Happy Magazine Monday! If you’re like many brides in Utah, you’re right in the middle of finding your dream wedding dress. Here are some of our favorite tips and frequently asked questions to help you prepare for wedding dress shopping and make your experience as magical as it should be! Remember, your wedding is a big deal—it’s okay to lean into the excitement of preparation, and that includes preparing for your bridal appointments.
Do I Need to Make an Appointment?
It’s time to say yes to your dream dress! First and foremost, our biggest piece of advice is going to be yes, make an appointment. Even if you come across a bridal shop that offers walk-ins, it will not only be hard to guarantee that they will have time, but it may not be the full experience you deserve when finding your dream dress!
When you book your appointments in advance, it gives both you and your bridal consultant more time to prepare. Many bridal shops will have you answer questions based on what you like, ask for links to your Pinterest boards, and get clear on your budget ahead of time.
This isn’t like a regular shopping trip to the mall; it’s one of the most exciting and special purchases you’ll make in your life! It’s okay to recognize that this is a big deal!
How Many Appointments Should I Make?
The answer to this is going to depend on you, and when you find the one! It’s much more common than you think to say yes to the very first dress you try on! If that ends up being the case, you only need the one appointment!
But of course, there is nothing wrong with visiting more than one bridal store to find the gown you’ll be walking down the aisle in. Just know that the more shops you visit in one day, the more overwhelmed and tired you’ll feel by the end of it. We’ve all had a shopping trip that leaves us exhausted by the end of it; wedding dress shopping is no different.
Feel free to spread out your appointments over a few days. If you’re hoping to shop over the weekend, make one for the morning on Friday, and one or two for the afternoon, with time for a cute lunch date in between (trust us, you don’t want to be hangry while you’re getting in and out of gowns all day). Then go for one to two appointments on Saturday, and more on Sunday if you’re really feeling it!
If you’re like many brides, you likely won’t even need all of your appointments. You could find your dress at the first shop or the last; it all just depends on when you have that special moment.
How Will I Know When I’ve Found The One?
Whether you try on one gown or 100, you will know when you’ve found your wedding dress. We know this isn’t helpful, but you will know. Even if you’ve narrowed it down to two, you will ultimately be able to choose which one is the one; it all comes down to your feelings and emotions, and when you see yourself in the dress of your dreams, there will be no denying it.
How did you know you had found the one when you met your fiancé? It’s a similar feeling; trust your heart and your gut, and you’ll be reaching for those tissues the moment it happens.
UVB Tip: Here’s where to really trust your consultant! They know a thing or two about helping you narrow down the options, which questions to ask, and how to gauge a bride’s reaction to any gown.
Who Should I Bring to My Appointments?
Guess what? You’re the bride, so you’re in charge.
This is likely the first time you really get to experience this, and it’s a great time to practice trusting yourself. First and foremost, you’ll want to have people there who are going to support you, make you feel beautiful, and who you absolutely can’t imagine having your “say yes to the dress” moment without.
Second: fewer is going to be better! Many bridal shops don’t even have room for more than four or five guests for one appointment; beyond that, the more opinions you have to juggle, the harder and more confusing it will be. Bring the most important people, you will know who they are.
Let’s be real, grandma and your college roommate and your future mother-in-law will probably not have the same taste, so not everyone is going to have the same favorite dress on you. But that’s the magical part of finding the one; usually, when you know you’ve found it, everyone else will know it too. And that’s why there are tissue boxes in bridal stores!
What Should I Bring?
Wear underwear that you don’t mind a consultant seeing you in, as they help you in and out of gowns (these dresses are very involved; it takes a team), and make sure you’re well-fed and well-rested. You don’t want to shop hungry and tired.
It can also be helpful to wear makeup you feel confident in and do your hair in a way you love, and bring a hair tie or clip to pull your hair up as you’re changing in and out of gowns. You’re going to be staring at yourself in a mirror all day long; the most important thing is to go into it with confidence!
How Far in Advance Do I Need to Be Shopping?
If you know you’re getting married, make those appointments. Don’t wait. The average time it takes to order a wedding dress is six to nine months, and that doesn’t include alterations, which can take a few more months. There’s a reason bridal shops say to start shopping up to a year in advance!
But don’t fret; Utah is known for its shorter engagements, and many bridal shops can help you find your dream dress in a short period of time if needed. Whether they rush-order a gown (usually with a rush fee, of course) or if they carry their gown selection in-store for you to purchase off the rack, it won’t be hard to find a gown quickly if you need it.
But be aware, a shorter amount of time still means a few months. Even if you find your perfect dress off the rack, you’ll likely need time for alterations! So start now! Seriously, right now. We have a perfectly curated list of bridal shops for you right here, bestie.
Read this article in our magazine on pages 26-27!
Photo Vendors
Photography + Planning + Coordination + Video: Emy Barrow Photography & Videography
Couple: Ally + Alex Strong
Custom Wedding Gown: Tommaso Cardullo
Floral: Nadia Booker
Hair + Makeup: Elyssa Anderson Hair & Makeup
Assistant: Lucy Dalgleish
