Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Wedding Dress Shopping Experience

How to start wedding dress shopping

So…Where do you begin? Once the time comes to start planning it can be difficult to know where to start with wedding dress shopping. You may be asking yourself, “How many bridal shops should I visit?” Keeping a clear head at this point is crucial to not getting overwhelmed, but, guess what, there are absolutely no mistakes at this point; this is your stage to have fun and explore. Some good questions to ask yourself initially:

• What is the style of your wedding?

• What is your personal style and what ‘look’ do you want to exude on your day?

It’s important not to lock yourself into a box this early on (unless of course it’s one of those rare cases that you see something online and you just know that it’s the gown for you) but while you don’t want to put the blinders on to other styles just yet, it is extremely helpful if you know for certain you can rule something out. (And sometimes finding out what you don’t want, is the best way to lead you to know what you do want.)

If you know your wedding venue is outdoors in the middle of summer, you might want to steer clear of a high neck, long sleeves, and thick heavy fabric. If you know for sure that your style is more modern and edgy, then perhaps a blush lace ball gown with a sweetheart neckline might not be for you. 

One of the best things to do at this stage is to look online. Pinterest and Instagram are great places to start getting ideas and once you zero in on styles that you’re loving, you’ll probably start seeing one or more trends emerge. Again, at this point, until you’ve tried something on it’s hard to know exactly what you’ll end up with, but it will give you a general sense of the vibe you’re after. (Helpful hint: sometimes you still end up in the exact opposite of what you initially thought, but that’s completely fine and normal! This at least gives you a place to start when you’re stuck wondering how to shop for a wedding dress.)

Once you have a bunch of things saved (no worries if all the screenshots are taking up all the storage on your phone, it happens) you can look through and see if there are designers that keep popping up again and again. Likely, that designer creates looks that appeal to you and align with your vision. Create a list of these brands and voilà! You have your list of where to book appointments. 

Booking appointments

One of the most common questions asked at this stage is, do you have to pay for wedding dress appointments? The answer is, it truly depends on the designer you’ll be visiting. The cost of a wedding dress appointment varies from company to company, and some brands do not charge a fee at all.  It’s important to make sure (whether the boutique charges a fee or not) that you’re visiting places with styles and designs you truly love, this way it can be a productive appointment where you hopefully find the dress of your dreams that you feel incredible in! An appointment with KAREN WILLIS HOLMES is free.

Now you might be wondering how to book a wedding dress appointment. Most boutiques will have a page on their website that you can access through any device and book an appointment there. Before you get to that point, think about a day and time that works best for you and whoever you decide to bring with you. Do you just want a quick appointment after work because there’s one gown with that particular designer you’re dying to try on? Or are you making an entire weekend out of wedding dress shopping with your nearest and dearest? Select the time that suits what you want your experience to be and also work it around if you are visiting other boutiques that day. You can also call your preferred bridal shop and book over the phone if you’re pressed for time and have about a million other things on your plate—which, let’s face it, you probably do if you’re smack in the middle of wedding planning! 

Keep in mind you don’t want to cram too many appointments in a day. If you’re wondering how many wedding dress shops to visit, the answer is, however, many you think carry gowns you could see yourself in. However, some brides find the one on their very first appointment. It truly is a personal experience. It is important, though, not to overwhelm yourself by booking too many appointments into a day or weekend. Seeing so many things will make you feel oversaturated and you might even start to forget what you loved from each shop and how each dress made you feel. 

Keep your list small and curbed to the shops and designers you absolutely love and we promise you’ll find something that’s right for you! Remember, all it takes is one gown. 

If you’re reading this and feeling frazzled already by the thought of multiple opinions being thrown your way, know that it’s definitely ok to go wedding dress shopping by yourself. You can absolutely go wedding dress shopping alone, and some brides actually find the whole appointment more enjoyable that way. For certain people, they want to do their first rounds alone and then bring in their nearest and dearest once they’ve decided on a top few gowns to help them make a final decision. This can be truly helpful in seeing what you like before getting another opinion. It also avoids the pressure to try on what other people have picked out for you since you already will have your choices narrowed down and you’ve done all the groundwork. It also puts your crowd in a different mindset; they know they’re going with you to pick one of three, or one of two, instead of completely starting from scratch. 

As well, some brides choose to never have a guest go with them. Whether that’s because their family lives elsewhere (in that case, you might want to book an appointment time where FaceTime will be an option even if there is a time difference) or just because that’s simply how they will feel the most relaxed. Your dress decision can sometimes impact many other choices you make for your wedding, as it’s your day and what you’re wearing, it’s your opinion that counts the most. 

Whether going solo shopping or bringing a few of your loved ones along, make sure you’re choosing what’s most comfortable to you. You’ll be the one on the pedestal after all!

How long is a wedding dress appointment

Finding yourself wondering, ‘how long are wedding dress appointments?’ Much like appointment fees, the length of time of an appointment also depends on which bridal shop you are visiting. At KAREN WILLIS HOLMES boutiques our appointments last for an hour and a half and the standard across all boutiques seems to average out between an hour to ninety minutes. 

