Purchasing Advice for a Wedding Dress

For most of us, purchasing a wedding dress is a major expense and we want the people, places, and products to reflect both our financial investment and the importance of the occasion. It can be a stressful experience, but for those who have a certain plan in their mind, it can be both an inspiring and enhancing experience.

So before going out on your bridal shopping, here is some advice that will help make your wedding purchase experience a lovely one.

Set a Target Budget

Before you get carried away by sending all those attractive gowns to your designer, have a budget on the price range for your gown. Setting a budget will not only save your time but also help you narrow down your choices. The last thing you want is to take a liking to a ridiculously expensive dress. Also, having a budget can help your designer to have a rough idea about your price range, and thus they can show you the best dresses they have and you can afford.

Also, remember your wedding dress shopping just does not only include buying a gown; it also includes fees for alterations, shipping costs, and taxes - as well as your shoes, lingerie, veil, and jewelry. Having a specific budget in your mind can help you hone in on your expectations. Your veil and dress are far more important than your jewelry and shoes, so make sure your budget reflects that. Don’t allocate half of your budget towards jewelry to make your ears and neck sparkle and dazzle, instead allocate that half to your dress, and become that dazzling jewel yourself!

Know your Appearance

Choosing a wedding dress is a very personal moment and is an opportunity to showcase your fashion style that suits your personality. Identifying your own style and preferences, and choosing your dress accordingly will put an elegant shine on you that no amount of makeup or jewelry can compete with.

You have surely worn many different dresses at different events and occasions. Now is the time to find out the best dress for you. This is important before you decide whether to go for a mermaid style or perhaps an A-line or a ball-gown? What elements can enhance your features and what elements would detract from them? What design fits best according to your body type? These are the types of things to consider before purchasing your dream dress.

Also, ask your designer and stylist for opinions as well. If it is possible, have your stylist set your hair and your make-up artist fix your make-up. Not only will you stun yourself when you try on your dresses, but you will have all the parts of the puzzle to what looks best together to help you make your selection.

Start Shopping Ahead

Believe it or not, custom bridal gowns could easily take around four to eight months to get prepared. Factor in shipping times, alterations and fitting and you can easily add on another month or more. Also, heavy embellishments can add up to an extra two to four months. And that is if you are a decisive person. If you are a picky shopper or don’t really know what to look for, you might want to start as early as twelve months before your wedding.

If by any chance you put off your wedding shopping for too long, your selection for dresses might get limited or you may have to make a rash decision that you might not be pleased about on your big day. Also, note that designers rack up extra charges for rush orders and that will put an unnecessary strain on your budget!

Research your Shopping Destination

It’s tempting to visit each and every bridal shop in your sight, which is not only time consuming but can also distract you from your original plan of getting the dress of your choice. So be strategic about your time management and start doing some research before going into a shop. Check if the shops you are visiting offer bridal dresses within your price range and have dresses with your preferred designs available. Also, double-check if you need to make an appointment and if an appointment costs money.

Also, keep your preferences in mind, such as; would you like to have a private consultation or are you okay with a more public place? Do you prefer to have a shop near to your living place so that you could easily workout on multiple alterations? Keep all of these requirements in your mind before settling on a shop.

Take Context in Consideration

Try to imagine the day of your wedding in your mind and try to recreate the whole scenario. What kind of dress do you see your bridesmaids wearing? What kind of scenery do you visualize? Also, keep in mind the climate of the destination that you have planned out. A full skirt gown with a lot of fabrics isn’t the perfect fit to wear for a hot, Mexico beach wedding.

Planning to have your big day in summer? Try to stick with silk and take advantage of the situation by showing some skin. Planning to have an outdoor wedding in late fall? Consider long sleeves as they will be perfect to keep you warm late into the party.

Shop at the Right Time

Weekends are the most popular time to shop for a wedding dress, and thus are the busiest days. Trying to shop for your dream bridal dress on these days can result in the worst experience. Therefore, consider taking a day off from your workplace on any weekday and try to go as early as possible to bridal shops. Not only the shops will be less crowded, but also the attendants will be much fresher and fuller of energy, and will give you a far better experience. They will be happy to give you as much of their attention as possible to help you choose your dream bridal dress.

If there is a sale going on, try to shop on the days they have a sale as well. Always remember your wedding budget includes many other things beyond your attire and shopping in a sale period can help you save a chunk of money, which you can use to buy some other stuff or maybe you can put it towards a small mini-vacation as something fun to handle the wedding planning stress.

Skip the Entourage

You should take special care of selecting people that you bring with yourself on this shopping hunt. You don’t have to bring everyone with you as it will not only exhaust you but also may cause conflict and can make you confused from all the opinions. At the end of the day, it’s your wedding and your choice matters!

You can ask how many guests a bridal shop allows. Second, try to bring people along with you who are positive and uplifting. Some close friends may not be suitable for this day, no matter how close a person is to you. If they don’t have a productive opinion (no matter how much fun they are) then you shouldn’t bring them along with you.