Your wedding dress is one of your best accessories for your wedding day! Most bride’s stay it’s one of the most important parts of their wedding. Read more about the wedding dress and how to find the wedding dress you love!
The shopping process
Shopping for my wedding dress was a highlight of the whole wedding planning process for me.
I went to one place and tried on a few dresses until I found “the one.” For me, I didn’t want to feel the pressure of having to buy a dress. I didn’t want a boutique because there wasn’t a certain designer that I had to wear or must have style.
For the style of the dress, I had looked in some magazines and thought I wanted something with lace. I don’t even think I knew the types of wedding dresses when the sales lady asked the style I wanted!
The lace dress, I thought I wanted, looked terrible on me. I was surprised by the dress I ended up loving and I went with a champagne colored, classic, strapless, mermaid style dress. Once I tried it on I knew it was the one! So, for me, finding the wedding dress I loved was easy.
I was lucky to have a sweet gal help me with my dress. Having someone you click with also makes finding the dress a much better experience.
My mom and sister went shopping with me and this was really special. And, it helped having someone there who knew me and would give their honest opinion.
How to find out the style of wedding dress you like?
Like with my experience, you need to try a variety of styles. You may love the style you first try on or you may have to change your expectations.
If you know the style of your wedding then your dress can match that style. I wanted more of a classic and timeless wedding dress with a splash of personality. My dress my classic but I wore purple shoes, a veil and sparkly sash.
The owner of Hey Gorgeous says, “try on styles that you didn’t think you would want because you never know what you are going to fall in love with.” I think that’s some of the best advice on how to find a wedding dress you love.
Here’s how Morgan, one of our Coastal California Weddings bride and her story on how she found her her dress.
Finding my wedding dress was both an exciting and overwhelming experience for me. My husband and I had originally booked our wedding with a local venue in May of 2019, however at the last minute we realized we did not want to have a big wedding and that we wanted something more intimate with our closest family and friends. We then contacted Natalie from Coastal California Weddings, and in a span of two days canceled with our current venue and booked with her. This date change meant that rather than having several months to find my dress, I had about a week if I wanted it to be altered in time for our July 2018 wedding. I had dreamt of that moment where I would see my dream dress and know it was “the one”, however due to our time crunch I decided to go on David’s Bridal’s website in search of my perfect wedding gown.
Originally I thought I wanted a mermaid gown adorned with lace, however immediately a different style dress on David’s Bridal’s website caught my eye. It was ivory with a beautiful beaded bodice, thin spaghetti straps and an a-line silhouette. Imagining myself in it made me feel like a princess. I looked at several wedding dresses after that and forced myself to give many of them a chance, though I knew the dress I loved most of all. After trying on two wedding dresses at David’s Bridal, the time came for me to try on my favorite dress. As soon as I put it on I knew that it was exactly what I wanted to marry the love of my life in. I loved every detail adorning it and could not imagine myself in anything else.
David’s Bridal was able to get my dress made and altered so that I could have it in plenty of time before our wedding day. I am so thankful to them for the amazing service they provided me with. My wedding dress is still the dress of my dreams and I will certainly hold onto it forever.
Here’s some pictures of her and her wedding dress. I loved Morgan’s dress on her! The lace on the top added the romantic touch and the a line brought out her long, lean figure and make it seem as if she were floating on a cloud!
What are the styles of dresses?
Where are some places to go dress shopping?
Bridal Boutiques
Hey Gorgeous, a local boutique
This local boutique specializes in a variety of dresses for brides, bridesmaids, and even the mother of the bride. She carries dresses from $100 – $1200 and everything in between. She can work with brides on a budget and has a lot of dresses available to order in a variety of styles.
Most cities have a bridal boutique or two so do your research to see what your town has available. You can also go on a shopping trip to look for your wedding dress.
When doing your research for your wedding dress, here’s some things to find out from boutiques:
- What kind of dresses do you carry?
- What styles do you have?
- What is the price point?
- Do you have casual dresses?
David’s Bridal
David’s Bridal is a popular bridal shop. They have a variety of dresses in a variety of price ranges.
Azazie
My favorite concept is from Azazie, an online store. They have a try at home program where you buy sample dresses to try on. Then you can see if you like the dress. If you do, order it in your size. If you don’t like the dress, just return it…that easy! This is genius. They have casual all the way to fancy dresses with long trains. This company is also located in California so the shipping time isn’t that long and you know you are getting a dress from a reputable company.
Say yes to spanks and undergarments
I’ve seen it all! Dresses that don’t fit right, straps from bras showing, opened back dress with the whole back of the bra showing, see through outfits, you name it.
I can’t stress how important it is to wear the right kind of undergarments. Try the dress on with your undergarments and see what works and what doesn’t. You don’t want straps showing, your thong peeking showing in a see through dress, or your bra peeking out from the top of your dress. You are going to not like those photos.
Please allow for room in your budget for the right kind of undergarments!
How the dress fits
I’d say to buy the dress in the size you are that day. Yes, it sounds great to say you are going on a diet, but in reality rock the body you have!
Be cautious of eating better and exercising while you are engaged. Instead of a diet think of it like toning up or being the best you. If you lose some weight that’s an extra bonus and you will probably feel better about yourself.
Accessories
Here’s some wedding dress accessories that you can get for your special day:
- A veil
- Hair clip or head band
- Flower crown
- A cute bag for your phone, lipstick, tissue and other important items
- A jacket, shrug, or wrap in case it gets cold
- Jewelry – earrings, necklace, ring, and/or bracelet
- Garter
- Shoes
When you find the wedding dress you love, also find the accessories that you love too!
Let’s find out what other brides have done and get some advice from them…
A few brides have gotten their dresses from JJ House. It’s online and ships from China. Some say their size was correct and others say they had to get it altered.
Alterations can cost as much as the dress!
One bride changed her wedding style because it didn’t match her dress.
Some brides have found their dresses on Amazon. One spent $12 on her dress.
I found mine at the local thrift store. It was the third one I tried on.
I found my dress in Colorado shopping with my sister. The store didn’t have my size so I couldn’t get it. I was lucky to find the same dress in another state that fit.
I’m a small person so it’s not easy finding dresses that fit. I found one on sale one day and was like…well, I’ve not had much luck finding anything else so I guess it’s this one, lol.
I had a serious boyfriend though high school and thought we’d get married. I fell in love with a Maggie Sottero gown. I ended up breaking up with this boyfriend, but always loved the dress. When I finally got engaged, I thought the dress would be discontinued. But, to my surprise, the boutique I looked at ended up having the Maggie Sottero dress.
I already had it in my mind what I wanted. When I picked it off the wall I knew it was the one because it matched exactly what I had pictured that I wanted. I tried on a bunch of other dresses to make sure it works, but nope, the first one I grabbed was the one I end up with.
My piece of dress advice…if you don’t find the dress you love keep on shopping girl!
Hope you find the wedding dress that you love!
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