before-hand to find different gown types that appeals to your taste and style. Once you’ve had time to process that you’re ohmygoodness “finally engaged!” then you can dive into that “early is better” rule and start searching for your bridal attire!
Bride beware: don’t wait until the last minute either! By rushing through the shopping process, options will be limited, ordering is unlikely and forget about alterations (unless you can do them yourself). Of course you want a flawless wedding dress, so a good rule of thumb is to make sure you give yourself enough time to order in and adjust the outfit.
Spending More than you can Afford
While weddings certainly tend to be expensive, sinking yourself into a sea of debt isn’t worth it. When saying yes to the dress, ensure you’re not spending your life savings because you tried on a gown where the cost was way outside of your means. A tip from the pros: avoid trying on attire outside of your budget because yes, you’ll be able to tell the difference and yes, you’ll love it more than the more affordable option you tried on earlier. Make a budget, stick to it and only try on dresses that are kept within that financial range.
Bringing a Large Team of Observers
It’s great to get opinions however, by receiving too many of them, you may end up making a choice you’ll later regret. Shopping should be fun and oftentimes, you’ll know “the dress” as soon as you see it or try it on. For example, if you’ve found an outfit you feel amazing in and can picture yourself walking down the aisle feeling confident, beautiful and fierce, this is great news! You may have just found your perfect gown! But when it comes time to leave the change-room and show it off to your entourage, you find yourself receiving four different opinions from four different friends and now, you feel confused and unsure. What just happened? If you’re bringing anyone with you to the bridal boutique, keep it to a small intimate group of people (mom and best friend perhaps?) whose voices won’t get lost in a confusing pool of opinions.
Not Keeping an Open Mind
When shopping for your beautiful bridal gown, keeping an open mind is key. Many little girls grow up knowing the exact silhouette they’ll wear on their magical day. However, if you’ve found a different option that isn’t what you imagined your “fairy tale dress” to be, listen to what your heart is trying to tell you. Maybe you had your heart set on a mermaid style gown but fell in love with an A-Line silhouette instead. Don’t go with the mermaid just because that was what you thought you wanted. You’ll feel more confident on your wedding day if you invest in the style that made you feel like magic!
Forgetting about Accessories
If you have a budget set aside for your gown at $1300, factor in extra costs for accessories as well. When browsing the boutiques, keep in mind you’ll still have to purchase jewelry, lingerie, possible alterations and perhaps one of the most overlooked accessory items: the veil. These extra pieces have potential to push you over your allocated limit, so choose wisely.
For a bride, finding a fairytale wedding dress is arguably the best part of the planning process. By avoiding these 5 shopping mistakes, you’ll banish regret and feel like an absolute princess on your special day.
Planning a flawless ceremony and reception doesn’t have to be stressful and when you have a team of professionals standing beside you to plan an impeccable celebration of love, you can shift your focus towards what really matters: marrying the love of your life. Our wedding planning services include rehearsal attendance, on-site management, décor set-up, photo organization and more! To start planning your fairy-tale wedding, stay ahead of the stress and send us a message today.