What to Wear Wedding Dress Shopping: Things to Bring + Everything I Wish I Knew!
This past weekend we went wedding dress shopping in Milwaukee and.. I said YES to the dress! It was such a fun experience and definitely made everything start to feel more real.
We’re still 14 months out from the big day, so we have a lot of time. But, I’m so happy we went dress shopping early because the entire experience gave me so much inspiration and a more clear vision for our wedding day!
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There’s SO much I learned throughout the process, so I wanted to share my shopping experience, the bridal boutiques we went to, what to wear wedding dress shopping and 15+ must-know wedding dress shopping tips for other bride-to-be’s.
SHOP: What to Wear Wedding Dress Shopping
What to Wear Wedding Dress Shopping
Wear jewelry you’d possibly want to wear for your wedding
You obviously don’t have to have your wedding jewelry picked out already, but wear a pair of earrings and a necklace that may be similar to what you want for your wedding day. I wore these pearl hoop earrings and my Kendra Scott heart necklace, that you have probably seen me in 100 times!
Bring hair ties and clips
Usually, I always have a hair tie or scrunchie on my wrist, but I totally forgot to put one on. Definitely make sure you pack a few hair ties and hair clips because towards the end of each wedding dress appointment, you’ll have the option to accessorize and try on veils.
At my first appointment, the bridal stylist asked me to style my hair half up, half down so that she could clip the veil in. I didn’t have any clips/hair ties so she gave me one, but this was something I didn’t even think about!
Also, consider styling your hair how you plan on wearing it for the wedding; whether that’s down with loose curls, an updo or half up half down. It helps you fully picture yourself on your wedding day when you’re trying on bridal gowns!
Wear seamless, nude undergarments
I recommend wearing seamless, nude underwear and/or shapewear. This way you won’t have any panty lines or bright-colored underwear showing through the dresses!
If you’re planning to wear shapewear under your dress to help smooth and sculpt your figure, bring it to your appointment! You’d hate to leave the store not knowing how the dress will really look when you have the right undergarments on.
Your bridal stylist will also take your measurements in your bra and underwear, so make sure you’re wearing the undergarments you want to wear on your wedding day, so she can size you correctly!
Wear nipple covers to your appointment
You can leave your strapless bra at home, because you won’t be wearing it while you try on dresses. Most dresses have a built-in bra or extra padding in them anyway, so you won’t want to wear your regular bra on top of that. Just pop on a pair of silicone nipple covers because you’ll be naked a lot haha!
I love these reusable, grippy (not sticky) seamless covers from CAKES. They’re so much bigger than the tiny flower petals covers, and provide you with full coverage, which is great for any thin fabrics or sheer materials!
In one of my appointments, the bridal stylist would hang the dress up in the fitting room for me and then step out so I could put it on. Then, she’d come back in to clip the dress in place. In my other bridal appointment, both stylists stayed in the dressing room the entire time. I think it just depends on the bridal store! But, I’d definitely recommend wearing some nipple covers!
Bring two pairs of shoes
I recommend bringing two pairs of shoes to your appointment. One comfy pair, like white sneakers, that you can wear before and after your appointment, and then your wedding shoes (or a pair of shoes that is most similar in height to what you might wear on your special day).
I wore my white Nikes to and from both dress appointments, because we had to walk a decent amount after we parked and I didn’t want my feet to hurt. Then, once we got there, I changed into a pair of nude heels.
You’re barefoot most of the time, but once you’ve chosen your 2-3 favorite dresses, slip on your wedding shoes to get a better idea what the dress looks like all put together!
Wear an outfit you want to take pictures in
In terms of my actual outfit, I had no idea what most people normally wear to their wedding dress appointments! At first I was thinking maybe just jeans and a cute top. Just something comfy to wear while browsing wedding dresses.
But, then I thought, how often do you get to go wedding dress shopping!? So, I decided to dress up and wear one of my new white dresses! I really wasn’t sure if I was going to find THE dress, but I did!! So when we popped the champagne and took all the “I said Yes to the Dress” photos, I’m so happy I was wearing a white dress!
If you need outfit ideas on what to wear wedding dress shopping, here are a few cute options!
15+ Tips for Wedding Dress Shopping
I wanted to share a few of my top wedding dress shopping tips for all my future bride to be’s! Going dress shopping for the first time is SO fun and exciting! I seriously wish I could try on wedding dresses every weekend. You’re going to have the best time!
Before you go, here are a few helpful tips that will make your shopping experience even better!
Eat before you go and pack snacks!
There’s nothing worse than being hungry while dress shopping. Make sure you eat something beforehand so your stomach isn’t grumbling while shopping! If you have multiple dress appointments in one day, book a lunch in between so everyone can eat and re-charge before the next appointment!
