Recently-engaged ladies – this post is for you! I recently had the chance to chat with the wonderful team over at Beauty Within Bridal, located in Fernandina Beach. They carry breathtaking bridal gowns and their consultants are experts at helping brides find the dresses of their dreams! Today, I want to share with you a few of their top wedding dress shopping tips.
We’ll start with potentially the most important tip: having an open mind! So often, a bride walks into a boutique with one idea of what she wants and says yes to something completely different.
While there is nothing wrong with having a vision for your bridal look, it’s important to go into your bridal appointment open to the possibility that you may change your mind. Dresses look completely different once you actually start trying them on and seeing them on your own body.
So, try on all the styles! Even if you didn’t envision yourself in a ball gown or a mermaid, try one on just to be sure. If you hate it, you can confidently rule out that style. As you narrow down what shapes and styles you do and don’t like, you’ll be easily guided to the dress of your dreams!
Shopping for your wedding dress at the right time is KEY! Designer wedding gowns take between 4 to 6 months to be created and you want a couple weeks on the back end for alterations. If you have the time in your engagement, don’t stress yourself out by waiting too long to start shopping. Your venue and your dress are the two things you should pick out first, after getting engaged.
It is certainly not impossible to get a dress on a shorter timeline, but, if you have the time, give yourself 7 months at least. Otherwise, you should be searching for off the rack sale gowns that are available for immediate purchase. Beauty Within Bridal is very accommodating of women with short engagements, as they carry a beautiful selection of off the rack gowns.
The more people you bring with you, the more opinions you will receive and the more difficult it may be for you to determine your own opinion of a dress. The team at Beauty Within recommends 4 to 5 people at absolute max.
Your first bridal appointment should be with just your closest companions. You can always bring your full entourage to a return appointment or your dress pick up appointment. That way, your crew gets to admire the dress you chose but they don’t have to be a part of making the decision that is really yours to make.
When wedding dress shopping, it’s crucial that you don’t overwhelm yourself. Getting overwhelmed is how brides become bridezillas!
Try just going to 2 or 3 bridal shops tops. After shopping at too many places, it all becomes white noise – literally. Every dress starts to look the same and you can’t make a clear decision. So make appointments at just a few of your local bridal boutiques, then sit down with a cup of coffee or glass of wine and make your final decision.
There’s no need to overthink it – simply choose the dress that you feel the most beautiful in!
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