Shopping for a wedding dress is possibly the most exciting thing to check off on the wedding To Do list! Some women dream of their dresses from childhood – I started a Pinterest board as soon as I got engaged. The weeks leading up to shopping for my wedding dress I was SO anxious! And I don’t think i’m alone in that honestly. Growing up watching Say Yes to the Dress there was a lot of pressure to find THE ONE. I had my mom and aunt in from out of town, and my two best friends in tow, I wanted to be able to pick one in front of them.
As an aside…I get overwhelmed at the mall, nevermind a gorgeous bridal boutique filled to the brim with beautiful wedding gowns.
Turns out I had nothing to worry about because I had such an amazing time (even though I didn’t find the dress yet!) and thought I would share a few of my takeaways:
1. Bring your hype team, but not everyone
I had 4 and it was perfect! Too many people and it can feel a bit crowded, both physically and in terms of opinions!
2. Do your research beforehand to have ideas of what you like
BUT stay open minded, you might come home with the complete opposite of what you thought you wanted!
3. Wear shapewear if it makes you feel more confident!!
Before going dress shopping I consulted Google to see if there was anything I could do to prepare better or make the experience go smoother. Many blogs suggested shapewear so I figured why not, may as well look my best! That being said, it is by no means necessary. Whatever makes you feel most comfortable at your appointment.
4. Go into it not expecting to find THE dress
Just have fun trying on dresses and being a bride! This is the best advice I received before going shopping and it just made the experience so much more fun and easy going. Also prepare to like almost ALL the dresses you try on! I was expecting to have a few that really stood out but for the most part, my crew and I loved them all for different reasons.
5. Trust your attendant
The lovely humans that work at the bridal boutiques are there to help you feel amazing. They have tons of experience with various body types and style choices, and are usually great at hyping you up too! My absolute favourite stores for this experience were Stella’s Bridal and Christie’s Bridal in Steinbach.
6. Order your dress at least 8 months before your wedding date
Not to stress you out with this one but it will reduce stress closer to your wedding date! Wedding dresses have always taken a while to receive but with covid and other unforeseen delays, you’ll want to order your dress 8-9 months out! You can’t start trying dresses on too early!
7. Assign someone as the photographer
Wedding dress shopping is exhausting and the dresses all kinda blur together. Have one designated member of your hype squad for photos and videos of each dress for you to look at later! My bestie absolutely nailed this and I couldn’t be more grateful. I used the photos afterwards to help me choose which ones I liked best, and even ended up nixing a few I loved in the store after thinking about them for a few days.
Well there ya have it! My tips and takeaways from wedding dress shopping, I hope they were useful for you and give you the confidence to just let go and have fun at your appointment!