Book your appointments a few weeks in advance
You’ll want to book all your dress appointments a few weeks in advance. I booked mine about three weeks beforehand and had no issue getting the days and times that I wanted. Most bridal shops offer a few different appointment options, but the most common is the 90 minute bridal appointment.
In this time, your bridal consultant will ask you to share your vision and inspiration for your dress and your big day, then you’ll browse for dresses you want to try on. They usually have you pull around 5-7 dresses to start. You’ll try them on, give feedback, show them to your family/friends that came along, and then you’ll narrow down your favorites!
Set a budget before you go shopping
Before you start trying on dresses, have a price range in mind that you’re willing to spend on your dress. That way, when you go into the store, your stylist knows what dresses to show you that work within your budget.
From my experience, most dresses you’ll find cost between $1500 and $3,000. You can obviously find dresses for less, and there’s plenty of dresses that cost a lot more too. Both stores we went to, all the dresses were priced at $3500 and below. This was nice because it gave us free range to look at everything.
Take into consideration alterations when budgeting
When deciding on the budget for your wedding dress, make sure you take into consideration the cost for alterations. The stylists at both stores we went to told us alterations can cost anywhere from $200-$600 depending on what you need done.
If your budget is $2500, consider telling your stylist your budget is $2,000, so you account for the cost of alterations. And don’t forget about other accessories!! Jewelry, high heels, a veil, hair clips.. everything adds up quickly! Veils can be a few hundred dollars, so keep that in mind!
Don’t book more than two dress appointments in a day
I didn’t realize how exhausting wedding dress shopping would be. It’s SO fun and you’ll love every second of it. But, having multiple appointments in a day can drain you.
I originally scheduled one appointment for Friday afternoon and two for Sunday (11am-12:30pm and another at 2:30pm-4pm). But, I ended up cancelling the second appointment on Sunday because I found my dream dress at the second boutique!
Even if I didn’t find my dress, I still would’ve been exhausted going to a second appointment that day. I know plenty of people do it, but it’s definitely tiring trying on tons of dresses.
Consider scheduling weekday appointments
I didn’t even consider scheduling a weekday appointment, just because it was easier for our family to go on the weekend, but it’s definitely something to consider and I’ll tell you why!
Saturdays are THE busiest day for bridal boutiques. Originally, I had one appointment scheduled for Saturday, but ended up switching it to Friday at 4:30pm so that one of my sisters could make it and I’m so happy I did.
ALSO READ: Best Gift Ideas for Any Bride to Be
I was the only bride scheduled for that time, and there was nobody else in the boutique. I didn’t feel stressed or overwhelmed at all, and it was so nice being the only one in the dressing room area. The stylist said that on Saturdays, they have 7 brides and their families all in the store at once, and there’s a lot going on.
I know weekdays sometimes aren’t ideal because everyone works and maybe can’t get off, but it’s definitely something to take into consideration if you’d prefer more of a private experience.
Keep your group small
With that being said, keep your group smaller. You don’t need to have all your bridesmaids here or all of your friends.. just keep it simple. Invite your most important family members; mom, sister(s), grandma, maybe your best friend or maid of honor, etc.
I brought my mom, my two sisters and my grandma and it was the perfect amount! Keep in mind most bridal stores allow you to bring up to four guests. If you want more people, there’s an additional fee.
Most importantly, BRING SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE. This is a huge day for you and you’ll remember it forever, so bring people that, one, you know are going to make it special, and two, you value their opinion.
When you start to invite more people, you can get a lot of unnecessary feedback and opinions, so keep your group small!
Keep an open mind the entire process
You may already have a good idea of what type of dress you want, but keep an open mind during the entire experience. Try on tons of different styles and silhouettes before you narrow in on one specific style of dress.
Personally, I found myself gravitating towards dresses with more detail to them, but I also made an effort to find dresses that were more simple to see if I liked those better! I tried on fitted dresses, ballgowns, a-line dresses, satin dresses, ones with slits, lace, off-the-shoulder, strapless.. I tried on everything and I’m so happy I did, because we were able to narrow down what I really loved about each one and what I didn’t.
Trying on a variety of styles, made me feel confident that I found THE perfect dress for me! I didn’t want to second-guess myself and wonder if a certain style would’ve looked good on my body type, etc. I tried them all and I’m 100% certain I found my dream wedding dress!
Start shopping 12-14 months before your wedding
On average, it takes about 5-7 months for a wedding dress to come in once you place the order. Then, you’ll most likely need alterations done, which can take another few months. So, it’s best to start shopping around 12-14 months before your wedding date.
This ensures that you’ll have the dress in time for your big day and that it fits perfectly!
