As a woman you will wear many dresses, your graduation, prom, formal, bridesmaid dress but none of these come close to the importance of your wedding gown. With this much pressure it's easy to be more stressed than excited when in the fitting room. Here are a few ways to have more fun with the process than to spend time worrying.
Leave your insecurities at the door: This might sound easier said than done but Madison from the award winning Bridal Salon Mia Grace is here to offer her advice. Madison says, "The consultant is there to help guide you and support you with your decision, by having your walls up when you go into the appointment it can cause tense and difficulty for the bride to hear exactly what you want and be able to create that beautiful, confident dream for you." Each woman has their own insecurities.
Know Before You Go: The wedding dress industry is notorious for making dresses that run a full two to three dress sizes small with most designers. Madison has this to say about the experience "Do not lose courage when trying on gowns because the samples will never fit exactly how the bride will wear them on the wedding day. Until the
gown is ordered in the color and size best for you and then altered exactly how it needs to be, all of the floor samples are going to fit a little differently. You must be confident in yourself and know that the gown will be incredible on
you and when it is altered to fit your body specifically.
Know your budget and stick to it:It is easy to watch way too many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress and forget the price tag. But for more conservative brides, set a clear dress budget and look at the price tag before you fall in love in the fitting room. The worst feeling is getting excited about a dress when it is out of your budget. This could have the potential to ruin your appointment and keep you from finding your true dream dress. One suggestion to save money is to look for deals that most bridal salons will offer at the end of each season, Winter is a great time to look because this is typically the least busy time for store owners who want to make a deal with brides.
When to go shopping : Madison says "The majority of bridal gowns ship twice a year. Spring gowns arrive between the end of January and end of March. Fall gowns arrive between end of July and end of September. This means that brides should shop at the end of these shipping periods in order to see the newest gowns in the bridal market!The store will always hold their best gowns all of the year, but a bride may find the gowns she views online during the prime shipping times."
Expect the Unexpected: While it is helpful going into the experience with an idea and possibly some pictures of the style of the dress you might want, Madison explains why a flexible attitude is best for your wedding dress search She explains, "Come with an open mind to features of gowns that you may have not thought of before. Try those different options on because the gowns always look different on each individual bride than they do on the hanger or on the model in the picture." For example you might walk into the appointment thinking you want a blush, long sleeved lace dress and leave with a sweetheart, organza ivory gown.
Limit Your Entourage: We recommend only bringing 3-4 people maximum. Even though it's very fun to have all your friends and family there for the experience, it can be beyond overwhelming to hear so many different opinions from so many different people. The bride must remember it is her wedding, the gown should be what she wants, and everyone will
think she is beautiful no matter which gown she picks
Make It Fun: This is your time to shine and you should not let your insecurities, someone else's opinion or your budget get you down. Ways to help you center your mind are to eat before you come, if you are hungry you will be fatigued and foggy. Come to the appointment knowing that the dress will be altered to fit you and not the other way around. Bring those people closest to you and prep them before you go to remember that this is a high stress time in your life and to try and limit their negative comments. Try one dress on you might never wear just to break the ice. Avoid wearing lace undergarments because these tend to get stuck in the dress. Avoid Caffeine before you go so that you are less jittery and just remember your end goal with the dress. To amaze your other half on your wedding day! This moment is yours so make it amazing. With the help of your close family and friends, a great consultant, an open mind and a fairy godmother seamstress you are sure to find your dream dress. Happy hunting my beautiful fierce friends!