Your wedding dress is one of the most important and expensive garments you’ll ever buy so it’s important to take your time and shop carefully. In order to know what suits you, you need to try a good few dresses on. Round up your mum and bridesmaids and head down to your local bridal boutique to spend an afternoon trying dresses on with the people who can be most honest with you about what you look good in! But before you step foot in a bridal boutique, here are a few things you should know...
- Undergarments can change the look of a dress: If you’ve recently lost weight in order to look and feel your best for your big day then it’s a good idea to go for a bra fitting before you try dresses on. If you’re wearing an ill fitting bra you might bypass your dream dress. Wear a bra that fits you perfectly and enhances your natural curves and you’ll know when the dress is ‘the one.’
- Wear makeup to the boutique: We don’t mean completely cake yourself in the stuff, but if you normally go makeup free then it can be a good idea to wear some on this particular day. There’s nothing like being surrounded by pristine princess dresses to suddenly make you notice those dark circles under your eyes! Putting on a bit of makeup can help you to imagine how you’ll look on the day.
- Do the aisle test: When you’re trying wedding dresses on it’s important to make sure you look good from every angle. All eyes will be on you as you walk down the aisle, from every direction, so make sure your dress has the wow factor from all angles! Taking your bridal party with you can help with this, the more sets of eyes the better.
- Trying on gowns is exhausting: Bridal gowns can be pretty heavy, so getting in and out of them is a bit of a workout! Eat properly before you go, and don’t plan anything too strenuous post –shopping. Trying on wedding dresses can also be emotionally draining; even if you’re not the weepy type, your mum will probably shed a tear when she sees you in your finery.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount: Some bridal salons will offer discounts for bulk buys, i.e. if you order the bridesmaids dresses from there as well. If the display dress is your size and you’re happy to take it, see if they will offer it at a reduced price. It’s been tried on a few times, but it’s nothing that a trip to the dry cleaners won’t fix!
- Don’t be bullied into a dress you don’t like: When it comes to your wedding you’ll probably find that other people’s opinions are vastly different to your own. If your mum loves you in a particular dress but you feel more like a princess in a different one then don’t try to please anyone else but yourself! After all, it’s you that will be wearing it and looking at the photos for the rest of your life!