I have been dreaming about my fairytale wedding & dream dress since I was a little girl. I knew I wanted a Disney Princess soiree…I just needed my Prince! Well, I found him! I met the love of my life when I was in college and we got engaged over Memorial Day Weekend in Paris!
We wanted to celebrate our engagement and not rush into the hustle & bustle of wedding planning, immediately after I said “yes!” However, what girl doesn’t want to try on wedding dresses?! Especially after following a million different wedding dress designer Instagram accounts…I needed to see if the styles I had been saving and pinning would actually work for me!
I decided to go start my dress search at David’s Bridal because they legit have EVERY style dress and a million different dazzling designers! I mean…how amazing is this designer line-up – Vera Wang, Galina Signature, Zac Posen, Oleg Cassin, and Jenny Packham? SWOON!
I made an appointment at the boutique store in Springfield, Virginia and my stylist was named Samantha – she rocked!! I went over the holidays so I was lucky enough to have my mom, sister, & grandma with me!! It was so special having important people in my life be at such an important life event!!
I can’t say enough about my stylist and how patient and energetic she was! I had no idea what I wanted when I walked in and I was exactly like a kid in a candy store…going up & down the stunning aisles, filled with lace and sparkles! When I arrived, I originally thought I loved ballgowns, disliked mermaids and would be open to A-line styles. Well, guess what?! I ended my first appointment falling in love with mermaid styles and how feminine they look! Nothing is more stunning than curves & mermaids perfectly highlight the hourglass shape!
I was head over heels for the WHITE x Vera Wang gowns! I found two dresses that I felt chills when I saw myself in the mirror – especially when I tried the veil on! I didn’t purchase a dress because my wedding is in 2019 but I found a gown I would’ve loved walking down the aisle in!
I 100% recommend making an appointment at David’s Bridal when you are looking for dresses! They really have every style and look and it is extremely helpful to see what the dresses you have been pinning actually look like on/in person. The large selection, with contemporary styles, and incredible designers, is wonderful to see and try on, during the dress search!
5 First Time Wedding Dress Shopping Tips
1. Go in with an open mind and try on styles outside your comfort zone
2. Take a small group of people to avoid too many opinions
3. Learn a few different wedding dress terms before you go (ex: tulle, illusion, etc)
4. Tell your consultant all of your ‘musts’ and ‘hates’ and they will do their best to pull dresses for you that fit your criteria!
5. Give yourself enough time for the wedding dress shopping process. You want to be able to enjoy your wedding and planning, so don’t wait until the last minute to get a dress – you don’t want to force it!
PS – If you are a bridesmaid or looking to buy bridal apparel, gifts, etc. David’s Bridal has a huge selection!! I bought myself some adorable goodies! There are also gorgeous bridesmaid dresses and mother of the bride gowns!
I had a similar experience at David’s in Freehold, NJ while shopping with my sister for her wedding. It was an amazing from start to finish! We had Brenda who was fun, energetic, and super knowledgeable. The ringing of the bell “ceremony” when she said yes to her dress brought tears to our eyes. I would highly recommend David’s for their service, selection, and overall wonderful experience!!
Also take pictures of yourself in every dress front, back and each side with /without a veil/headpiece, belt and have your mother/friend keep track of exactly what dress, designer, color, cost, store it was at. Keep all of your photos and information together in a binder and take them with you each time you try on dresses, because you more than likely will re-try on the same dress at different stores (different prices). Trust me all the dresses will become a blur after a while and having a visual record will be very helpful when final selection time comes around, especially because you will get a similar idea what you will look like on your big day! Good luck gorgeous!
I working at David’s Bridal in St Paul in 2005 and you can’t go wrong there!!
No matter how you feel, get up, show up and feel confident about it. The gowns pattern and designs are simply awesome
Great post with a lot of details & all pictures are looking awesome.
Great post , I think Selling bridal dresses requires you to be personable, look professional and have a good deal of knowledge about weddings.
I like when you mentioned that we should seek the consultant’s advice in giving us suggested wedding dresses to wear depending on the yes and nos that we gave them. It makes sense since they have an extensive background in the wedding design industry and would’ve likely identified the best fit and preference of women. Speaking of, my husband and I are looking to get married in December and I want to establish my preferred wedding dress as early as now. Seeking a consultant like this will be helpful in finding the most suitable wedding dress, which means that I have to shop around and look for boutiques with reliable consultants to rely on.
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They know better than we do!!
I think wedding dress is so important on celebration day of bridal.Thanks for sharing beautiful collection.
White bridal gowns always look fascinating when they are well embellished and attractive. The images you have shared of flowy gowns with floral patterns entice and go well with the wedding theme. Thanks for sharing this post and giving readers new ideas. A very interesting and thought-provoking post!