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Lets set things straight. There are two components that are a must have at a wedding. That is the bride, and the groom. With the bride how she is dressed will be the epitome of the wedding. Was she smart, was she glowing, was she looking happy etc.
Every bride wants to always look back at her wedding album and see herself as the happiest, smartest, and most beautiful woman that ever lived. Therefore for the bride, finding that dream wedding gown must be the top priority on her wedding planning list. Wedding gown shopping is an exciting and fun experience. It can also be stressful since it is going to be the first time for the bride to be to try on wedding gowns. Brides will however will find that planning, doing some research and preparing for your search for the one, will make their wedding gown search enjoyable and hassle free.
We have listed a few guidelines for brides to follow to make finding the dream wedding gown as easy as 1 2 3.
1. Do your research
What kind of gown are you looking for? This is the first question that a bride will be asked when she to a bridal shop to try on gowns. Having an answer to this question helps. Brides therefore need to start by doing some research.
Otherwise the bride runs the risk of getting too excited when she tries on wedding gowns, and ending up acting too fast, booking a gown only to end up booking another one and spending on both gowns.
The starting point is to at photos online, on social media or in magazines and save whatever you like, all of them.
Next is to refine the research and eliminate what doesn’t quite stand out to you after a few hours or days. By now you should see some sort of pattern. It could be a fabric, a dress style, a type of embellishment. Are you loving lace wedding gowns? Ball gowns? Mermaid gowns?
With your research done, it’s time to plan your day or days of wedding gown shopping.
Now that you know what your dream wedding gown should be, the first thought that might come to you is the worry of whether you will find this dream wedding gown that you have envisioned, seen in magazines, and believe is the one for you. Not to worry, with a bit of planning and preparation, the gown of your dreams will be in your hands. The advice below is a great place to start.
2. Plan to start shopping early
As the saying goes the early bird catches the worm. You will have endless choices if you start shopping for your dream wedding gown at least six months before your wedding. If you wait until the last minute most of those popular gowns that you fall in love will be already booked, and there will not be enough time for you to order an original designer gown.
3. Call in advance
Most bridal shops stock wedding gowns for the “average” bride. Therefore, before visiting any bridal shop, you should call them to confirm they have a variety of wedding gowns in your size that you can try on. Especially if you are a really small bride or a plus size bride. The more gowns that they have for you to try on the easier it will be for you to decide. Nothing is worse than getting to a bridal shop only to find they have nothing for you to try on.
4. Book an appointment
Making an appointment allows the bridal shop to prepare for your visit and ensure that she gets all of the attention while trying on gowns. Walk-ins are always welcome; however, you might have to wait and sometimes the waiting time can be too long. And with the ongoing pandemic, bridal shops are required to ensure social distancing and avoid overcrowding their premises.
If you plan to visit a relative, the norm is that you should call in advance to avoid bouncing. You want the person you are visiting to cook the best meal for you and have time to chat with you. Bridal shops are not any different, if you want undivided attention, schedule an appointment.
5. Figure out your budget
It is OK to have a budget. In fact most people will have a budget for everything that they do. Even the richest people in world will have a budget, and brides should not be any different. Having a budget means that the bride is a smart shopper is working within the agreed budget for her wedding.
Just like cars or any other products, the prices of wedding gowns will vary depending on the manufacturer, costs, etc. Brides are understandably uncomfortable to talk numbers, but it saves them from heartache later. Before your first trip to a bridal shop, figure out who is paying for the wedding gown. If someone else is paying, know your spending limit. You can choose to stay within that budget or pay the difference yourself to get the gown you want.
Yes, we do have the concept of bargaining, but there is a limit to how low a bridal shop will be willing to reduce the price of the wedding gown to fit your budget. All gowns are priced differently, and the most expensive gown may not necessarily work for you. You will be surprised to find a stunning gown at a very low price.
When you get to the bridal shop, give your bridal consultant the correct budget, this will help make the best of your appointment. Its will be very disappointing when you fall in love with a wedding gown which ends up out of your budget. You will keep comparing the next gowns that you try on to something that you cannot have.
6. Shop on a weekday
Most bridal salons are very busy on the weekends, meaning you may get less personal attention. It’s worth using some personal time from work to have your appointment on a weekday.
7. Visit one bridal shop per day
It is surprisingly time consuming to put one wedding gown on and off, let alone three or five or even ten and you don’t want to feel rushed to make a decision. Instead of making plans to visit many bridal shops on the same day, focus on one at a time and if you don’t find what you are looking for, go home and start afresh the next day.
That way you avoid chances of booking the last gown that you tried on because you have tried on so many gowns from several shops and are now confused.
8. Choose your entourage wisely
Yes, you love your mom, your sister, your sister-in-law, your maid of honor, your ten bridesmaids, and ten other cousins, but if you have ever tried to get a crowd to agree on where to go for dinner, you can only imagine how hard it will be to find consensus on a gown.
Narrow the group down to the two or three people whose opinions matter most to you. Ultimately it is your wedding day, and your choice. And due to the pandemic, the bridal shop that you are visiting might limit you to no more than 2 guests for your appointment.
9. Wear your wedding-day undergarments
If you are planning on wearing a body shaper, a special bra, or a longline corset on your wedding day, go to your fitting appointment with them on. Under garments can really change the shape of your body and how your gown fits you.
10. Wear heels to the appointment
A wedding gown will look a lot different in flat shoes than stilettos. It is best to go to your fitting appointment wearing shoes with the same heel height as the ones you plan to wear on your big day. You will want to make sure that your dream gown works for your height.
11. Keep an open mind
Believe your bridal consultant when he or she says that gowns that look better on your body, than on the hanger. Wedding gowns often have heavy details that can make them sag on a hanger. Unlike shopping for a shirt, you won’t really know what a wedding dress will look like on you until you actually try it on, so be open if your consultant promises the dress will look better on you than it does on the hanger.
Do not hold back when letting your bridal consultant know exactly what you are looking for. Be as honest and as open as possible. The more information you give about your likes and dislikes, the easier it will be for the consultant for pick out your dream gown.
Most importantly, keep an open mind to finding a dream gown that you did not know would be the one. The research helped you to know what you like on paper but that may not necessarily the kind of wedding gown that flatters your body shape and compliments your complexion.
We have seen so many of our brides falling for something completely different than what they envisioned. This is because the model in the pictures is very different from the bride. As women we all have different body shapes and skin types.
Your gown should bring our the most beautiful version of yourself on your wedding day, and that most of the time will be completely different from what you saw in the pictures.
Always allow the bridal consultant to suggest a wild card wedding gown that he or she thinks may suit you. He or she most likely knows a bit more than than you do, since he or she has practically helped many brides on their journey of finding their dream wedding gown.
12. Consider how you feel in the gown
The gown that makes you feel the most beautiful is the gown you should choose. Even if a gown checks off all of your criteria, keying in on feelings can help you decide between gowns and lead to that magical moment when you’ve finally found “the one”.
13. Details can be added
Say you have fallen in love with a strapless gown, but you are looking specifically for something a bit more modest, the solution is simple; add a sleeve. Do not be afraid to ask about specific alterations and the costs attached. Customize away!
Thanks for taking time to read this blog. We hope this improves your wedding gown shopping experience greatly. For any questions do not hesitate to contact us on +256 706 555006 or +256 772 583133 or +254 748095888 We look forward to the privilege of finding your dream wedding gown!