If like me you’re engaged to be married (congrats!) one of the most thrilling parts of the wedding planning process is the dress search!It’s a really exciting time and the dress is probably something you’ve dreamed of since being a little girl – am I right?  I started my search last week so this is all really fresh in my mind!  I had a lovely first experience and I’m looking forward to visiting more boutiques soon.

I wanted to share with you my top tips when embarking on your wedding dress shopping:

1/ Start thinking about what you want.  You know what I’m going to say – pinterest!  It’s a good idea to get a feel for what you like the look of in terms of style, colour, length, material along with accessories such as veils, jewellery and shoes

2/ Out of the photos you like, research the particular designers.  There are so many designers out there!

3/ Research what boutiques are available to you locally.  Also find out what designers they stock and if they match your search criteria.  It’s always good to get recommendations from friends to find out what the service and quality of stock is like

4/ Book in your appointments.  Start with your top three boutiques.  Give them a call and pre book.  Most shops only operate on an appointment only basis

5/ Only invite those people to the appointments that are important to you.  Don’t invite someone you think may be negative or make you feel bad.  You need your tribe around you who will be honest but will give you encouragement!  It’s so nice to go with your family/bridesmaids.  It turns into a nice day out!

6/ Before going put some makeup on and style your hair.  You’ll get a much better representation of the overall look – plus you’ll feel confident!

7/ Wear flesh coloured underwear and a strapless bra

8/ Take any accessories you have that you are thinking of wearing on the day – jewellery, shoes etc

9/ Try different styles – a line, sweetheart neckline, straps, no straps.  At my appointment I tried on different styles and now I know what I’m looking for for future visits.

9/ Try on gowns that you wouldn’t normally.  A lot of brides to be find their dress tends to be something they weren’t originally looking for.  It may surprise you!

10/ Comfort – is the dress comfortable?  Do you think you could wear this for 12 + hours? If not, it’s probably not right.  You want to feel as comfortable as possible without compromising on the look

11/ Trust your instincts.  You want to feel utterly fabulous in your dress, if you don’t get that initial feeling when you try a dress on, discount it.

12/Sleep on it.  If you aren’t 100% sure or not ready to purchase, sleep on your decisions and see how you feel about it the next day.  If you’re not as excited, then chances are it’s not the one for you.

Good luck finding the one!

 

Olivia x