It also relieves so much stress just knowing you have your dress and you can cross another thing off your wedding checklist!
Have someone take tons of photos and videos of you in all the dresses
When I was trying on dresses at the first boutique, I loved SO many. I seriously had no idea how I was going to narrow it down to my top two favorites.
This entire time, my sister was taking tons of photos and videos of me in each dress. After trying on three dresses (and loving them all), I decided to look at the photos. In the photos, I noticed so many details and little things about the dresses that I didn’t love that I never noticed in the mirror. It’s so hard to explain, but the photos totally helped me narrow down which dresses I absolutely loved, and which ones I didn’t.
It’s also really hard to get a full look at the back of a wedding gown just by looking in the mirror. So, definitely have someone take pictures and videos!
Jump, walk, run and sit down in the dress
You want to make sure you’re comfortable in the dress and that it’ll be easy to walk and dance in. So, practice walking around the boutique in it, run a little, jump up and down and sit down in it. You’ll be wearing the dress the entire day, so you want to make sure you feel amazing in it!
At the first boutique, I had tried on a dress with off the shoulder straps, and it was so pretty, but it was hard to raise my arms and move around in. So, after that I decided against anything with off the shoulder straps!
Browse the Bridal Boutiques’ Pinterest Account
Did you know most bridal stores have a Pinterest account with all their dresses and designers organized by category!? I had no idea until I booked my appointments. All the stores sent me links to their Pinterest accounts so that I could start gathering dress inspiration from the designers that are available at their stores.
It was so helpful! I found the Pinterest boards to be neater and more aesthetically pleasing than the bridal boutiques’ websites. I recommend browsing the Pinterest boards to get an idea of the types of dresses and designers offered. But, don’t get too hung up on a specific dress. You still want to go into your appointment with an open mind!
Use Social Media for Inspiration and Ideas, but don’t overdo it
Instagram, Tik Tok and Pinterest are great platforms to use for wedding inspiration and to help generate ideas, but don’t overdo it! Use it for gathering inspiration on the general aesthetic you want for your wedding/the dress, the vibes you’re going for, and how you want to feel in your dress. But, don’t use it for specific dress ideas.
It’s unlikely that the bridal boutique you go to is going to have the EXACT same dress you saw on Tik Tok. So just use it as inspiration!
Wedding dresses can also look so different on different people. What looks good on one person, may not look the same on you and vice versa. So don’t go into your appointment set on one specific dress!
Here are a few of my favorite bridal accounts for inspiration: One Bridal, Alta Moda and Flares Bridal.
Expect to pay a 50% deposit for the dress
This is just a helpful piece of advice that I didn’t know until we found my dress. It’s typical to pay a 50% deposit at the time you place the order for your dress. Then, you’ll pay the second half once your dress comes in. I know some boutiques are different, but this is pretty common.
Go into your appointments ready to put some money down to secure your dress!
Have fun and enjoy every bit of the experience!
The most important part of the entire experience is that you enjoy yourself and have FUN!! You only get to do this once, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to find the perfect wedding gown right away. It might not happen at the first bridal store you go to, so don’t stress yourself out!
Go into it with an open mind and minimal expectations. Just have fun trying on dresses, enjoying the experience with your family/friends and when the right dress comes around you’ll know!
You’ll know when it’s THE one
Going into the weekend, I had no idea how I would know which dress was THE one. In general, I’m someone that loves so many different styles, textures and patterns, so I had a feeling that the process of choosing just one dress was going to be hard.
At first, it was. Every dress I tried on, I could picture myself wearing on our wedding day. But, slowly, throughout the process I was able to narrow down the style of dress that I wanted to wear for our wedding.
THEN, there was one dress that I tried on that as soon as I put it on, my face completely lit up. It was THE perfect wedding dress. So me, and so incredible in every way. When I walked out to show my mom, grandma and sister, they all knew this was the one too. I hadn’t had that feeling with any of the other dresses. Yes, I loved a lot of them, but nothing like how I felt with this one!
When you try on THE dress, you’ll know.
My Wedding Dress Shopping Experience!
For my local Wisconsin brides, I was planning on sharing my entire wedding dress shopping experience in this post, but it’s getting kind of long! So, I’m working on a new blog post talking more in depth about my experience at Vow’d and Miss Ruby. Comparing the dress selections they offer, the price ranges, my try-on experience, the appointment overview, the atmosphere and more!
Overall, I hope this post was extremely helpful for all my bride-to-be’s! If you’ve previously gone dress shopping and have helpful tips or ideas for what to wear wedding dress shopping, leave a comment below!
Shop: What to Wear Wedding Dress Shopping
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This blog post shared what to wear wedding dress shopping + everything I wish I knew beforehand!
