Dress-shopping Anxiety

Thank you so much for your kind words and advice everyone! It actually helped more than you know

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Your dress sounds beautiful Stephanie! I'm so glad someone knows Calgary a bit, I'd only heard of the Bridal Boutique because of a friend. Do you know if they have a wide selection as far as different price points? I'll do a search on the other two as well, thank you so much for your help.

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This is an amazing idea! I'm super picky (and love lists lol), I also didn't know about the limited number of try-ons at some places. Thanks Melissa!

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That's actually a great tip! I'll definitely call ahead, I was thinking of calling too beforehand and asking what their starting price points were to avoid an awkward appointment. Thank you!!

Confession time - I was insanely anxious about wedding dress shopping leading up to my first appointment! I'm a super picky shopper and I'm plus size - so I was convinced that there wouldn't be enough gowns for me to try on, that I wouldn't be able to fit in the samples, and that I just wouldn't find anything I loved because I'm picky! All of my friends had found their wedding dresses really easily, so I felt extra pressure there too

All my fears were literally for nothing. There were tons of dresses for me to try on, I liked at least 1 dress everywhere I went, and the nerves disappeared once I started trying things on! Even if you don't find "the one", every time you try on a dress it helps you clarify what you are looking for and weeds out a ton of options that you definitely don't want

For more dress shopping tips check out these articles: Everything You Need to Know About Wedding Dress Shopping, 7 Wedding Dress Shopping Don’ts, 25 Thoughts Every Bride-to-Be Has While Shopping for Her Wedding Dress

Congrats and I'm sure you'll look awesome in whatever you pick! I didn't have a list but I did have pictures of styles I liked and I knew that certain things were a no-no for me. Go with people who you know will be honest with you and keep you on task; that helped me a lot.

Congratulations on getting married! You will look fabulous in whichever dress you chose! I was definitely more nervous though I was excited when I went dress shopping. Like you I fall for sales pitches so I brought my mom and my sister along. I knew my mom would love everything on me but my sister would be honest about what looked good and what was ''me''. When I tried the dress I bought, I didn't want to take it off and my mom and sister told me later that I looked completely relaxed in it compared to the other dresses (including some styles that looked good). I was lucky that I found my dress at the first salon I went to and in less than an hour but some women go to multiple salons and spend hours shopping which is okay too. At the end of the day, it's your day and you need to feel beautiful in your dress. I don't know any salons in your area since I live in toronto, Ontario but I do recommend trying to find out if the salon pays on commission- if they do, the sales people will more likely try to pressure you into buying something so they make money and it may not be the best dress for you. The salon I went to doesn't pay commission and I didn't feel any pressure to buy...they were so nice I returned with my bridesmaids and we bought all bridal party dresses at the same salon.
Have some fun shopping! It's pretty cool to try on different wedding dresses - like playing dress up as a kid

Hey Gabriella,

Firstly, you will look AMAZING in whatever dress you end up choosing!

Secondly, I'm not sure how many bridal stores are in your area but I would suggest making a list of all the potential ones and then sorting them by price range of dresses they offer. I found that going to a few "lower end" stores first (i.e., the ones that let you try on any number you wanted) and trying on a dress of each style to narrow down your options would be a good start. Once you have an idea of a specific style you like/that suits your body, take that information to some of the "higher end" stores so that they can focus on only showing you those styles (i.e., often there is a set number they let you try on so you maximize your options with only trying on dresses you know you like).

Good luck!

Try davids bridal! They have cheaper David’s bridal collection dresses, and also have other expensive designers as well. I just purchased my dress from them and they are amazing! Plus depending on the type of dress you pick, could always ask for a corset back if your into that, it’s very forgiving and even if you lost a little weight or gained a little the corset allows for extra room. Hope that helps girl!

I felt the same way! I wasn’t looking forward to the experience because I get overwhelmed easily and am a very indecisive person. But I actually had a great experience at W Bridal in Saskatoon, SK! I had a 1.5 hrs private session with 10 of my friends and family ( I know that’s a lot of people but that’s what I wanted haha). Anyways, I had a thought of what I wanted in mind and of course I feel in love with something completely different haha. The sales associate actually ended up picking out my dress!
My best advice is go in with an open mind and never feel pressured to buy anything. And I will say, definitely was a lot more fun than I thought the whole experience would be 😊! Good luck!

