According to a recent study, about 40% of couples describe the wedding planning process as “extremely stressful.” From picking their venue to choosing a song for their first dance, there are so many decisions that need to be made.
There are, however, some aspects of the wedding planning process that can be a lot of fun. Wedding dress shopping, for example, is going to bring you great joy.
It can be a little overwhelming, though, if you don’t know too much about wedding dresses before getting started. We’ve created a wedding dress guide that should help you out in this department.
Check out our wedding dress guide below and make sure that you put it to good use when you’re in the market for a wedding dress.
When Should You Start Shopping for Wedding Dresses?
If you just got engaged, you might be tempted to run right out and begin shopping for wedding dresses immediately. But you won’t necessarily need to do that unless you’re planning on getting married within the next few months.
Otherwise, you should just make sure that you start shopping for wedding dresses about 9 months before your wedding date. That should give you more than enough time to find the perfect wedding dress and get it altered accordingly.
You’ll need to go through a series of alterations in the months leading up to the big day. You’ll also need to get your wedding dress home so that it’s all ready to go when the time comes.
Where Can You Shop for Wedding Dresses?
When you’re first shopping for wedding dresses, you might want to do it right online. You can sift through all the options that will be available to you and see what you do and don’t like.
You might also want to visit one of the many bridal stores that are out there to see which dresses they have in stock. The bridal store industry has blossomed into a $2 billion business that can cater to the needs of all the brides throughout the country.
There are more places to buy wedding dresses these days than ever before. You should take full advantage of this and put yourself in a position to track down your ideal wedding dress.
Who Should You Bring When You’re Shopping for Wedding Dresses?
If you’re going to be shopping for wedding dresses online from the comfort of your own home, you won’t have to worry too much about who you’re going to bring to shop with you. You can shop by yourself and show people which dresses you found that you liked later on.
But if you’re going to be shopping for wedding dresses in a bridal store, you should put together a small collection of people to go and shop with you. Some of the people you might want to consider inviting should include:
- Your mom
- Your sisters
- Your best friends
- Your coworkers
Generally speaking, you should extend an invitation to anyone who is going to be a part of your bridal party. It’ll be great to get their input on which wedding dresses they think you should strongly consider.
What Should You Bring When You’re Shopping for Wedding Dresses?
If you want to take a trip to a bridal store as-is without bringing anything along with you, you’re welcome to do it. But you should think about bringing a few items with you that will make your experience that much better.
First and foremost, you should bring any photos of wedding dresses that you’ve found for inspiration. It’ll help those who work at a bridal store to get a better sense of what kinds of wedding dresses you like the most.
You should also bring nude-colored undergarments to wear underneath wedding dresses. Ideally, you should try to wear the same kinds of undergarments that you would wear on your wedding day.
Additionally, you should bring a pair of heels that you could see yourself wearing on your wedding day to a bridal store. It’ll help you to complete your look when you’re trying on wedding dresses and ensure that you’re able to locate a dress that you absolutely love.
What Are the Most Popular Types of Wedding Dresses Right Now?
Do you have any idea which wedding dress style you like? If not, it would be worth reading some trend pieces to find out which wedding dress styles are the most popular right now. It’ll increase your chances of choosing a wedding dress silhouette that will fit with the times.
Here are some of the best wedding dress silhouettes at the moment:
- Mermaid
- A-line
- Trumpet
- Ballgown
- Slip
- Tea-length
You’re obviously free to go with whichever wedding dress style you like the most, regardless of whether it’s on-trend or not. But it would be good for you to have a general idea of what’s in (and what’s not!) in the wedding world.
You might also want to give some consideration to what kind of wedding dress fabric you like the most. It’ll guarantee that you’re able to get comfortable on your wedding day when you’re getting down on the dancefloor with all your guests.
How Much Do Wedding Dresses Cost?
Remember back at the beginning when we talked about how stressful weddings can be? Well, they’re stressful to some degree because of all the costs associated with them.
And believe it or not, buying a wedding dress will be one of the biggest expenses associated with a wedding. The average wedding dress rings in at more than $1,500 nowadays.
Don’t be alarmed, though! As long as you’re willing to shop around and get creative, you can find wedding dresses that will cost you less than that. It’s all about coming up with a budget and determining what you can afford to spend on your wedding dress.
Of everything that we’ve talked about in this wedding dress guide, creating a budget for yourself might be the most important thing. It’s going to help make the wedding planning process a lot less stressful for you and your soon-to-be spouse.
Which Alterations Will You Need to Make to Wedding Dresses?
There is almost no way that you’ll be able to buy a dress off the rack, put it right on, and have it fit perfectly. There will always be some alterations that will need to be made to a wedding dress to make it fit like a glove.
In fact, you’re likely going to need to find a good tailor and have several wedding dress fittings before your big day arrives. It’s the only way to make sure that your wedding dress fits you to perfection.
You should arrange to meet with a tailor on several occasions in the months, weeks, and even days leading up to your wedding. The more trips that you take to see them, the better your wedding dress will fit you.
You might also want to look into making changes to things like the lace or the beading on your dress. Your tailor should be able to extend all the services that you’ll need to make the alterations that you want to your wedding dress.
What Will You Need to Buy Along With Wedding Dresses?
Your wedding dress is obviously going to be the star of the show on your wedding day. But all of the different accessories that you add to it will be what make or break it.
With this in mind, you should really go all-out when you’re shopping for wedding dress accessories. You don’t want to over-accessorize your wedding dress, but you also don’t want to skimp on accessories and make it appear as though something is missing from your wedding day look.
Some of the wedding dress accessories you should consider buying are:
- Fancy shoes
- Elegant jewelry
- Beautiful veil
- Gorgeous headbands/hairpins
- Customized handbag
Again, you don’t have to go too wild with wedding dress accessories and take the focus off the dress itself. But you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see what a few well-placed accessories can do for you. You’ll end up looking even more beautiful than you could have ever imagined.
Utilize This Wedding Dress Guide to Buy the Perfect One
When you come across the perfect wedding dress, you’ll just know that it’s meant for you. But it can take you some time to land on a wedding dress like this.
Use our wedding dress guide to inch your way closer to that point. It should guide you in the right direction as you set out to find a wedding dress that you’ll love right from the start.
Look for more wedding planning tips and tricks by browsing through our other blog articles.
