Picking out your wedding dress is a naturally fun part of your wedding planning experience. But finding the right dress takes time – and that means planning a wedding dress shopping day!
From searching for the perfect dress, to knowing what bridal shops to visit, to easy tips you may not know, you’ll need to know how to plan your wedding dress shopping in advance.
Here’s how to get from dreaming to saying yes to the dress no matter your style or budget.
1: Set A Budget For Your Wedding Dress
Creating a budget for your wedding is an important first step when you begin your wedding planning. Wedding dress shopping is no different.
The average wedding dress cost varies depending on if you’re purchasing a ready to wear wedding gown or a designer wedding gown. For example, the average bride spends $1,600 on her wedding dress. But that could range anywhere from a $500 ML Monique Lhuillier line off the rack dress to a $4,000 Vera Wang dress.
Rest assured, you can find beautiful wedding dresses at every price point. The cost of a wedding dress depends on how the dress is manufactured, the type of fabric used, and the label.
Knowing your wedding dress budget in advance will help know where to shop for your wedding gown, and will assist in narrowing down your numerous choices. No need to fall in love with that $7,000 Lazaro gown that you’ll only be able to afford by cannibalizing other parts of your wedding budget. Keep in mind, you’ll need to include your alterations, undergarments, veil, jewelry, and shoes in your budget.
2: Make Your Wedding Dress Appointment
Now, it’s time to start making your wedding dress appointments.
Book your wedding dress appointment early to ensure you get the day and time you prefer. Considering you’ll want to order your wedding dress 9 months prior to your wedding, this means your dress appointments need to be set 12 – 10 months prior to your wedding.
Ideally at this point you’ll have chosen your wedding venue. This will help you and your wedding dress consultant know things such as indoor and outdoor considerations, weather and venue style.
Appointments are crucial for a solid wedding dress shopping experience. If available, find out who your dress consultant will be prior to arriving. Have a thank you card and a tip ready to go for your appointment. Generally, you’ll tip your wedding dress consultant 10% – 20% of your total cost.
For a quieter experience or if you have a large wedding party, consider booking your appointment on a weekday. If you are booking multiple appointments at different wedding dress shops, never book more than 3 appointments in one day.
Keep in mind, most wedding dress appointments last an hour and a half. Wedding dress overwhelm is a thing, don’t let it get to you.
Lastly, if you imagine popping champagne when you’ve found your dress (or while shopping), call ahead. Some bridal shops will have beverage options on hand, while others don’t allow certain beverages within the store.
3: Choose Your Wedding Dress Shopping Entourage Wisely
You may be picturing your wedding dress shopping day with your girlfriends and a fun afternoon of Ooh’s, Aah’s and champagne. And it should be.
But when it comes to planning your wedding day shopping, there is too much of a good thing when it comes to who attends with you. Your wedding party, mother, groom’s mother – the list of potential people who come with you to go wedding dress shopping grows easily.
Too many people can mean too many opinions.
If your bridesmaid’s number is pushing 10 or more, you may want to cut down the number of people you invite to the shopping day. And really, you don’t need their opinions, you need their excitement over your choice. A group of five close friends and your mother may be all you need.
Gently let anyone in your wedding party know in advance you’re keeping this part of the planning small. If you want people to feel included, perhaps plan a post-shopping happy hour where you show them pictures of your dress options.
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