I have been dreaming of this day since I was a little girl. The day my mom and I would pick out my wedding dress. I have watched every rom-com wedding dress try-on session, so naturally, I was not only prepared for the day, but my expectations were exceedingly high.
Keeping in theme with our wedding goals, I shopped locally with Coreena’s Bridal Boutique. This is an element to our wedding that is very important to us, we want to support small businesses in our community. Walking into the bridal boutique was just as I imagined, the walls were draped with lace, sparkle, and shimmer from all of the beautiful wedding dresses.
My stylist Morgan walked us to our private seating area, where a welcome sign featuring our wedding venue was waiting to greet us on a large flat-screen TV. It’s all in the details and this was a really special touch that made me feel like I was special. This flat-screen TV not only welcomed us to our visit but became a great tool during my wedding dress try-on session.
Based on this experience trying on dresses, I have a few takeaways that might help guide you through preparing for the special day leading up to your appointment.
My biggest questions were:
- Who do I bring with me?
- What kind of undergarments do I actually need?
- Will I need a robe in between trying on dresses?
- And what about the shoes?
Plus I will give you three BONUS TIPS that made my wedding dress shopping extra special.
Tip #1: Limit your entourage
When I pulled up in the parking lot with my mom, I watched a group of ten plus girls coming out of the bridal salon. At first, I had a moment of “Oh, no I’m doing this all wrong, I should have brought all of my girlfriends”… to a sigh of relief because the try-on process was calm, organized and stress-free. Most of the credit goes to Coreena’s Bridal Boutique because our stylist, Morgan was a pro.
When inviting your loved ones to go wedding dress shopping with you, I would recommend inviting people who will be honest but won’t make you feel bad and will help in your selection process not hinder. When you have conflicting personalities in one room, the decision process can become full of stress and you may not leave with the dress you were hoping to find or the dress you have dreamed of since you were a little girl. I took two people – my mother and my best friend, who is as close to a sister as I will ever have in my life.
Tip #2: The basics
For some reason, I really struggled with selecting the right undergarments for trying on dresses. Because this was my first time trying on dresses and I really didn’t know what style I was going to choose, this lack of information seemed to stall me a little in this area. I ultimately decided to go with what I know… which is usually the best approach.
I decided to take a strapless bra along with me, but I actually didn’t need that because guess what…. most dresses are fully equipped with built-in bras today! I also wore Spanx, boy shorts on the bottom, with a control top. The best advice I can give you is don’t buy Spanx from head to toe, purchase something that isn’t too tight, that you can breathe in and that is comfortable.
Tip #3: The robe
Don’t worry about changing. The bridal salon had a beautiful changing room with a “bride” robe to wear between dresses if necessary. Your stylist stays with you the entire time and will help you get in and out of your dresses.
Tip #4: The shoes
This is the one items I might have dropped the ball on. I honestly ran out of time and didn’t order shoes in time for my dress try-on. I have a very small foot (size 5, yikes) so running to the mall real quick for dress shoes is never a solution. If you also find yourself in this same situation, choose a pair of shoes that are neutral and won’t take away from your beautiful gown. As you can see in my photos I am wearing a pair of neutral block heels.
Bonus Tips!
Brighten up the room
Contact your wedding florist and ask for a small bridal bouquet to hold when you try on dresses. I brought in a small bridal bouquet and a small tabletop floral arrangement to add a pop of color. The bridal salon is beautiful, but the aesthetic is all neutral colors, after all, they are featuring their products all of the amazing wedding gowns.
Adding a small arrangement brightened up our private seating area and holding the bridal bouquet actually helped me during the decision making process for my dress. This is also a great way to try out the florist you might be considering on your big day and to see some of the colors you have selected for your floral arrangements in action.
My second bonus tip is to consider doing a trial run on your hair and makeup before wedding dress shopping. I showed up with my hair and makeup the way I want it to look on my wedding day. Plus having my wedding bouquet in tote helped me to completely envision my full wedding day look!
And my final bonus tip is inviting my wedding photographer to snap a few candid photos of my mom, bestie and me as we went to spend the day at the bridal salon. It was so important to me to capture this moment on camera with my mom. I also wanted to be able to share this special day with you, my loyal readers.
A special thank you to local bridal boutique, Coreena’s Bridal Boutique for making my wedding dress shopping a dream come true.
I said my 2nd Yes!
