4 Things I Learned Wedding Dress Shopping

Like many women who have watched countless episodes of TLC’s “Say Yes To The Dress,” I felt I had a sneak peek as to what my own dress appointment would be like. It would involve sassy consultants, lots of champagne, many tissues, and some type of weird unresolved family tension. And once again, with most of my wild assumptions (like assuming I would have the self-control not to eat the ice cream in the freezer), I was wrong! Here are some points I took away from my wedding dress shopping appointment.  

Your group will be less vocal than you think

Now for argument’s sake, I did just have my mother with me at my appointment. But trust me when I tell you she is the conversational equivalent of 4 people, and extremely opinionated. So you could imagine my surprise when I walked out of that dressing room time after time and was met by her newfound quiet reserve. And I'm not alone, many brides say that they are surprised at how reserved their party is when it comes to giving up their opinions. I'm assuming it stems from them not wanting to hurt your feelings, or say the wrong thing, in case the dress they dislike is the one you love. 

Dress accordingly 

This is something that didn't even cross my mind until I was in a 2x3 dressing room trying to scrape off my skinny jeans. Don’t wear something that is hard to take off and put on to your appointment! I also wore shoes that were difficult to buckle, and I had to keep taking them off and putting them back on with each dress. And make sure you still do a little something to your hair and wear makeup. It might be hard to envision yourself as a bride if you're not a little done-up.  

Your “Dream dress,” may not be “The Dress”

Now even though you have always envisioned yourself in a beautiful slim mermaid dress, that dress might not be the best for you. Sometimes the dress of our dreams can turn a little nightmarish on our bodies. I used to think I wanted a poofy princess dress until I tried it on and saw my figure was drowning in an ocean of tulle. Don’t be surprised if the dress you thought you wanted ends up being the dress you can't wait to take off. 

It’s okay to be indecisive

Once again, TLC lied to us. I thought when I tried on the right dress, my eyes would instantly fill with tears and I would hear my mother sobbing in the background as she gently whispered “that's your dress darling.” That was not the case. Instead, I hated about 90% of the dresses I tried on, and my mother and I were getting hangry. Then the two dresses I actually liked, I tried on over and over again because I couldn't decide between them. It is okay to be a little indecisive, it's a big decision and the “this is my dress” feeling doesn't come to everyone. 

I hope you will remember these points when you go on your first dress appointment. Remember to dress comfortably, keep an open mind, and rely on your gut feeling. No matter what happens, one thing is for sure, you will be a beautiful bride!