photo by: Mirelle Carmichael
Wedding dress shopping was so fun and so different then what I expected that moment to be. There were so many things going on in my head in choosing the perfect dress, I felt a bit overwhelmed. I went into it not really knowing exactly what I wanted. I really just had the knowledge of avidly watching “Say Yes to the Dress” and Pinterest of course haha! With my learning process and tips I learned on the way, I hope this puts at least one bride-to-be at ease.
It is OK to not feel that ‘it’ moment as a bride 🙂
You can see from the look on my face how confused and not sure I was, but this was the dress I actually ended up with! When I walked out in it my mom, sis and girlfriend knew it was the one. We started out at one other store before this so this wasn’t the first dress I tried on, but maybe around the 5th one. I of course was waiting for that ‘it’ moment I’ve heard of or seen most brides have. You know, when your supposed to cry and feel like it’s ‘the one’. I never had that which I am here to tell you it is OK! I usually cry with literally everything, commercials, animated movies, you name it I am a cryer. Although, I think in selecting my wedding dress I was trying to think more logically with what exactly I wanted in a dress and how it would go with my venue, capture in pictures, etc. Plus the dresses I tried one were too big for me so I was also trying to visualize what it would look like if it was my size. For me, I knew it was ‘the one’ when I left the place and couldn’t stop thinking about it and looking back at the pictures.
3 key things to keep in mind when shopping for your special dress
1. Take your time (if you have the time) and look at all options you want to. I’ve heard some people say you don’t want to look at too many dresses because you might feel overwhelmed with all the options. I felt like I wanted to take this once in a lifetime opportunity to try on as many as I could (without exhausting my family and friends). I was able to go to 4-5 different places and each one I went to I felt like I knew more of what I wanted. Most bridal places will have you try on a certain amount of dresses during your appointment to keep you focused. So I say have all the fun you can trying on dress it is your princess moment so take it all in!
2. Try not to feel pressured. The places I felt most at ease was the ones I didn’t feel pressured into buying a dress then and there. The best experience I had was at the store Panache in Los Angeles. Besides having gorgeous dresses, they know how to treat a bride to be, which I feel is SO important with this once in a life time experience. I did go to a store where I liked a dress and they were trying to pressure me into buying it and would only give me a discount if I bought it that day. I knew I wasn’t 100% ready to buy a dress though and felt overwhelmed. That dress they were pressuring me into buying was the dress I actually wore on my wedding day, although I got it at a different place where I didn’t feel rushed.
3. Negotiate! Wedding dresses are amazing, fabulous and it is what you wear for one of the biggest days of your life. That being said, wedding dress shops understand that as well. Most of the stores I went to where willing to negotiate. If they weren’t, you can most likely find that same dress at another local place at a cheaper price! All the stores want you to buy your special dress with them, so the power is in your hands to negotiate with them. You can either negotiate with a vale, added accessory or just the price of the dress. I would do my research first and see what the dress is going for normally so you have a basis to start and go from there!
photo by: Mirelle Carmichael
Wedding dress: Pronovias
p.s. I absolutely love Pronovias gowns, I love how classic and beautiful they are! Her new collections are literally to die for. I want to get married again just to wear another dress 🙂
Below are some beautiful dresses I found online;
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