How to go Wedding Dress Shopping like a Boss!
Wedding dress shopping can be a daunting prospect, as it’s not something you buy everyday, right? Never fear, by the end you will be ready to wedding dress shop like a boss!
Photo credit – Bamboo Dreams photography
Anna Docking
When to start wedding dress shopping
Book your venue to determine your wedding date and provide a backdrop for your celebration. This may influence the style of your wedding dress. The combination of the venue and the dress will dictate the overall look, enabling you to make informed choices of other wedding suppliers.
- 12-18 months before your wedding: start browsing for dresses – visit bridal boutiques with one close friend maximum to get a sense of what you like. I recommend that you don’t invite a wider entourage, until you’ve narrowed down your choices to about 5 dresses.
- 9-12 months before the big day: order your dress.
Now you can book your other suppliers (before they become unavailable!), that will best execute your vision.
Read about how I make your bespoke wedding dress within this timescale
Wedding dress shopping options
No Frills
Your options start with:
- some bridal wear retailers sell “off the peg/rack”, sample sale or ex-display gowns.
- Many high street stores offer affordable bridal wear lines.
- Online retailers, although I do advise you to buy from a well-known company, with an uncomplicated returns process.
All of these are the quickest route to procuring a wedding dress. Not the most flowery of experiences, but these options are great for the fuss-free bride on a tight budget.
Pre-loved Wedding Dresses
- Pre-loved or second-hand is a wonderful choice for the eco-conscious bride. Sites like Stillwhite and Oxfam sell used wedding dresses at affordable prices. This then allows you to spend a tidy penny (it will cost more than a penny) on a bridalwear seamstress to alter/ customise it to suit her. You will feel virtuous by doing your bit for the environment, by giving a dress one more day of glory.
Bridal Boutiques
- Independent bridal boutiques are arguably the most common method of buying a wedding dress. Average prices tend to dance around the £1,500 mark, but it can vary by demographic and the boutique’s own style.
The assistants will present you with dresses that fall within your requirements, so you are not unduly overwhelmed by the endless rails of floof.
Please note advised that wedding dresses generally come up small in the sizing, so don’t feel discouraged if they bring out a size larger than your usual.
Also calm all your body issues in front of these ladies – they’ve seen hundreds of real bodies; they won’t judge, nor bat an aeyelid. They just want you to feel good about your dress.
Bespoke / Couture Wedding Dress Designers
- Go for full luxury, by having your dream wedding dress exclusively created to suit you. Your wedding dress designer will guide you through the process. You will have creative input throughout the journey and will marvel as you see your design take shape.
We fine-tune the design and perfect the comfort and fit along the way.
Couture bridalwear prices can start from £1,800 for something very minimal, to…well depending on complexity of gown, the sky is the limit.
Photo credit – Richard Puncheon Photography
Bridal Alterations
Unless a retailer offers in-house alterations, you may have to find a bridalwear seamstress. Set aside a budget of £500 for alterations, so you don’t have a nasty shock having just secured a bargain wedding dress.
If you are going for the bespoke option, you will not require this.
Wedding dress shopping – Do I need to book an appointment?
High street stores offering bridalwear lines and value retailers don’t require appointments.
Appointments are required for bridal boutiques and you may have to pay for this booking. Do check whether you will get this money refunded at some point.
Bridalwear designers such as myself, also operate by appointment only. I often have an initial meeting with a brides online, where I learn a bit about her back story and get a sense of her wedding dress requirements. I then explain how I would help her achieve the best look that reflects her personally and I outline some initial design ideas as a starting point. If she likes the direction they’re taking, we expand our ideas, until she feels ready to secure her booking with a deposit.
What should I take to my appointments?
- Shoes of same heel height that you intend to wear on your wedding day. Heels change your posture, which affects how a dress will hang on your body. It also affects the length of the dress.
- A white/ nude bra, which gives you the best shape and support, even if you don’t wear a bra with your dress choice, it’s best to be prepared.
- An open mind and a sense of fun!
Why am I nervous?
Because you don’t buy costly wedding dresses often, so you’re out of your comfort zone. All eyes are going to be on you in this dress and you worry that you will be judged, as this is the day you are expected to look your very best. You’re not sure how you look in a white dress and maybe you’re not that body confident?
This is why you trust the experts – we do this all the time. As a couture bridalwear designer, it is my mission to accentuate all your best qualities. I need to be certain that you feel entirely comfortable in your custom-made wedding dress. It is a matter of artistic pride that I empower you to rock your most flattering colour, silhouette and personal style to the max. I aim to dispel the nerves and the stress!
Contact me if you like the sound of that.
