Planning your wedding is so much fun, but it can also be really stressful.
At Electric Loft, we want your wedding to go as smoothly as possible from start to finish. And that starts with the planning process. Don’t be ill-prepared for any aspect, we have you covered.
Today’s topic – wedding dress shopping. Here are our top eight tips on how to prepare for your wedding dress appointment so that it is enjoyable and easy.
1. Make Your Wedding Dress Appointment
First and foremost, make an appointment!
You want a designated time when a stylist is available for only you, and when the shop will definitely have a dressing room for you to use.
If you don’t make an appointment it is possible that you will be turned away. A lot of bridal dress shops are appointment only. Be sure that your day goes as planned, have a schedule in mind and an appointment made.
2. Do Your Wedding Dress Research
Pinterest, Google, or go old school and check out a wedding magazine. Figure out the best dress silhouette for your body shape and what looks you like best.
Do you want a modern look or a timeless one? Lace, satin, or tulle? Tea-length or floor length? There are so many things to think about! Check out veils, tiaras, and other accessories that you might want.
Knowing what to expect at the wedding dress store you are going to can make or break your appointment. Look at the website of the bridal shop you are going to. Do they carry your dream dress, are they all last season dresses, or do they only carry certain designers?
3. Consider Your Wedding Venue
For complete wedding coordination, consider your event venue and wedding theme when shopping for a wedding dress. Having a cohesive style and theme for your wedding is ideal, or maybe you can go with purposefully mismatched.
You definitely want to also dress for the weather if your event venue is outside. LA heat and long sleeves might not go together very well!
Check out our unique wedding venue in Los Angeles. Here, we can accommodate any style! If you haven’t settled on a place yet, search “venues near me” to get an idea of what is available in your area that you like.
4. Wear The Proper Undergarments
On your wedding day, you want to be comfortable. It’s going to be a long day. When picking a wedding dress style, consider the undergarments you would need to wear.
Shop bridal lingerie before your wedding dress appointment and wear that, or something similar, to the appointment. Also, be aware that your stylist is going to help you put dresses on, and therefore is going to see you in said lingerie. If you are shy, you might want to consider something less revealing.
Shapewear can change the way your body looks in a dress. If you plan on wearing any type of shapewear on your wedding day, bringing that with you to your appointment is a good idea.
5. Have a Firm Wedding Dress Budget
Experts say that you should dedicate ten percent of your entire wedding budget to your wedding dress.
When you set your dress budget, keep in mind that alterations will cost extra. When explaining your max budget to your stylist, make sure to take what you are actually comfortable spending and subtract about twenty percent for tax and alterations. That number will be the maximum base price of the dress.
There is nothing worse than actually having to spend hundreds more than you anticipated because of alterations!
6. Be Honest With Your Dress Feedback
The stylist you are paired with is a professional, trust them! Tell them exactly what you want and how you feel about certain styles or dresses.
Keep an open mind when the stylist suggests dresses and try them on to see how they look. Often, a dress looks a lot different on your body than on the hanger or a model.
If you don’t like how something looks – be vocal about it. This is your wedding dress and it should be exactly what you want. Your stylist will not take anything to heart and is determined to help you find the perfect dress.
7. Bring Opinionated But Kind Friends
Having your closest friends with you while you wedding dress shop can be great, or it can go horribly wrong.
Try not to bring more than three people with you. And make sure the people you bring are honest but kind. You want your posse to tell you if a dress doesn’t look as good as you think it does, but in a nice way.
If you have a wedding planner, consider bringing them along. Wedding planners have extensive experience and will have ideas that you haven’t even thought of!
8. Eat Before You Go!
This wedding dress appointment is most likely going to take a few hours. And depending on where your appointment is, the champagne might be flowing.
You don’t want anyone, especially the bride-to-be, to be hangry during the appointment. Or even worse, drinking champagne on an empty stomach!
Eat a protein-packed meal before you go shopping! Make a whole day of it and take your dress shopping crew to a great lunch spot in LA, or wherever you live.
Wedding Planning Tips
With these tips, your wedding dress appointment should go smoothly and be so much fun!
Check out our blog for more wedding planning tips! Or if you are in LA, contact us to see if we have your date available – we would love to host your wedding! And in a few years, maybe we can be the venue for your baby shower!
