Every bride shares the same ill-fitting, unfamiliar, and unflattering wedding dress nightmare. Even if you find the sample dress of your dreams, what happens if this gown doesn’t live up to your expectations on your wedding day?
It’s not enough to find a dress you like. You also have to find a dress that fits, is flattering, fits your theme, and stays within your budget.
Wedding dress stress is real, but we’re here to help. To learn more about the 10 most common mistakes brides make when gown shopping, check out our guide below. In this blog, we’ll discuss the top 10 deadly bridal shop sins, including:
- Coming unprepared
- Last-minute shopping
- Following too many bridal trends
- Inviting too many people
- Straying outside your budget
- Ordering smaller sizes
- Not keeping an open mind
- Not considering alterations
- Over-shopping
- Forgetting accessories
Let’s get started!
Coming Unprepared
Some people dream of their wedding dresses from early childhood. They have Pinterest boards filled with plenty of preapproved wedding dresses that they’ve studied for years. For other brides, wedding dresses are new territory. If you’re the type of bride that has never imaged themselves in a classic white gown, then follow this piece of advice: come prepared before shopping for a wedding dress.
One of the first questions a bridal store associate will ask you is what you’re looking for. Finding a gown for your wedding will be even more complicated if you have no direction in terms of style, fabric, or theme.
Even if you simply browse through a few different styles of dresses and have a vague idea of what to look for, this research will make your shopping experience much more enjoyable.
Last-Minute Shopping
Procrastination happens to the best of us. However, your wedding dress shopping experience should never become one of your last-minute tasks.
Many bridal stores recommend shopping for your dress a minimum of six to nine months before your wedding. Considering the time that it takes designers to create, prepare, and send dress orders, it’s vital to allow as much time as possible between when you purchase your dress and your wedding date.
Following Too Many Bridal Trends
As a bride, it’s hard not to be influenced. With so many different wedding vendors and designers sharing their chic and timeless options, navigating what you want your dress to look like vs. what’s trendy can be difficult.
You don’t want to look back at your wedding pictures and wonder why you allowed yourself to fall victim to cheesy wedding trends. Stick to features that you love rather than what the fashion world has decided it loves for the time being.
Inviting Too Many People To Your Bridal Appointment
Trying on wedding gowns for the first time is a monumental occasion. However, don’t make the mistake of inviting too many friends and family to your bridal shop appointment. Regardless of how supportive your friends and family may be, less is more when it comes to a bridal shopping group.
Often, brides realize too late that inviting more friends to a bridal shop appointment means inviting more critics. Your mother, mother-in-law, sisters, or friends are likely to have different opinions of the dresses you try on. Too many outsider opinions could cause you to fall out of love with a dress.
Straying Outside Your Budget
There will come a time during your bridal appointment when your shop associate will ask if you’d like to try on a dress that’s slightly outside of your budget. Do not fall victim to this temptation. Sure, it’s easy to see a drop-dead gorgeous dress and try it on, but trying on dresses you cannot afford is a major risk. If you end up falling in love with a gown that’s outside your budget, you’ll either end up disappointed or overspending.
Avoid possible disappointment and buyer’s guilt by staying within your budget and avoiding dresses that exceed your spending limit. Check these tips to stay within your wedding dress budget as well!
Ordering Smaller Gown Sizes
Brides commonly create a goal to lose weight during their engagement period. Unfortunately, as a result, many brides make the fatal flaw of ordering a gown that’s one size too small. Regardless of how structured a diet or workout plan you may have, it is crucial that you not order a smaller dress size. Not only will ordering a smaller gown add pressure to you during your engagement, but brides often do not fit in these small gowns even after body transformations.
Remember that altering a gown to be smaller is significantly more attainable than making a gown bigger. If you plan to lose weight, entrust a talented sewist to make your alterations instead.
Not Considering Alterations
One of the most common mistakes brides make when gown shopping is forgetting to allow enough time for alterations. Without alterations, your dress will simply not look its best. A talented sewist can create a customized and precise fit for your dress that you will not be able to achieve on your own.
Trying On Too Many Dresses
Shopping around at different bridal stores and taking your time to find a dress that suits you is crucial. However, be cautious of over-shopping. Many brides commonly begin to over-shop when they have been looking for a wedding gown for too long.
Sometimes, trying on too many dresses and looking at gowns online can confuse your vision and leave you in a cycle of loving and hating different gown styles.
If you find yourself experiencing wedding dress shopping fatigue or burnout, consider taking a break to give yourself a clean slate.
Not Keeping an Open Mind
Sometimes, the dresses, styles, fabrics, and cuts we never expected end up being our favorite features. So, as you begin shopping for a wedding gown, remember to keep an open mind to dresses and styles that you would not usually pay attention to. The more open-minded you remain, the more likely you’ll be to find a gown that perfectly fits your wedding day vision.
Forgetting Accessories
No bridal gown is complete without the perfect accessories. Even if you plan to keep your wedding attire simple, remember that small accessories such as belts, veils, headdresses, and more can help highlight and accentuate your beauty to a whole new level.
So don’t forget the accessories! Instead, finalize your dream wedding day attire with some sparkle or shine to keep you glowing. Check out these best wedding dress accessories to get started!
Want more bridal advice on how to prepare for your big day? Then check out Everyday Bride’s website to browse through guides, insights, and expertise from wedding industry professionals.
