With your Pinterest board, wedding date and budget all prepped, you take your first step into a bridal shop. (don’t have that yet? click here!)
What’s next?
Time Frame // You will need to buy your dress 8-12 months before your wedding date. Shop too early and you will be overwhelmed and unsure if you can pick something so important so early. Shop too late and your options will be limited. I’ve had a girl try to find a very specific dress less than a month before her wedding and wouldn’t settle for anything else. Poor girl will be walking down the isle naked. Don’t be that girl!
Bride Squad // Before going shopping think hard about who you need with you to say yes, and who would just make things complicated. There is no specific rule for this because everyone is different. Whoever you bring with you should know that at the appointment the only thing that matters is how you feel in the dress. If there is one person in particular that you need with you to say yes to your dress, have her/him with you at the appointment because when you shop at the right place (cough… RK Bridal… cough) the chances of finding your dream dress are high.
When to Shop // If you like the feeling of fighting over sales on Black Friday, do all of your bridal shopping on Saturday’s and Sunday’s. You will be surrounded by hoards of brides and their maids making their way through racks of bridal gowns while excitedly waiting for their chance to work with a bridal consultant for 45 minutes. If this does not sound pleasant, show up mid week and your chances of getting a bridal consultant and more time is very high. Keep in mind though, some stores are appointment only.
Your wedding dress will be the most memorable dress of your life, the adventure of finding it should be fun! Come prepared, come fed (no one wants to shop hangry), and come ready to fall in love all over again.
