Advice for wedding dress shopping

I used pinterest a lot to find styles I liked and used that going into my appointments. It also helped me figure out which designers I liked best. I was still open minded during the appointments and tried a variety of styles but I knew the overall vibe I was going for based on all of the dresses I had pinned. 12 dresses isn't really that many so definitely do some research online and go back again to try on some more. Eventually you'll get an idea of which style you like best and then you can narrow it down from there.

Also keep in mind your venue and the overall feel of your wedding. That might help you make decisions about your dress. For example you probably wouldn't wear a ballgown in a more casual setting like beach or garden wedding.

Also don't get discouraged if you don't get "the feeling". I personally think finding "the dress" isn't a real thing - not everybody gets "the feeling" and that's totally ok. There will probably be one or two dresses you find that are the frontrunners but at the end of the day it's just a dress and as long as you like it that's all that matters.

I went to 2 different places and probably tried on about 15 or more dresses. The first store i didn't get great vibes from the stylist. The second place I went they were AMAZING. If you are anywhere near the GTA i highly recommend Avenue 22.

It's never too early to start looking for dresses!! My dress took 7 months for it to come in when I had purchased it in January 2019 for my August 2020 wedding and it came to the store at the end of July 2019 (I had changed the color of the dress from the one I had tried on in store. In store was Ivory and I chose Ivory/Light Gold and ordered it in my size)

For myself, I looked online and some of the designers before I went to any of the bridal stores. I looked and looked to see what styles and fabrics I liked and didn't like. When I had gotten engaged back in 2017 about a week later (I was working at West Edmonton Mall at the time) I was walking past one of the bridal stores and saw this amazing dress in the window. I had said to myself that's the one!

Fast forward a year later, my MOH and my mom went shopping for my dress. That same bridal store still had that dress in stock. I told myself not to try that one on until the end. I probably tried on 15 dresses as well as some dresses that I had previously said I didn't like because of the style (strapless and ballgowns) Even though all those other dresses looked great on, they didn't give me that feeling of "that's my dress". As soon as I put on the last dress (the one that I had seen since a year ago) that feeling came to me and I just knew it was the one!

Pintrest is your best friend. Create a pintrest board and save any and all dress that catch your eye (whether it is the embellishment, the way the back looks, how it hangs, neckline, etc.). If you notice they are mostly the same designer - great! Find a bridal salon that carries that designer. See a dress in particular that stands out more than the others? Even better, call the salon ahead of time and make sure they have that dress as a sample to try on - take it from me if there is one dress in particular that catches your eye, you won't be able to truly consider any other options.

If there is no commonality between the images you are saving (Designer, style, etc.) that is also ok! Show your consultant your board and they will be able to see commonalities that you may have over looked (lace, material, neckline, etc.) and pull dresses based on your vision board.

Make sure you share with them your budget.

When I went looking (3 locations total and went back to the last salon 2x before saying "Yes" to the dress), I enjoyed all the dresses I tried on...but when I put on MY dress? It was just a different feeling, and the reaction I got from my best friend was also completely different.

Don't be discouraged! Trust the consultant, trust your gut and it will all come together.

One more piece of advice - if you don't feel like your consultant is listening to you, or you aren't "meshing" with them, try a different salon - I put a deposit down on a dress at the 2nd salon I went to (it was the dress I couldn't get out of my head - hence the advice above!! - but after we left, I reflected on how they treated my mom, and really handled us being there and it left a sour taste in my mouth...so went to a 3rd salon, I got along with the mom/daughter duo very well, and they treated my mom with such respect...and that is where I found MY dress, with no pressure). I realized that I was in love with the first dress, but not in love with how it looked on me or how I felt in it...When I fell for the dress I ended up going with, it was a completely different feeling

I had a really hard time choosing between 2-3 dresses I found after going to at least 5 different salons. I had to really break down all pros and cons in order to choose lol. For me my priorities were:
1) comfort. One of the dresses was a very fitted mermaid and even though it looked fantastic, I knew I'd be too self-conscious about my stomach area, and I'd rather feel my best on my wedding day. So it was easy to eliminate 1 out of 3.
2) dress needs to feel special to me. I know it's rather vague, but I was debating between the 2, and one of them was the EXACT dress that I wanted even before I started trying anything on. You know, that type of dress that perfectly matches your Pinterest board. The problem was that the dress is pretty simple and reflects my normal everyday style, I could've worn it to a summer party if it wasn't white🤷🏻‍♀️ And even though it match my original vision perfectly, I realized that for my wedding day I wanted something more special and more...fancy? Something I wouldn't have worn anywhere other than my own wedding. Also, what helped me the most is realizing that no matter what I choose, it will look amazing. It's not like I'm choosing between a hideous dress and the best dress in the world and if I make the wrong choice, I'll end up with something bad. It will be great anyways!😉

Are you bringing anyone into the try-ons with you? Not to say you have to accept anyone's opinion, but maybe another pair of eyes can offer some feedback that can sway you towards a certain direction.