Last week, I wrote a post about finding the perfect wedding venue. This week, is the next biggest thing in wedding planning…THE DRESS. I know if you’re a bride, you’ve seen “Say Yes To The Dress” at least once during your wedding planning. Me, on the other hand, I watch it NON STOP. I love everything about it! I love the emotion of the show, the butterflies in my stomach when the girl realizes she’s found the one and of course imagining myself trying on each and every one of those dresses. Luckily for me, I found the perfect dress! Now, here’s my advice on finding yours!
Location
Make sure you do your research on where you are purchasing your dress. Read Reviews, talk to other brides who have gone through the purchasing process at the same store and make sure you fully understand their ordering policies. Along the same lines with location, think about where you are getting married. This will help determine what type of wedding dress to purchase. Although there are not really rules for your own wedding, you may not want a full ball gown on for a beach wedding or a short dress for a traditional church ceremony.
Timeline
Begin shopping six to nine months before your wedding. Most dresses, unless being bought off the rack, need to be ordered and can take awhile to come in. Don’t leave shopping for last minute because you still need time for alterations and a few fittings before your big day.
Focus on the Fit
Bridal dresses can run much, much smaller than your every day clothing, so don’t be disappointed when trying on sizes much larger than you normally wear. It’s normal to get caught up in what size the dress is, but don’t focus on that. Focus on the fit of the dress. How does it make you feel wearing it? If the fit is just right, the size doesn’t matter one bit.
Budget
This one is obvious, but is the dress in your budget? Don’t try on something you love if you can’t afford it! Why fall in love with a dress that is twice your budget and then you can’t get it out of your head. Stay within your budget goals and you will find a perfect dress that makes you and your wallet happy. Remember to add alterations and the bustle into your budget for the dress. A lot of brides forget that there are more added expenses after the initial dress price.
These are a few tips that help me get through finding my wedding dress. Most importantly remember that this is your wedding and there are no rules on what to look like. If you envision yourself getting married in a hot pink bridal gown, go for it! This is the only day to live it up and be a bride!
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