Wedding Dress Shopping Tips | Colorado Wedding Planner

Posted in Planning and Design, Uncategorized, Weddings

COLORADO WEDDING PLANNING, COLORADO WEDDING PLANNER, MOUNTAIN WEDDING PLANNER

Tips for Finding the Perfect Wedding Dress, Colorado Wedding Planning

For many brides, finding the right dress is one of the most exciting part of wedding planning. Many women have dreamt about their wedding and bridal gown since they were little girls. But just because you are enthusiastic to start the process and have envisioned your perfect outfit since you were a little girl, doesn’t mean that you’re ready to jump in without any preparation! If you don’t want your search for a wedding dress to feel like a crazed reality show heed my advice. I’m giving you my best tips (along with some advice from Martha Stewart Weddings) to make the whole shopping extravaganza smooth and enjoyable. Image above photo credit: Erin Lassahn

1. Set a Budget | Wedding Dress Shopping

It is important to set a budget for your wedding dress albeit sometimes difficult to do so (see tip 12). Budgets help you stay on track and give the bridal dress attendant a starting place, as dresses can range from several hundred to many thousands of dollars. If you are in love with a particular designer, that’s outside of your budget, consider also looking at pre-loved dresses or dresses from earlier seasons if still available. If you aren’t planning on preserving your dress for generations to come, you can consider selling your gown post wedding but just know that it may not sell and you have to be ok with the initial cost spent. Other things to consider are the accessories, undergarments, shoes and alterations as they can add a fair amount to the bottom line. Image below photo credit: Emilyanne Photography

My Word of Wisdom: Get the dress you really love, if you can swing the price tag, as your wedding day only happens once. 

 2. Start Early | Plan Ahead

It takes about six to 12 months from the moment you place the order to when you can bring the gown home, so once you have that ring on your finger, it’s game on. Gown designers needs four or five months to make it, then you’ll need to schedule fittings. Good tailors are typically booked out in advance so make sure your bridal boutique has an onsite seamstress or you get a tailor booked early on. Giving yourself ample time also guarantees that you’ll be able to fit in a variety of shopping experiences, from appointments at bridal boutiques to designer trunk shows. If you’re short on time, don’t worry, most designers can do rushes and you can also buy off the rack. Image below photo credit: Tamara Murray Photography

Pro Tip: The tailor or seamstress you book needs to be wedding specific. Wedding dresses are very different then hemming a pair of slacks. 

 3. Do Your Research | Glossy Magazines Baby!

Before you hit the shops, think about what kind of dress you want. Pull pages from magazines, browse designer’s websites, or peruse Pinterest boards for ideas. Keep a folder where you can stash tear-outs, fabric samples, and anything else you love, and use your smartphone or tablet to snap photos of favorites. At most bridal salons, the gowns can be packed into racks and difficult to see. In order to pull the right styles for you, your consultant needs to get a feel for what you’re looking for. The more guidance you can provide, the better! Image below photo credit: Daylene Wilson Photographic

 My Word of Wisdom: Be open to different styles and shapes. Sometimes a dress doesn’t look like much on the hanger but wows you once on.

4. Make an Appointment | Schedule Today

Once you have an idea of what you want, it’s time to schedule appointments at local bridal shops. If you have specific designers in mind, find out which stores carry them. Most places don’t operate on a walk-in basis, so call for appointments at least two weeks in advance. While a Saturday slot may seem wonderful, the store is almost always at capacity on weekends. If you’re looking for a laid-back experience try to go mid-week. Image below photo credit: L Elizabeth Events

 Pro Tip: Start with 2 or 3 bridal shops and see what you find. You may find your dream dress on the first try.

5. Limit Your Crew | Just a few special girls

On reality shows, brides always bring a whole crew of friends and family members to join in on the shopping fun. And every single time, there’s loads of drama. The takeaway? Less is more when it comes to companions. Bring a couple people whose input means the most to you. Otherwise, you’ll spend too much time trying on gowns they picked out and steering the conversation back to what you want. If you can’t imagine not including all of your friends, invite them all to your final fitting and make a dramatic entrance for the big reveal. Martha Stewart gives you some advice on who NOT to bring wedding dress shopping.  Image below photo credit: Chris Loring Photography

My Word of Wisdom: Set boundaries with your family and friends, before you go, on the amount of input you’d like while trying on dresses.

6. Primp Beforehand | Hair-Makeup Trials

The great thing about most bridal salons is that the lighting is flattering, and the mirrors don’t distort your frame. But do put some effort into getting ready for your appointment. You want to feel confident in the dresses you try on, and it helps the consultant get a sense of your style. If you can schedule your hair-makeup trials on the same day before you go shopping. This will really help you to get the full view. Image below photo credit: Amy Michelle Photography

Pro Tip: Even if you want a natural look for your wedding, you do need to wear more makeup that you usually do otherwise you will look washed out. Tip 2: Hire a professional so your hair-makeup holds up under a long celebratory day!

7. Bring a variety of shoes and undergarments | Shaping Garments 

Bring any items you want to wear down the aisle and wear a strapless nude bra and a seamless thong or brief. If you plan to wear shapewear, you should bring that too. Wearing a body shaper can create a cleaner silhouette and as you try on dresses, this will help you visualize what the gown may look like once it’s tailored. Keep in mind that you’ll be changing in front of people! Image below photo credit: L Elizabeth Events

My Word of Wisdom: Be kind to yourself and love your body with all it’s uniqueness. You are beautiful! I promise and you will be more beautiful on your wedding day then you can dream of….

8. Move Around While Trying the Gowns | Shake It

You know how it goes, you stand on a pedestal in front of a mirror to look at each gown. Sure, it gives you a 360-degree-view but you need to get off the stand and move around in every gown worth considering. You won’t be standing still on your wedding day so spend a some time in the gown walking around, sitting, and even breaking out a few of your dance moves because that’s what you’ll be doing and you want to be comfortable. Image below photo credit: L Elizabeth Events

Pro Tip: You need to breathe on your wedding day: be sure your wedding dress is comfortable. 

9. Track Your Contenders | Selfie Zone

Before smartphones became ubiquitous, snapping photos at appointments was a no-no. But now, most places allow it, letting you better document your experience. The trick is to be sure whoever’s taking the pictures is getting good ones. In a bad shot, even the most amazing gowns can appear sort of “eh,” and the last thing you want is to look at a picture of a dress you loved and decide you hate it. Pay attention to the lighting and angle, and give your stamp of approval before you move on to the next shot.

Read the Fine Print

A good consultant will walk you through everything, including the price, color, style number and/or name, delivery date, deposit, estimated alterations fee, and cancellation policy. As for the deposit, 50 percent is pretty standard. Never pay in full! If you do, and for some reason the gown you ordered doesn’t end up being what you expected, you could be out thousands of dollars. Another thing to take into account: sales tax. Some brides forget about it, but it can significantly add to the price of the dress. Image below photo credit: Newell Jones & Jones

My Word of Wisdom: Have fun in the process not only while wedding dress shopping but in wedding planning as a whole. Remember the wedding day is the start to your beautiful marriage! 

COLORADO WEDDING PLANNER, L ELIZABETH EVENTS

We design and plan weddings and elopements that are authentic, distinct and full of joy. If you are looking for a wedding planner in Colorado, we would be delighted to help! We are mountain specialists but also help the urban/city lovers. We love and celebrate diverse couples. Get in touch and tell us all about your wedding plans… CONTACT US

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