What To Look Out For In Your Future Wedding Dress

So it's time for the best shopping experience of your life - wedding dress shopping. This is a very important and exciting day, and you will want to experience every second of it properly. (With pictures of course!)
Here's what you need to know when shopping around.

Shop in advance

A lot of wedding dresses will take up to eight months to be made, sometimes even longer in certain cases, so don't leave your dress shopping until the last minute. Remember that even once it arrives, you may have to alter something like the straps, or maybe you want to add a bit of bling to it, which will mean even more time.

Be open minded

Any bridal professional will tell you that women always come in with an idea set in place of their dream dress, and end up leaving with something completely different. No matter how certain you are, if the consultant in the shop suggests something to you - just try it on. You may never have even considered a mermaid dress before, only to try it and instantly fall in love.

Do some research to figure out what you like

Go through magazines, look online and watch some programs on tv until you have some sort of idea of what you like in a dress. Mermaid, tulip, A line, Cinderella - and so much more to choose from. Get looking now!

Find a salon to suit you

Before you make appointments, do a bit of a background check first. You may have seen a bridal shop that looks very professional, only to find reviews online about how rude the staff are. You want this experience to be a great one, so make sure you get amazing customer service, as well as amazing dresses.

Don't freak out over dress sizes

Don't freak out when you find out the size of your dress. Bridal sizing tends to be a lot different to your usual dress size - at least one or two sizes bigger. Just keep this in mind when shopping around; besides, only you and your consultant has to know the truth anyway...

Shop on a weekday

Dress shopping will be crazy on the weekends as most people don't work, so it's the perfect time to shop. But if you don't fancy a crowd, get an appointment during the week. This means you'll get more attention, and more chance of getting the dress you wanted without having to fight for it.

Create the budget

Wedding dresses range from a couple of hundred dollars, up to thousands and thousands, so it's very wise to have a budget set in place so you don't end up falling head over heels for a dress that you could never afford. Some families offer to buy the dress or put some money towards it, so be clear on the plan before you go shopping.

Don't overlook the fabrics

Different fabrics will do different things to your body, so knowing and understanding this will be very helpful. Your bridal consultant will know this too, so listen to the advice she has to give you. Silk, for example, is very good at holding its own shape and will be smooth against your figure. Having said that, if you're curvier it will just bunch together and won't be very flattering at all.

Take the right undies with you

So you've arrived at the boutique, you're just about to try on a strapless dress, only to realize you haven't got your strapless bra with you - but you can't free the nipple either because the dress won't fit your right! - All of this can be avoided by coming prepared.

Wear your heels when you go

A dress will look a whole lot different in flats than what it will in heels. Plus, it will alter the length completely! So come prepared by arriving with your own heels, the same height as what you'd like for the big day. This will give you a realistic impression of how it'll look.

Choose the right crew to join you

Sure, you love your Mom, but is she the best person to take with you? You don't need someone telling you they hate the dress when you've just said you're madly in love with it. Remember, it's your big day. Some advice here and there is great, but it's your decision at the end of the day. You shouldn't have to have a full blown argument in the middle of the store because your Mother doesn't like the bow on the back.