It would be weird at all. Bring your list. It will keep your eye on the price and keep you go focuses

I went to Bridal Boutique with pictures of what I wanted. They pulled dresses for me based on what I said I wanted. I also went to Maison Bridal. They were having a sale when I was there (three weeks ago), so not sure if it is still going on. It was for any off-the-rack dresses. It is a smaller store, and they said they only do one appointment at a time, so it will only be you and your entourage in the store. You look at the dresses yourself. They did ask me what I was looking for but didn't help pull out any dresses--just let us look through them all. The other place I know about is Pure Bridal. Went there for Bridesmaid dresses but they have the largest selection of the three. They were super busy, but you had your own area for your entourage. The staff there also brought you dresses based on what you said you liked.

I have put on weight in the past couple months as well. I looked at A-line with rooching (Spelling?) along the stomach area. Corset back is amazing; it brought in my stomach so it looked flat and I could still breathe! It did show off the curves I'm okay with showing off and hid the ones I don't like.

I think that bridal shops actually appreciate it the more you know what u want, so bringing a list is perfect. Anything can feel overwhelming. I was overwhelmed trying on dresses too.

I honestly say, try on the dress, you can tell right away if you are into it or not. My first dress sess. Was a DISASTER due to my weight but don't let it hold you back, the sizing is just a number and dont be afraid of going bigger or waiting longer until you feel comfortable to try a dress on.

Yes, bring a list and make sure you write on it your maximum price and stick to it. Always look in the clearance section first. You may find exactly what you like in your size for a fraction of the cost. Don't worry about the curves. I'm sure there is a dress with your name on it and you'll fill it out beautifully.

I think that bringing a list of what you want/don't want is a good idea! But also, remember that what you think you want might not be what you look and feel great in. I always said I wanted an A-line dress, and did not want to even try on a ballgown... and that's what I ended up falling in love with, a big, beautiful ballgown! Turns out the A-line gowns that I loved in pictures just didn't suit my body type.

There's nothing wrong with some "curves and squish" - we all have it. Hopefully you'll find a dress that makes you love all those curves and squish ha!

It also helps to bring a friend or family member with you to help keep you on track, that way you don't get sucked into something you don't want! Just have fun with it, this is supposed to be a fun day

View quoted message That actually sounds kind of amazing, I'm so curious to see how it turns out! I'm picky so I would for sure take that option if I trusted someone enough to make it. Hope the colour-shopping goes well!

Most things have already been said, but I thought of putting my little 2 cents as well.
I have already bought my dress, and before I even visited a bridal store, I first did an online research on both my local stores as well as online stores.
Ended up going with the option of a local store, as most of them offer a huge variety of dresses that you can try on and see how it fits on your body.
A good suggestion is to be open to everything. I was going for a straight or A-line dress and ended up with a full skirt.
A second suggestion is to go prepared. Browse their catalogues online, if you have that option, and write down dresses that you might potentially like.
I did not exclude any type and so when I arrived I had the top list of my dresses, and still tried all possible types to make sure.
Third, your dress shopping is not the time that you should be polite and thoughtful of the others or how would the bridal consultant feel if you don’t like anything or you just walk away, so do not feel the pressure to please anyone but you. Otherwise you will end up buying a dress that you are not necessarily crazy about.
And that was my 2 cents in any case good luck, have fun and find a dress that makes you love your body like nothing else

View quoted message Thank you! I'll likely bring my one friend who has great taste without being overly opinionated on things haha, she's wonderful and I think it'll make it less overwhelming than going alone. And I will definitely keep everyone posted, thanks for your positivity

A list of what you’re looking for and what you don’t like is a great idea! It will help narrow down the dresses to try on. As for not wanting to sway to pressure, just keep in mind if you’re not totally in love with it and someone needs to convince you to buy it then it’s not the dress for you. This is the one time where it is ok to tell people “no” and do what you want. It’s your day and your dress, not anyone else’s.

It is a great idea to bring with you a list of what you like and don't like but also keep an open mind. A lot of the time you walk out with a dress you would never have thought to try on but it turns out to be the perfect one. I honestly did not like my dress on the hanger, I didn't even want to try it on but they told me too and it was the one. Try not to bring a large entourage if you are easily swayed because the more opinions means more confusing finding your likes and dislikes. Just remember to have fun with it, own your body shape and try not to focus on any negatives but all the positives that the dresses bring out. Good luck! Let us know how it goes

I've been engaged for 8 months and I haven't gone dress shopping yet. Mainly because we are making my dress! I do need to go for the sake of seeing which colours look okay with my skintone. I have a very specific neckline that I want and it's very hard to come by. So I'll be going for the sake of fabric colours and trying on a bunch of dresses I don't like. Sounds fun huh?