Five Tips for Finding Your Perfect Wedding Dress

Tank (Similar)//Kimono (Similar)// Jeans//Shoes

I was wearing this outfit all throughout September before we got two weeks of solid downpours here in Raleigh! This outfit has become a favorite because its what I was wearing when I found my wedding dress!

Wedding dress shopping for me was actually a lot less stressful than I thought it would be! Over two different weekends I visited three bridal shops and tried on about 50 dresses. I definitely spent a lot of time beforehand looking online at dresses, boutiques, and reading reviews. I picked the three boutiques I visited based on price, customer reviews, and designers I liked at each. I did have very different experiences at each boutique but all were 100% positive.

While I am super excited I have found my perfect dress with ease I want to share five tips I learned from my dress shopping experience:

1. While picking out the most important dress you’ll ever wear you learn A LOT about yourself. Your style, your personality, how you want to present yourself on your wedding day. You may go into dress shopping with your heart set on a specific style, but ultimately you want to pick a dress that feels like YOU. In my case I felt stuffy in dresses that were “too traditional” and my motto was “more is more”.
2. You should have a good vision of your wedding style before you pick your dress. Of course, on your wedding day you can wear whatever you want, but planning around the style of your wedding can help tremendously. The dress you would wear for a Sunday brunch wedding in a barn may be very different than what you would wear to your summer beach wedding. When searching for my dress I kept my June, late night, downtown wedding in mind.
3. Accessories add up. I was shocked to find out one of the belts I tried on with a dress was over $500! When planning your dress budget realize things like belts, veils, shoes, and jewelry can add up to almost be the price of the dress itself! While accessories do help personalize your wedding day look, do keep in mind your spending priorities.
4. Taking pictures can help your decision. Seeing pictures of yourself in your top dress choices can help you think from an outside perspective. While you are wearing a wedding dress you can get caught up in certain details that may sway your decision in either direction. A photo can help you see the overall look of your dress and comparing photos side to side can make your decision easier. Keep in mind that some boutiques have a no photo policy, so definitely call ahead and ask!
5. Ultimately it’s your dress. If you are not paying for the dress yourself you may have to consider your family’s opinions more than you’ll like, but, at the end of the day, you will be wearing the dress not them! I went into shopping just knowing that I wanted something bold with texture and volume. Beyond that I was at a lost, so it was incredibly helpful to have multiple opinions. However, with that being said, once I know what I like I stand by it. And even though I ended up trying on about 20 dresses after I found “the dress” (I had already committed to another appointment!) I knew there was only one dress I could actually see myself wearing. Trust that those who love you will honor and be happy with your decision!

Photos by Em Grey Photography

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