Wedding Dress Shopping Tips

Martha Stewart Weddings shares tips from bridal shop owners and they give tips on things they wish they could tell a bride when shopping for a dress. The Dress Matters owner, Deborah Collins, shares that a bride may not cry when she finds the perfect dress. If you feel special in the dress and don't want to take it off, you've found your dream dress! Some of the tips from Martha Stewart are below, but you can find all of them here.
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Pin it! 

Start a wedding dress board on Pinterest and pin away. Pull in everything you like, and share it with your stylist. Now let her do her magic. It's great to have a few pictures of dresses you like, but keep your options open. Gowns look more beautiful on the bride than they do on the hanger, Try on a variety of styles and fabrics so you can see how they look on you.

Be ready to buy. 

If you find a dress you love, buy it. Many boutiques sell samples off the rack, and designers may discontinue a dress while you're mulling over your decision. If you don't buy a dress you love, there's a chance you may not be able to get it once you're ready to buy,

Know the lingo. 

Made to order and custom made are two very different things. Your made-to-order dress is what you'll try on in the store. If you find the dress you love, they'll order you the size closest to your measurements, but it will still need alterations to make it fit you just right. A custom-made dress is completely made from scratch for you and your body.

Save the date. 

While every boutique and designer is different, it typically takes four to six months to deliver a dress, plus add two to three months for alterations. Childs recommends starting your dress shopping about a year before the wedding. If you try to get really ahead of the game by shopping more than a year in advance, styles will change and you may miss out on something you'd like better.

Happy dress shopping!

​Photo by K T Merry