How to Choose Your Dream Wedding Dress 70 Things to Know(11~20)

Don’t waste your time shopping at a store that doesn’t have the style, designer, or price range you had in mind. Call the boutique or salon ahead of time to get the lowdown on its inventory before you make a visit.

12. Make an Appointment

In most bridal stores, the dresses aren't displayed in a way where you can just leaf through them and browse on your own, the way you can in other retail stores. You'll need an appointment so a consultant can help you select dresses and try them on.

13. Start Inexpensive and Work Your Way Up

Make your first appointment with the least-expensive bridal shop and keep scaling up if you don't find anything. Same goes for trying on dresses during your appointments—try on the most affordable one first, and work your way up to the bank-breaker. You may fall in love before then.

14. Pick Three Adjectives to Describe Your Dream Dress

Whether you want to feel classic, vintage, and comfortable, or romantic, glamorous, and beautiful, go into wedding dress shopping with a clear vision of how you want to look on the big day. Choosing three specific words to describe your vibe can help narrow down your dress selections.

15. Shop on a Weekday

Bridal salons are packed on the weekends, meaning you may get less personal attention or the dress you love is being tried on by someone else. It's worth using some personal time from work to have your appointment on a weekday.

16. Make Shopping a Whole-Day Affair

It's surprisingly time-consuming to put one wedding gown on and off, let alone three or four, and you definitely don't want to feel rushed to make a decision. Instead of making plans for brunch after your appointment or trying to fit it in between other errands, leave a few hours so you can take your time browsing and trying on dresses.

17. Choose Your Shopping Crew Wisely

Yes, you love your mom, sister, sister-in-law, maid of honor, and six bridesmaids—but if you've ever tried to get a crowd to agree on where to go for dinner, you can only imagine how hard it will be to find consensus on a gown. Narrow the group down to the two or three people whose opinions matter most to you.

18. Bring the Right Undergarments

It can be hard to take in how a strapless dress really looks when your leopard bra straps are sticking out, or how a curve-hugging gown would fit once your hips are smoothed. For your appointments, wear a nude thong and strapless bra, and bring Spanx.

19. Pick Your Silhouette

Your ideal gown's shape is partly based on the style you like, the venue, and mood of your wedding, and also what flatters your body most. A fit-and-flare is both contemporary and traditional and works on many body types, whereas a simple sheath is best on tall, willowy brides. A voluminous ball gown adds drama, but can overwhelm a petite frame. Mermaid styles show off curves like your favorite pencil skirt.

20. Keep Travel Arrangements in Mind

If you're flying to your wedding destination, look into airline regulations beforehand. You don't want to fall in love with a ball gown style dress, only to have it exceed airport size specifications come travel time.