If you’re not sure on the style or design of wedding dress that you’d like to wear, a great way to start is by looking at designers' latest wedding dress collections and saving your favourites. Look in your wardrobe at the style of dresses you wear that are most flattering and think about what will work best for the season, e.g. long-sleeved dresses are warmer in autumn and winter.
Once you have a moodboard of styles, do some research into what dresses and designers your nearby bridal shops store. If the website doesn’t tell you the starting prices for their dresses, give them a call - it’ll save you heartache if you fall in love and then can’t afford the dress.
Book an appointment at the bridalwear shop you like most and try on four or five dresses, including a wildcard that the shop assistants can pick for you. They do this as a job and might surprise you with the perfect choice. Don’t try on too many dresses or you can confuse yourself! And it’s okay if the first one you try on is the one you like the best - that’s quite normal!
Wedding dresses are often made-to-order and you should expect it to take up to six months for your dress to arrive. Factoring in time for your search and for alterations to be made once it’s arrived, we recommend you start your wedding dress search about 12 months ahead of your wedding date. The latest to leave it is eight months.
It is advisable to take a maximum of two people with you to the bridalwear shop: your mum (or another trusted close relative like an aunt or sister) and your maid of honour (or another member of the wedding party). This way, you can get an honest opinion on the dress of your dreams but won’t be trying to balance 10 opinions at once.
