Wedding Dress SOS

Wedding Dress Shopping Tips:

1. START EARLY: Beging looking for your dress nine months in advance. Logistics play the most important role in choosing your dress. If you need to order, it can take from three to six months to receive an order depending on the dress. Three being the earliest and most positive scenario, as it usually takes longer. After which, you have fittings (average is two or three sessions) over 3-4 weeks to get the right fit. This leaved us with 8-9 months for the ideal time to search in advance. However, if your wedding is in three months and you still don't have a dress, don't panic - some boutiques can manage to get you your dream dress with a "rush order" fee.

2. TAKE NOTES: Scan through magazines and the internet to identify what your favourite style is. Flag the images you like and take them with you to your appointments as a reference, explaining to your consultant what you like about them. A professional consultant will help you find what you are really looking for.

3. BE DETACHED: Try not to get too attached to a wedding dress that looks great on paper. Many dresses lack hanger appeal but look great when tried on. Many brides ask for a certain dress they have seen in a magazine and no matter how gorgeous any other dress that they try on looks like, they seem to have this firm standpoint that the dress they saw online is The Dress. Images of dress do not always portray excatly how they look like in reality and this goes both ways, good and bad.

4. DON'T GO UNANNOUNCED: Try not to go to advice, service, and a sales team dedicated to just assist you in finding your perfect dress, you need to make an appointment in adcance to ensure the bridal expert is there to assist you. Booking appointments is meant for optimal service, so don't miss out.

5. THE EARLY BIRD: Always book your appointments in the daytime. Early on in the day, your posture is at its best and your body is at its freshest state not to mention your attitude, which plays them ajor role in your perception of what your perfect dress is. There's a major difference in brides' attitudes all the time from morning versus evening appointments. Evening appointments are always after a long day of work. An exhausted bride becomes restless, anxious and in the "ordinary syndrome" trap. This is something use to describe stressed out brides who start falling into the trap of feeling that her dress is no longer special. The happiest and most satisfied brides are the early birds.

6. GROOM YOURSELF: To get a sneak preview of what you will look like on your wedding day, you need to look fresh and groomed when searching for your dress. Messy or oily hair will not pay you justice when looking for your once-in-a-lifetime dress. You need to look good and feel good and cherish the seach process as it is all part of the lovely experience.

7. LESS IS MORE: Consider two as the maximum number of people who should escort you to choose your dress. That means yourMum if possible and another close relative, or a supportive friend with great taste. If you bring three of more people with you, there will be to many opinion for your dress, hence the drama and confusion in making a decision.

8. THE PURSE: Communicating your budget honestly to your bridal consultant is a must to ensure finding the best fress for you. There is no point in trying dresses you cannot afford, as it will only dispirit you and waste both you and your salesperson's time.

9. DRESS FOR YOUR ERA: In spite of your party theme, allow your dress to represent your time rather than borrow from another era. Incorporate elements of your party theme through accessories rather than a fully fledged themed dress. For example, if you plan to have a 1920's Vintage theme, don't go for a flapper style gown or a 20's dress: you can go for a modern beaded lace or an embroidered tulle dress and accesorize through vintage-inspired jewelry, veil, bolero, headpiece or corsage orby adding feathers into your bridal bouquet.

10. COMFORT: The most beautiful bride is the comfortable bride. Try to refrain from wearing silhouettes that you are slightly uncomfortable in just because it looks great. Some brides choose a style they would never wear normally, while others opt for heels which make them tower over their fiance. On your big day you will need to move freely and enjoy your time. Your dress, shoes and lingerie should accommodate that, so choose sensibly.