Photo credit – Bamboo Dreams photography
Wedding dress shopping can be a daunting prospect, as it’s not something you buy everyday, right?
Never fear, by the end you will be ready to wedding dress shop like a boss!
Photo: Bamboo Dreams Photography
Photo: Anna Docking
When to start wedding dress shopping
Book your venue to determine your wedding date and provide a backdrop for your celebration. This may influence the style of your wedding dress. The combination of the venue and the dress will dictate the overall look, enabling you to make informed choices of other wedding suppliers.
- 12-18 months before your wedding: start browsing for dresses – visit bridal boutiques with one close friend maximum to get a sense of what you like. I recommend that you don’t invite a wider entourage, until you’ve narrowed down your choices to about 5 dresses.
- 9-12 months before the big day: order your dress.
Now you can book your other suppliers (before they become unavailable!), that will best execute your vision.
Read about how I make your bespoke wedding dress within this timescale.
Wedding Dress Shopping - Your Options
No Frills
Your options start with:
- some bridal wear retailers sell “off the peg/rack”, sample sale or ex-display gowns.
- Many high street stores offer affordable bridal wear lines.
- Online retailers, although I do advise you to buy from a well-known company, with an uncomplicated returns process.
All of these are the quickest route to procuring a wedding dress. Not the most flowery of experiences, but these options are great for the fuss-free bride on a tight budget.
Preloved Wedding Dresses
- Pre-loved or second-hand is a wonderful choice for the eco-conscious bride. Sites like Stillwhite and Oxfam sell used wedding dresses at affordable prices. This then allows you to spend a tidy penny (it will cost more than a penny) on a bridalwear seamstress to alter/ customise it to suit her. You will feel virtuous by doing your bit for the environment, by giving a dress one more day of glory.
Bridal Boutiques
- Independent bridal boutiques are arguably the most common method of buying a wedding dress. Average prices tend to dance around the £1,500 mark, but it can vary by demographic and the boutique’s own style.
The assistants will present you with dresses that fall within your requirements, so you are not unduly overwhelmed by the endless rails of floof.
Please note advised that wedding dresses generally come up small in the sizing, so don’t feel discouraged if they bring out a size larger than your usual.
Also calm all your body issues in front of these ladies – they’ve seen hundreds of real bodies; they won’t judge, nor bat an eyelid. They just want you to feel good about your dress.
Bespoke / Couture Wedding Dress Designers
- Go for full luxury, by having your dream wedding dress exclusively created to suit you. Your wedding dress designer will guide you through the process. You will have creative input throughout the journey and will marvel as you see your design take shape.
We fine-tune the design and perfect the comfort and fit along the way.
Couture bridalwear prices can start from £1,800 for something very minimal, to…well depending on complexity of gown, the sky is the limit.
Pop over here for my FAQs!
Photo: Richard Puncheon Photography
Bridal Alterations
Unless a retailer offers in-house alterations, you may have to find a bridalwear seamstress. Set aside a budget of £500 for alterations, so you don’t have a nasty shock having just secured a bargain wedding dress.
If you are going for the bespoke option, you will not require this.
Wedding dress shopping - Do I need to book an appointment?
High street stores offering bridalwear lines and value retailers don’t require appointments.
Appointments are required for bridal boutiques and you may have to pay for this booking. Do check whether you will get this money refunded at some point.
Bridalwear designers such as myself, also operate by appointment only. I often have an initial meeting with a brides online, where I learn a bit about her back story and get a sense of her wedding dress requirements.
I then explain how I would help her achieve the best look that reflects her personally and I outline some initial design ideas as a starting point.
If she likes the direction they’re taking, we expand our ideas, until she feels ready to secure her booking with a deposit.
What should I take to my appointments?
- Shoes of same heel height that you intend to wear on your wedding day. Heels change your posture, which affects how a dress will hang on your body. It also affects the length of the dress.
- A white/ nude bra, which gives you the best shape and support, even if you don’t wear a bra with your dress choice, it’s best to be prepared.
- An open mind and a sense of fun!
Why am I nervous?
Because you don’t buy costly wedding dresses often, so you’re out of your comfort zone. All eyes are going to be on you in this dress and you worry that you will be judged, as this is the day you are expected to look your very best. You’re not sure how you look in a white dress and maybe you’re not that body confident?
This is why you trust the experts – we do this all the time. As a couture bridalwear designer, it is my mission to accentuate all your best qualities.
I need to be certain that you feel entirely comfortable in your custom-made wedding dress. It is a matter of artistic pride that I empower you to rock your most flattering colour, silhouette and personal style to the max. I aim to dispel the nerves and the stress!
Contact me if you like the sound of that.
Photo: Bamboo Dreams Photography