Wedding Dress Shopping Tips

I LOVE shopping, like most women, but I have to be honest and say that I am more of an online shopper. After working years of retail management for big box retailers and specialty stores, shopping in-store is not always relaxing for me, which is why I started an online boutique myself. Even though I prefer to shop online, wedding dress shopping is an experience you ABSOLUTELY have to do in person. The interactive experience of trying on a dress, and knowing when you’ve found “The one”, is a priceless moment that you do not want to miss out on.

Personal Recommendation: If you live in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, I’d highly recommend Ladies of Lineage Bridal Boutique. Tell them Majesty sent you!

5 Tips for Wedding Dress Shopping

1. Before shopping, research bridal salons, read reviews, and ask newlyweds where they got their dress from. This greatly helped me narrow down my selection for which shops I wanted to make appointments with. Ladies of lineage was a referral from a coworker and they had great online reviews.
2. Bring images of wedding dress inspirations to your appointment. Before my appointment, I searched through Pinterest and created a board of wedding dress styles that I loved. I showed my bridal consultant my board, which gave her a clear example of the style of dress that I was looking for. Feel free to also use bridal magazines, websites and blogs for inspiration.
3. Trust your consultant. My consultant asked me questions about my style, my wedding theme, my personality, and my family. Based on my responses, she pulled a wild card dress that ended up being the dress that I purchased.
4. Come with a specific budget in mind. This will keep you from falling in love with a dress that is way over budget. A good consultant won’t even allow you to try on a dress over your budget.
5. Be selective about who you bring along with you to your appointment. Most bridal salons will welcome you along with a few guest. Take trusted companions who will keep you calm, give you honest and supportive feedback, yet not overwhelm you. I wanted to avoid a “Say yes to the dress” meltdown moment, so I had only two girlfriends with me at my appointments so i would not feel overwhelmed.