Wedding Dress Shopping: What to Do & Not to Do
From a very practical angle to more on the emotional end, all of these wedding dress shopping mistakes are things that we see brides make – and we're here to say it doesn't have to be you!
After booking what might be your 1st or even your tenth bridal appointment (well, let's hope not your tenth!), in search for your perfect wedding dress, somewhere from about 55 to a million thoughts might be racing through your head.
Or maybe you're just tired of the prepping/Pin-ing/researching/shopping and want to buy that darn dress already! Either way, you're probably in search of some real world wedding dress shopping advice to make the process as smooth and easy as possible.
With a few years in the bridal gown business under our belt now we've seen it all – from super success stories to some shopping fails along the way. We've seen the prepared bride-to-be find their dream gown, we've seen brides be truly impressed with a wedding dress style that was a total surprise, to everything in between.
And as a small business with a keen eye for detail on what our brides are looking for, we've collected some share-worthy data when it comes to the wedding dress shopping dos and don'ts.
11 wedding dress shopping dos and don'ts
We're lookin' at you, all blushing brides-to-be! These are the top 11 wedding dress shopping dos and don'ts to take with you to your next bridal appointment.
Do: Know your dress shopping timeline
Do: Book your bridal appointment
Don't: Bring too many people to your appointment
Don't: Over-shop for your wedding dress
Do: Honor your wedding dress budget
Don't: Forget your underwear
Do: Be flexible with your appointment time
Do: Trust your gut
Don't: Hyper-focus on the details
Don't: Arrive on an empty stomach
Do: Communicate!
Here’s what to do and what NOT to do for your bridal appointment
1. Know your wedding dress shopping timeline beforehand
One of our first 'Dos' of wedding dress shopping advice is to know your timeline. There's really no need to do a task like this one too too early (and especially too late) – you just need to know your window of time and do a bit of planning. According to all the bridal gown experts (ahem, not to mention yours truly), the best time to start shopping for your wedding dress is six to 15 months in advance.
Your shopping timeline doesn't have to be super long either because believe us, many brides will find their perfect wedding dress at their first appointment – so just give yourself enough time not to stress and get those alterations done in time for the big day and you're good to go.
2. Book a bridal appointment
Seems obvious, but we gotta say it. If you want a great wedding dress shopping experience, you have to book an actual appointment at a boutique.
Our Hammonton, New Jersey bridal shop is by appointment-only. We do this because there's some prep needed beforehand, and we work hard to curate an amazing experience for all of the brides that come to our shop.
These details are in place to make your time exponentially more special, where you'll feel like the queen that you are. You aren't just a "walk in" with us. So, if you're looking for that boutique experience, book your bridal appointment today!
Wedding dress shopping advice: Booking a bridal appointment is a MUST
3. Don't bring too many people to your appointment
What to bring to your bridal appointment is some of the best wedding dress shopping advice that we can give you. Trust us, there's wisdom in only bringing a few people with you for this momentous time rather than a whole entourage.
Why? We've seen brides get talked INTO buying a dress they aren't 100% certain about, or OUT of one that they really love all the time. In the case of shopping for your dream dress, having less voices is ideal. Many times, we see brides get so overwhelmed by all the different opinions and perhaps conflicting energy that it takes all the fun out of the day. The fewer trusted cheerleaders by your side, the better.
4. Don't over-shop for your wedding dress
Even good things can get exhausting, so don't suck all the fun energy out of your experience by overdoing it. Which is why one of our biggest wedding dress shopping don'ts is don't over-shop!
If you pick your bridal shops thoughtfully, one to three appointments should be plenty to see what you need to see and find your dream designer gown. Many of our brides will find a preowned dress on their first trip, so there's really no need to plan for months and months of shopping! You can free those weekends up with other things on your wedding to-do list.
5. Honor your wedding dress budget
Or, just HAVE a dress budget, really! Set a budget for this important purchase and don't be afraid to stick to your guns and honor that amount while you're wedding dress shopping.
Also, make sure to factor in the cost of your wedding dress alterations into your budget. Alterations are pretty much an inevitable task and extra cost (over 90% of the time) and you don't want to stress out with an added last-minute expense, so just factor that into your original budget.
