Seven Steps to Find the Dress

Once upon a time, there was a bride on a mission: Find the dress.  She scheduled five appointments one Saturday and set out to spend the day searching, foraging, finding.

I think it was about 2:00 pm when she called in tears. She had been to two shops in the morning before stopping for lunch (world domination and wedding dress shopping both clearly require sustenance). Now, after leaving her third appointment, she was exhausted and hated every dress she looked at.

“Is this a sign?” she wondered, mistaking her overzealous shopping goals for some sign that her marriage was doomed because the perfect frock hadn’t jumped off a rack and asked her to dance.

When shopping for the dress there are some key things to keep in mind:

1: Don’t Make All Your Appointments In One Day.

Learn from our overwhelmed friend. While she may have been top of her class due to her amazing drive, she nearly drove herself crazy trying to fit too much in at once. When scheduling appointments, remember to limit yourself to a maximum of two or three shops in a day with time carved out for shopping, trying on, re-trying on, walking away, lunch, and those ever-important latte breaks.

2: Take Someone You Trust With You.

Who will tell you the truth about how all your body parts and jiggly bits look? Who will help you to justify the price for a dress that looks awesome and can be squeezed into your budget? Who will remind you of that same budget when you start picking up gowns that are way out of reach? 

Your mom and your BFF are fun, fabulous creatures, but they could steer you wrong… Take the person who will give it to you straight. Maybe that is Mom, but maybe it isn’t. If you are worried Mom will be offended, simply show her the dress after you’ve tested it out and are certain it’s the right one for you.

3: Try It On Three Times.

Go back in and try it on again. Go on a fat day. Go back on a skinny day. Go wearing makeup and with your hair done. You can go back and try it on as many times as you’d like to ensure it’s the perfect dress.

4: Take Pictures.

Some shops have rules about photographing dresses. Not that you shouldn’t abide by them, but if you happen to snap a sneaky shot on your iPhone or the camera in your purse accidentally goes off, I won’t tell anyone…

5: Befriend A Salesperson.

This is one of the holy commandments of shopping, period, but is especially true when wedding dress shopping. Making nice with a salesperson could clue you in on upcoming sales or tip you off when merchandise becomes past season. She might tell you how to score samples. They will also patiently help you when you come back all times I suggest above.

6: Look In Unlikely Places.

One of the very first brides I worked with had a hard time finding a dress that fit her (both physically and in terms of style). We had been to every dress shop in town and she had been on several shopping sprees while visiting her mom in California. While she could find a few things that fit her 6-foot frame, they weren’t the kinds of dresses she could imagine marrying her 5-foot-6-inch groom in.

When I suggested that we make a date to look at a few of the nicer department stores and see if we could get more ideas, she was skeptical that her dream dress would be hiding there, but she was ready to try anything. Neither one of of us imagined what we would find. There, on the rack at Saks Fifth Avenue, was the dress. $600 and few alterations later, she and her honey marched down the aisle with an extra few thousand dollars to spend elsewhere on their event.

You never know where you will find your dream dress. It could be in the first place you look (and it will always be in the last). If you begin to get frustrated, try a new approach. Try a new shop or take a break. Remember, just like in fashion there are seasons for wedding modistes as well. A few weeks off might make all the difference in the selection.

7: Pick A Dress That Fits Your Style.

Remember, you have to wear it. Not your mom, not grandma, not his mother. You. Make sure your dress speaks to you directly and fits your wedding day vision.

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