Get the Most Out Of Your Dress Shopping Experience!

I feel that this is a good topic to start off with. Its SO important! It sets the pace and expectations that you will have for the rest of your wedding planning experience. So many people go about it all wrong and are completely unprepared. You can't really blame them, it's not exactly common knowledge for most people. But that why I'm here: to prepare YOU for your dress shopping experience.

• Before you even think about dress shopping!
• Know your budget and have the money available to purchase that day if necessary. I see it all the time. Brides come in without a budget and fall in love with a dress that they will never to be able to afford and after being in the super expensive dress, nothing in their budget will compare. Other brides come in with a budget in mind but don't have their money saved up yet or they can't spend it yet for this or that reason. They end up finding the dress of their dreams but don't have the money for it available until after it is past the order deadline to have it in time for the wedding or the dress has been discontinued and is no longer available. Something else that often happens is that brides with find their perfect dress in their perfect size on the clearance rack but its the last one in the store and they don't come up with the money until after it has been sold. The lesson here is don't shop till you have the money to spend!
• Where
• Plan out what stores you are going to shop at. Do your research. You will probably hear me say that phrase a lot, but for good reason. Research the stores. Find out their reputations, what their service is like. Just remember to check different sources for each store. One site may be nothing but horror stories while another is all praise. If you have some sort of special need, find out what stores will cater to that need. For example, are you a plus size bride? a pregnant bride? A tall or petite bride? Does your culture call for a colored gown rather than a white one?
• Take into consideration the savings or conveniences that stores may provide. Stores may provide discounts on wardrobe for your wedding party if you get your gown and entire wedding party outfitted through them. Or if you have bridesmaids and groomsmen across the country you may want to go with a corporate chain rather than a small local boutique. Many shops provide in-store alterations, where other may ship-off the alterations they need to an outside company. In house services are always better than out-sourced services, that way you can meet, speak with, and trust the person who will be performing that service, whether it altering your dress, dying your shoes, or anything else. Shop around and contact the stores that you are interested in. Find out what kind of savings and services they offer.
•  So You Have Narrowed it Down to 2 or 3 stores that are going to give you the best service, the best selection, and can meet any special needs or requests that you have.
• I'm going to say it again: do you research. If the store has a website, log on and search through the styles available and make a list of favorites. This will make it easier once you get to the store. Just make sure that all of the styles that you are "favoriting" are within your budget, are not "available online only", and come in the color of your choice, if you need a specific color, whether it be white, Ivory, or anything else. If the store is a small local place, it may not have a website. In this case, find out if they offer a catalog or if the designers that they carry offer a catalog. If they don't, you will just have to trust that your consultant has a good judge of your fashion taste at the time of your appointment.
• Now its time to set your appointment. Place your appointment well in advance, at least a week. Ask when they are the slowest, this is when you will get the most one on one time with your consultant and therefore the best service. Usually your best bet is for an afternoon on a weekday. Even if you have to take off work a few hours early that day, it will be worth it for the better service you will receive. If you know of a specific consultant at that store that you want to work with, specify that when setting your appointment. If you need to cancel your appointment or push the time up or back an hour, use common courtesy and call the store to give them a heads up. If you show up early, they may not be prepared for you yet. If you show up late, they may have already moved on to another appointment. If you just don't show up, you are wasting their time, and possibly the time of another bride who wanted an appointment during your time slot.
•  It is the Day of Your Appointment!
• Be prepared! Have your list of favorites ready and any undergarments that you may need. Some stores have bras and slips for sale that you may try on with the dresses to give you the proper fit and coverage that you will need. Other stores may not offer undergarments  and therefore you will need to bring your own. Find out in advance from the store what you may need to bring with you. Somethings that you may need/want to bring with you: strapless bra, long line bra, spandex shorts, control slip, hair tie.
• When you arrive at the store and have been set up with and introduced to the consultant that will be helping you, you will need to share some valuable information with her. She should ask you, but if she doesn't you will need to make a point of telling her this information:
• Your Budget. Be sure to include alterations, undergarments, shoes and accessories in your budget for the Big Day Outfit. There is more to your outfit than just the price of the dress.
• Your favorite styles list and what general styles you are looking for. Examples: fit and flare, sweetheart neckline, a-line, cathedral train, lace, ruching, etc. 
• Ask for information on any sales that are going on if any.
• If you have never been to this store before, ask the consultant to start you off with a quick store tour so that you know where everything is located, including the restroom!
• Let her know your approximate dress size (and your bra size if she will be needing to pull out any undergarments for you).
• Many people want to bring their whole family with them when they go dress shopping. They think it sounds like fun to bring everyone along, but it rarely ends up that way. I recommend bringing two or three people at most, whosoever opinions you value the most. Usually the brides mother and/or father and the maid of honor are the first choices. To many people will have you bombarded with opinions and completely overwhelmed before your appointment is even over. It can get ugly fast especially if you have a very opinionated family. Everyone thinks that it won't happen to them but the store where I work usually sees between 2 to 6 brides a week that come back wanting to exchange their dress and start their shopping from scratch because they felt pressured into purchasing a dress, ironically not by a salesperson, but by their loved ones.
• Don't get stressed about purchasing that day. If you are undecided between 2 or 3 dresses, get pictures of you in your favorites. Go home and sleep on it. Make a list of the pros and cons of each dress, including price, comfort, amount of alterations needs, etc. Usually, if one of those dresses is THE dress, you will know it within a day or two. Just make sure you find out the orders times for your favorites before you leave the store. Feel free to find a favorite at two or three different stores before you make your final decision, but don't go to every bridal store in the state or you will drive yourself and your family crazy. It can be a fine line.
• Once You Have Purchased The Dress of Your Dreams...
• Make sure to set any alterations appointments if you need them.
• Celebrate! Go out to lunch with your girls and have a few drinks! You have your dress and now the rest of the wedding planning should start slowing moving into motion. Your dress sets the mood for the rest of the wedding. Now that the wedding's "centerpiece", if you will, has been chosen, everything else will be much easier.
• STOP LOOKING! You have found your dress and you if you keep shopping you will be constantly second guessing yourself and slowing down the planning for the rest of your wedding. This should be something that you enjoy so don't ruin it for yourself.
• Go online and review the store. Give them the good, the bad, and the ugly. Call the store and ask to speak to a manager. Tell them what your experience was like and what could have been better. Don't forget to tell them your consultant's name. If you REALLY liked the service you received, write your consultant a thank you note and mail it to the store. Trust me, it would mean the world to her! :]

Happy Shopping!