Who knew shopping could seem stressful?! We would imagine, since being engaged, you’ve been asked a dizzying array of wedding dress questions – what you like, when you’re shopping, who’s going, are you wearing sleeves, can they come, who’s your favorite designer, who’s buying?
But worry not, thanks to our bridal friends at Yenny Lee Bridal Couture, we have all the best wedding dress shopping tips!
Follow our guide and not only will shopping for gown be your favorite planning to-do, the whole process can be the one totally flawless wedding excursion.
Find your nearest retailer to schedule your appointment and start shopping!
Once you’ve taken a gander through our expert bridal tips, start your research with Yenny Lee’s new wedding dress collections. With three separate lines for brides of different style brides and budgets – Yenny Lee Custom Made Couture, Yenny Lee Bridal Shopping, and Yenny Lee Rent Collections – it would be hard not to find your dream dress.
1. Do Your Research
Overwhelmed by the endless options and don’t know where to start? Want to know what silhouette best flatters your favorite bits? Take a scroll through our post on how to choose the best dress for your body type.
2. Set a Budget
Take a look at your wedding budget and set a number you’re willing to spend on your gown. Before you get carried away, Pinning all those diamond encrusted wedding dresses. This will not only narrow your choices (such an endless amount of beautiful gowns out there!) but also help you hone your expectations in the dress shopping process.
3. Start Shopping 9-12 Months Ahead (If You Can)
Picture courtesy of Yenny Lee Bridal Couture
Believe it or not, gowns typically take anywhere from 4-10 month to be made. Factor in shipping times (is your dress coming from abroad?) alterations and multiple fittings – in the end, your gown could take up to 12 months to be ready.
Out of timely options? Don’t have that kind of time? If you’re happy to get a professional cleaning and are lucky enough to fit in sample sizes, salons often allow brides to buy samples off the rack for a lower price. Some designers offer rush services, but be prepared to pay an extra fee.
4. Pick A Few Wedding Dress Style Keywords
Pick a famous bridal muse too that best represents your style. It’s great to be able to concisely articulate to your bridal stylist what wedding dress styles suit you. For me it was “elegant, silk & royal” such as Kate Middleton wedding dress.
5. Use Social Media To Find & Save Gowns
Follow your favorite blogs, designers and bridal salons to discover new collections, see your favorite gowns on real brides, find out about surprise sample sales and hear about nearby trunk shows. Pinterest and Instagram are brilliant for discovering the endless gowns on the market these days. Save your faves on your wedding dress boards, and Instagram archives to bring with you to your appointments.