On the note of wedding dress budget, that ultimate gown you've been eyeing online probably isn't $300. We hate to break it to you but if it's cheap and seems too good to be true, it probably is. That's why we recommend setting a realistic budget as part of your research process when preparing for wedding dress shopping.
The average cost of a wedding dress in the U.S. is between $1,700 to $2,500. At Hand-Me-Gown Bridal shop, lots of our preowned designer dress options cost approximately 30%-50% of their original purchase price.
With the pre-owned option, quality wedding dresses don’t have to cost a fortune anymore.
6. Don't forget your underwear!
Oh pretty please, wear underwear to your bridal appointment. The fact of the matter is that you won't be able to try any of the wedding dresses on without any underwear.
We've had brides rush to a shop across the street to buy a packet of undies in a pinch, so don't let that happen to you! Bonus points if you wear sleek, neutral-colored underwear that will help you just slip into the gowns you'll be trying on.
On top of wearing underwear, there's a few more items to bring wedding dress shopping that will make your appointment go smoothly. We recommend nipple covers or a strapless bra as your upper undergarment wear - other items like a hair tie or hair clip, a nice outfit, and a comfy pair of socks are other things we recommend you wear to your bridal appointment.
One major wedding dress shopping DON’T is to go commando!
7. Be flexible with your appointment time
Saturdays are obviously the busiest times for dress shopping, so why not consider an off-day? If you can swing it, mid-week is actually one of the best times to book a bridal appointment.
Our South Jersey bridal shop also takes last-minute bookings, so know that you don't necessarily need to book an appointment months in advance. But, you have to keep in mind that dress alterations may be needed, which is why we recommend purchasing your wedding dress at least 6 months before the Big Day so that you leave some wiggle room to make any alterations.
8. Trust your gut
Another big mistake that we can make wedding dress shopping (or just in life) is to not trust our gut. If you're not feeling it (but maybe your entourage is) it's your dress at the end of the day – you'll be the one wearing it, so you want to feel your best. Don't settle for less, and go with your gut.
This is where the flexibility factor comes in which we'll touch upon later, because sometimes your gut will say YES to a dress and it might be a little different than what you had pictured in your head! It's okay - it's normal and all part of the process.
Pro tip: Bring a Pinterest mood board of wedding dresses and styles, and we'll work with that as a jumping off point.
Your perfect wedding dresses can come in different shapes and styles
9. Don't hyper-focus on the details
Another one of the biggest wedding dress shopping mistakes that we see brides make is hyper-focusing on the details.
At your bridal appointment, be prepared to be completely wowed by a dress that might seem unconventional to you. We've seen it happen countless times, folks. Kinda like when you had a checklist (top 5 green flags, maybe?) for the perfect partner, and just like that you're completely happy with someone who doesn't check all the boxes but does check some new boxes. Instead, focus on the feeling of the gown rather than hyper-focusing on the specific ideas and plans that you had in your head.
So many of our preowned designer bridal gowns will look great on you, so let yourself be surprised and open to a completely unique wedding dress of your dreams. You'll never know until you try it on. You're a stunner, after all.
10. Don't arrive on an empty stomach
Now, back to some practical tips. Hangry is not what you want to be for your bridal appointment, so make sure to eat something beforehand. And if you're craving a little something sweet during your appointment don't worry, we'll have snacks ready for ya 'cause we're classy that way.
11. Communicate with your bridal stylist
Wedding dress shopping is not the time when you want to hold back, so it's important you communicate throughout your bridal appointment.
When trying on a gown, tell your stylist what you like and/or don't like about it so that they can show you the best dress options according to your taste. Our bridal stylists are absolute PROS, and are there to listen to what you’re looking for in a bridal gown.
Find your dream wedding dress at Hand-Me-Gowns Bridal
We started Hand-Me-Gowns Bridal as a both AND option, meaning that we strive to provide all of our brides with sustainable and affordable wedding dresses, while giving them the star treatment at the same time.
So don't be shy, because your dream gown awaits! Schedule your appointment today and get ready for some magic to happen.