This might seem like a long time but, trust us, the time goes quickly especially when you think about the time it will take to get acclimated and pick out the gowns you’re going to try on—whether you’re browsing racks yourself or even telling you stylist your vision and having them pick them out for you. Once you’ve got your first few picks ready to put on you also have to think about how long it takes to try on wedding dresses. 

Many gowns have buttons or corsets in addition to zippers and your stylist will want to pin or clamp your gown to your body to ensure you’re getting a true vision of how your gown will fit once it’s properly in your size. That can take a few minutes for each dress. Of course, once you’re out in front of that big mirror, with your guests ooh-ing and ahh-ing at what you’re wearing, you’ll want to discuss how you feel in each gown. You’ll want to think about if it feels good on your body/skin, if you feel like the silhouette is flattering on you, if it feels like your style and if you can truly visualize yourself in that particular gown on your wedding day. 

Before you know it the time will breeze by. You’ll of course need some extra minutes if you end up finding the one too! There will be photos, excitement and possibly tears for such a special moment, and you’ll need the extra time for any questions and paperwork you’ll fill out after finding your dress. 

What to expect/know

A lot of brides find themselves wondering about what to know before wedding dress shopping. KAREN WILLIS HOLMES has been in the bridal industry for twenty years and over that time we have collected tons of helpful tips and things to keep in mind if you’re wondering what to expect when wedding dress shopping. 

One essential tip is to always keep an open mind. As we said before, sometimes the exact opposite of what you planned on ends up being what you choose. Yes, it’s important and helpful in the beginning to zero in on a certain path, but during your appointment, it’s always a good idea to try on some alternate styles too, since you never know what might take you by complete surprise. Looking at things online is very different than seeing them on your body in person. You and your stylist will be able to easily narrow down your choices once you’re actually in the shop. 

Another important thing to know about wedding dress shopping is silhouette shapes and how they will suit your body, and also about how sizing works. There are tons and tons of resources online that offer information such as; if you’re pear-shaped wear this certain style, if your figure is more straight up and down wear that style. Sometimes those suggestions can be helpful, but often, this is not a cut and dry situation. Why? Because so many other factors are at play here.

Dress silhouettes are not the only thing that makes a dress flattering or not, it’s also about the quality of material, they type of fabric, the colour tone against your skin and hair colour, if there is any texture on the gown or if it’s a simple material, if there is structure in the gown or if it’s a soft fabric.

No two brides (even if they have nearly identical body types) will look exactly the same in a gown so try not to limit yourself to a style based purely on your shape. If you know you definitely want an A-line gown because you’ve always dreamed of a big show-stopper dress than go for it! And if something more low key or modern works best with your style, we say do it. Let your vision and vibe guide you rather than locking yourself into one style due to your body type. You never know until you try something on. You could try on a beaded, sweetheart column gown and a structured, lace column gown and feel completely different in both. The little details definitely matter just a much as the overall shape. 

What to bring to a wedding dress appointment

The day has arrived! When preparing for wedding dress shopping on the day you’re going bridal shopping you might be thinking about what to take to a wedding dress appointment. Our best advice is to pack the essentials but don’t stress too much about stuffing your purse with everything you can think of. Feel like there might be tears today? Your bridal shop definitely will have tissues so don’t worry. Want to make it feel like a true celebration? The boutique probably already will have champagne or drinks for you and your guests. 

What will be a good idea will be some water bottles if you plan on walking long distances from shop to shop, and the right gear—loose clothes in summer, an umbrella, snow boots in winter—for those walks as well. Don’t worry too much about bringing things to prepare for when you’re in the boutiques, chances are the salon has already thought of everything and has your back! If you’re worried you can always check beforehand and then plan accordingly if you’re worried about how to prepare for a wedding dress appointment. 

Ok! Your bag is packed. You know what to bring wedding dress shopping. 

Now…What do you wear to wedding dress shopping? 

So, what’s the best bra for wedding dress shopping? Usually, the answer is: no bra! Don’t fret too much about what kind of bra to wear wedding dress shopping. You’ll want to see how the dress fits you naturally, and your stylist can always add in bust cups when trying on your gowns. Most times, people have their cups or bra built into their gown for their wedding day and this gives a very different look and feel than a traditional bra, so sometimes wearing a bra can throw the whole look off and not give you a true representation of what the gown would look like as a finished product. Most times you’ll start without anything or add a bust cup when necessary if the dress has minimal structure. Again, our goal is to show you the closest possible representation of how the dress will look for you once it’s made for you. 

The same goes for undergarments- if you think you will wear shapewear on your day you can absolutely bring some along. However, sometimes it’s nice to get a feel for how the gown looks on your body without anything else and then your stylist can give you advice on what shapewear they would recommend for your particular gown. For underwear, we recommend something seamless and comfortable and preferably nude. (Don’t worry too much if you forget and accidentally wear something with colour, odds are you won’t see it through the fabric and even if you can, you know you’ll be wearing something else on your big day!)

So don’t worry too much about what to wear bridal dress shopping, your stylist will be there as a guide to help you every step of the way and make recommendations. Your pick-up appointment and tailoring appointments are the time to think more about proper shapewear and undergarments. For trying on just bring yourself and leave the rest to us!

Feeling ready to book an appointment now?

Looking for more wedding inspiration from our Stylists? Check out our top 10 most recommended wedding venues.