So you are newly engaged and it is time to start trying on wedding dresses for the first time, how exciting! Wedding dress shopping and finding your dream wedding dress is a monumental part of the wedding planning journey, but it can be overwhelming, confusing and stressful at times. We are here to share advice on how to maximize your first wedding dress appointment time and help you determine what style of wedding dress you want.
At Lovella Bridal, we have a simple formula in which we take brides through when they are trying on wedding dresses for the first time. This formula is designed to help brides strategically determine what style they want to wear for their wedding day.
How Can We Help You
We are very excited to share our dress-finding formula with you today because you know that our whole goal is to help you find the perfect wedding dress that makes you feel amazing and beautiful. But, we also want to help make this a stress-free part of your wedding planning process.
We've answered so many of your questions about shopping for a bridal dress from when to start shopping for your wedding dress to how to shop with opinionated friends to an appointment checklist to bring with you. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. Also, be sure to check out our YouTube full of just about everything brides need to know on shopping for a wedding dress from start to finish. We even have advice on how to resell your wedding dress after your big day is over.
Your question could be our next blog post and video!
Video: Tips For Finding Your Wedding Dress Style When Shopping For The First Time
If you're on the hunt for your dream wedding dress, but you're just getting started and you don't know where to begin, we made a video for you. This is our expert advice on how to determine your wedding dress style when you're just starting shopping for the first time.
No Regrets
We never want any bride to have regrets after saying "yes" to the dress, and this formula will help you cover all the bases so you know you’ve found your dream wedding dress.
As you approach your first wedding dress shopping appointment, be sure to look back on our past advice posts and videos, particularly on what to expect when going bridal gown shopping, what undergarments to wear with your wedding dress, and important things to consider before shopping. We want you to be as prepared as possible!
Most likely you have never tried on a wedding dress before, and so we have some strategic tips that can help you prepare for your first shopping appointment. Some brides will have a very clear idea of what they want to look like on their wedding day and what they want their bridal style to be. Some brides have no idea what they want in a wedding dress or a bridal style.
Please know that no matter what end of the spectrum you are on, our formula for finding your wedding dress style will help you make up your mind and have no regrets.
Shape First, Then Design
You will want to start by trying on many different wedding silhouettes to determine what style you like best. At Lovella, we will typically start with two different options at a bride's first appointment. For example, we'll offer one fitted wedding dress and one dress in a larger, more flowing ball gown style. This will help us determine if we’re going to show off your figure on the wedding day, or if you want to be a bit more conservative and go with a style that hides your body a bit more.
Trying on various different silhouettes, including a-line, mermaid, fit and flare, empire waist, and every style in between, will help you decide what shape wedding dress is best suited for your body.
Within these two different dress silhouettes that you'll try on first, we are also choosing different design elements, such as lace, strapless, sparkly, beaded, off-the-shoulder and more. For example, the fitted wedding gown may be all lace, and the ball gown will be really simple silk or satin bridal dress design.
This method of choosing two silhouettes with various style options allows you to experience different design elements at once. We want to maximize the
the feedback you will be able to give your bridal stylist so they can continue to pull dresses for you to try on that will best fit your style.
Remember, your bridal stylist is only as good as your feedback. The more information that you're able to provide to your stylists about what you love and don't love about each wedding dress will give them information to help you find your dream wedding dress.
By trying on wedding dresses with different design elements and shapes, you’ll start to narrow down what you like best.
Once you are able to determine the shape of the wedding dresses that you prefer, then you can really focus on the design or style of the dress. Do you want a really pretty lace gown, or perhaps a beaded gown with some texture? Or maybe a sparkly ball gown?
So many times we hear that a bride doesn’t like sparkle and then she tries on a sparkly wedding dress and she falls in love!
At Lovella, we encourage you to be open and to try on many different styles and designs of wedding dresses. You never know what might end up being the perfect bridal dress for you!
Give Feedback
Your bridal stylist at the dress shop is only as good as your feedback. So when you are trying on different dresses, you need to be transparent and honest about how you feel and what you are liking or disliking about each wedding dress that you try on. If you don't give your bridal stylist anything to work off of they really can't help you. You definitely want to give as much feedback as you possibly can.
The reason why we pick two completely opposite wedding dresses to start your first appointment with is that the bridal stylists can really get a sense of what shape and what design elements you initially like. Once we gather all the data and feedback you share on these initial gowns, we take all of those little puzzle pieces of information and piece it all together to find you the ultimate wedding dress.
Final Pieces of Advice
When you're shopping for wedding dresses for the first time, the style-finding formula that you want to consider is trying on different shapes and then once you determine the shape, go on to the design of the wedding dress. Strategically pick different shapes and different designs so that way you're actually getting to the end results faster.
This is a method you can take to any bridal store and share with your bridal stylist, even if they don’t follow this method already.
We also always recommend arriving at your first dress shopping appointment prepared with images to show your stylist so they can start determining what your style is right off the bat.
We encourage you not to go to a lot of bridal stores in one day. It/s all about the quality of the stores that you visit and the dresses that they offer, and not the quantity of stores that you visit.
Remember, the longer you stay in a dress and wear it on your body in the shop, the more time you're wasting to get into the next wedding dress. It is better to take a picture and move on to the next dress so that you'll have the time that you need and want to try different options.
Our last piece of advice when you're trying to find your wedding dress style is that no gown you try on is a waste of time to try on. You will learn something from every single wedding dress that you try on your body.
About Lovella
If you're shopping for your perfect wedding dress, come visit us at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, CA. We carry wedding dresses in all sizes and styles, including plus-size bridal gowns and a full selection of veils and accessories. Lovella Bridal is the premier, luxury bridal wedding dress shopping boutique located in Los Angeles, California. Lovella features couture, feminine, modern and chic bridal gowns in all sizes from the best wedding dress designers. Schedule an appointment to find the wedding dress of your dreams at Lovella Bridal. We can't wait to help you!
About Wedding Fashion Expert
Our wedding dress shopping tips and advice are from Nayri, Lovella's own, in-house wedding fashion expert. Nayri is truly the expert when it comes to bridal fashion and wedding style. As the Wedding Fashion Expert, Nayri is the top bridal fashion stylist and the best-selling author of the book "I'm Getting Married And I Have Nothing To Wear," the ultimate guide to helping brides find their wedding day style and their perfect wedding dress. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel or listen to her bridal fashion podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
