Journal / Top 5 Tips for Buying a Wedding Dress / Top 5 Tips for Wedding Dress Shopping

Congratulations, you're engaged!  Get ready for the whirlwind of wedding planning and the excitement of choosing all the special parts to make your day perfect!  One of the most obvious of these is choosing your wedding dress and starting the journey of research, booking appointments and saying 'Yes to the Dress'

Below are 5 tips that we recommend every bride considers when choosing their wedding gown, and why they might be important to you.

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1.Consider your venue

The first step in wedding planning tends to be booking the date at your chosen venue, and the reason this is important is the location of your wedding can really help with the type of dress you pick.  Beach weddings abroad and you might rule out heavy lace or sleeves.  A small, intimate restaurant might mean you can't have a full princess style due to space around the tables.  You might want to go boho in the tipis, or tradditional in the church, but the venue really can have an impact on the look and style of your dress

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2. Try everything!

Many times a bride will say 'I don't want strapless' and what happens.....they buy a strapless dress!  Shopping for a wedding dress is not the same as shopping on the high street.  The styles, fabrics, colours, necklines, size and shape are crafted by designers who know how a dress should fit.  This skill means that dresses you would normally turn away, could actually surprise you so make sure you try everything.

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3. Budget honesty

Talking about money and how much we have to spend can make people a little nervous, however don't be shy to discuss with the assistant in the boutique as they are there to support.  Rather than pick a budget, consider what you are not comfortable spending over.  For example you might have £1000 to spend but not really comfortable spending over £800, it is a much more reasonable amount in your head.  Bridal boutiques will be up front with you also and advise if you pick dresses out of the comfort zone.  Some, including Willow and Wilde, will state the gown prices on their website for full transparency.  If you feel nervous discussing in front of your entourage, speak with the store before you arrive.

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4. Entourage

Bringing us swiftly into your friends, family, bridesmaids, GBF, aunty that isn't really and aunty but you call her that.....basically the team you assemble to help on your appointment.  Always confirm how many guests you would like to bring with the boutique, they may not have room for everyone and you want the experience to be pleasant for the main people.  Also consider who's opinion really matters to you at this stage?  Mum and sister or best friend is really great option, less noise around who like which style best can make a difference to how you are feeling in that appointment.  You can always bring others to see the dress once the decision is made and you are having fittings

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5. Trust your feelings

You might not cry, you might not get a whoosh of happiness and you might not burst into song like a Disney film when you try on each dress.  But once you have narrowed it down and you consider all aspects of your day from venue to time of year, colour scheme etc, you will truly love your dress and know that it is the right one.  Don't be scared to sleep on it and visit a second time to try on your favourites and narrow it down, sometimes we all get a bit 'dress blind' after putting on 14 ivory dresses.

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