8 Must-Have Tips On How To Shop For A Wedding Dress For The First Time

Congratulations, you said “yes” to your sweetheart! Now that you’ve got the ring, it’s time to find your dream dress (take a look at our Style Quiz to get a jumpstart!). Maybe we’re biased, but gown shopping should be the most exciting part of your wedding planning journey. We know the first appointment can be a little bit intimidating, but don’t worry! To make your first appointment easy breezy and stress-free, we’ve compiled our top tips for how to shop for a wedding dress for the first time. Scroll on!

How To Shop For A Wedding Dress: Do Your Research Before Your Bridal Appointment

PC: Christin Hume Photography from Unsplash

We get it. The endless bridal gown options out there can be overwhelming. If you’re not sure how to prepare for wedding dress shopping, here’s some help. First, take our wedding dress quiz to find what style of gown might be right for you. Additionally, if you want some ideas on what silhouettes will flatter your figure, take a scroll through our post on how to choose the perfect dress for your body type.

Then, look through the wedding dress Find Your Style page on our website. On the left of the page, you’ll be able to filter between price, style, silhouette, sleeves, and much more! If you’re still a little lost, (that’s totally normal though!) look at our favorite trends of 2022 for some inspiration. We promise this will save you loads of time in the store and help your bridal stylist find the right wedding dress for you!

How To Prepare For Wedding Dress Shopping: Consider The Look You Want For Your Wedding Day

PC: Marisa Kinney Photography| PC: Amanda Kocher Photography | PC: Erica Cervantez Photography

Though you might feel a little bit lost, having a general idea of your style is important to know before you start trying on wedding dresses. It doesn’t need to be as concrete as knowing you want a mermaid, A-line, or strapless wedding gown though! Knowing “the vibe” you’re looking for is enough.

There are a ton of styles to choose from and consider. Try looking through our blogs on alternative, romantic, elegant, and lace wedding dress styles to start with:

• Top Alternative Wedding Dresses for an Unconventional Bridal Look
• Boho A-line Wedding Dresses for the Romantic Bride
• 11 Classic Wedding Dresses For Curvy Brides To Feel Absolutely Elegant In
• All About That Lace: Lace Wedding Dress Tips

It’s also good to think about if you want to look soft, sexy, or quirky on your wedding day. By narrowing your style down (or combining these three things), not only will you be able to help your dream dress, but it will give your stylist some guidance as well. Don’t be afraid to keep an open mind though, you’ll never know what might catch your eye.

What To Wear Wedding Dress Shopping: Wear The Proper Undergarments

Aside from a wedding dress’s construction, the secret to a perfect fitting wedding dress is proper-fitting undergarments. To experience the best fit possible, make sure to wear the right type of undergarments. (Need help? Take a look at our bridal undergarment guide!)

Note: When shopping for your wedding dress, also make sure to bring a strapless bra and any shapewear you may want to wear on your wedding day. The bra will let you rock those backless styles, and the shapewear will support you while smoothing and holding everything into place! Additionally, for the best outcome, make sure to wear something that closely matches your skin tone.

Bring Shoes That Are The Right Height

Don’t know what to wear wedding dress shopping when it comes to shoes? When trying on wedding dresses, don’t forget about the shoes! Whether you are planning on wearing heels or flats, make sure you wear shoes similar in height to the shoes you plan to wear on your wedding day.

You don’t need to bring the exact pair of bridal shoes you’ll wear for your wedding. However, wearing similar ones will help you determine what length of wedding dress you need to order. And it will also help you better envision your overall wedding day look!

PC: Jaimee Morse Fine Art Photograph | PC: Unknown

Sneaky tip from a professional: If you haven’t decided on your shoes or been able to get a pair, you can mimic your heel height by standing on your tiptoes in the dress!

Trying On Wedding Dresses: Come With Your Hair and Makeup Done

PC: Amanda Kocher Photography

Do you know how to shop for a wedding dress while truly feeling like a bride? Having your hair and makeup done! To help you get a complete feel for which wedding dress is your style, do your hair and makeup in a way that resembles the hairstyle you are thinking about wearing for your wedding day.

This way, you’ll get a more realistic image of how you will look on your special day in the wedding dresses you are trying. It will also help your bridal stylist find you the perfect accessories to complement your gown. And lastly, it’ll be easier to imagine yourself in the dress on your wedding day if you look and feel “wedding-day-ready”.

How To Make Wedding Dress Shopping Special For The Bride: Entourage Tips

PC: Erica Cervantez Photography

We’ve all seen “Say Yes To The Dress” so we all know how stressful an entourage can be. To make this day as fun as possible, here are some tips on how to make wedding dress shopping special for the bride. To start with, we highly recommend keeping your bridal entourage small for your bridal appointment.

While your bridesmaids, in-laws, numerous family members, and other people in your life may offer lots of love and support, they will offer just as many opinions.

As one of our most important tips for wedding dress shopping, we recommend bringing a smaller group of close friends and family – let’s say limiting it to three or four people. This way, you’ll feel less pressure to please everyone, so you can choose the wedding dress that speaks to you!

And for any bridal entourage reading, remember that the most important part of dress shopping is making sure the bride feels beautiful. Let’s leave the comments on weight, wedding colors, the fiancé, etc. at the door.

Questions To Ask Your Stylist

Photo Courtesy of Ally Q

The best advice we have on how to shop for a wedding dress really comes down to trusting your stylist! We know it can seem like an intimidating process, so here are some questions to have in your back pocket to ask them:

• How many dresses is typical to try on?
• What is the timeline for alterations?
• What is the general cost for alterations?
• How can I personalize my dress?
• How do I bustle?
• How will this gown work with my venue?
• How do I keep this stored until my wedding day?

How To Shop For A Wedding Dress: Don’t Be Afraid to Say Yes To The first Dress!

PC: Amanda Shear Photography

We know this might seem cheesy, but you can’t predict a beautiful moment like finding your dream dress. It might be your first gown, it might be your last! Either way, keep your mind open to any and every possibility and don’t be afraid to say “yes!” to finding the one.

Congratulations again, and we hope this list of tips and tricks on how to find your wedding dress make your first bridal appointment easy and fun! Take some deep breaths and just remember that this is one of those days that help make your wedding day the special day it is. Good luck!

For more wedding dress shopping tips, check out some of our other blogs!

• Wedding Dress Budget: Tips on How to Afford Your Dream Dress
• 10 Wedding Dress Shopping Tips To Consider To Find Your Perfect Gown
• Our Ultimate 12-Month Health and Beauty Tips For Wedding Preparation

Get some inspo from our Real Bride, Julia Crist in her wedding dress shopping experience!: