If you are a bride to be who is ready to shop for your wedding dress, you likely have many questions about how the process works. We are always sharing tips and advice to help prepare brides for what to expect when shopping for their dream wedding dress. Today’s bridal planning advice post is no exception and all of our shy, self-conscious or brides with concerns can pay close attention! If you are a shy or modest person, you will not want to miss today’s advice and tips for trying on wedding dresses. Even if you are not a shy person, trying on bridal dresses is a new experience and one that can bring up a lot of emotions. These will be helpful tips for any bride who is unsure about what to expect when shopping for a bridal gown and trying on wedding dresses.
As bridal consultants at Lovella, we have seen it all! We know that trying on wedding dresses is such a unique experience. You are probably not used to getting dressed and undressed in front of other people, much less a stranger who you just met. Know that your bridal stylists in the bridal shop are professionals and want to do everything they can to help you and make you feel comfortable and at ease while you are shopping for a wedding dress. Follow along as we share all the tips that modest, self-conscious, and shy brides need to know to handle changing and getting undressed in front of a bridal stylist at your wedding dress shopping appointments.
Trust Your Stylist
Your bridal consultant in the wedding dress salon knows that trying on wedding dresses can be an awkward experience. Brides are not used to having someone helping them shop, choosing a particular item for them to try on, and going with them to the fitting room. Shopping for a wedding dress is much different than shopping for regular, everyday clothes like a pair of jeans. If you have tried on jeans before, you more or less know how they will look on your body. But a wedding dress is such a unique garment and requires some help in selecting a gown and physically trying that bridal gown on your body.
You are probably used to giving items to a store associate to hold for you in a dressing room. You won’t be used to having that person then accompany you into the dressing room to try on those items as you will in a wedding dress shop. Wedding dresses are heavy and sometimes bulky items depending on the bridal gown's style and silhouette. You are going to want and need an extra set of hands to help you in and out of each dress when trying on the bridal gowns you have selected.
Video: Modest & Shy Brides: Tips for Trying on Wedding Dresses with a Bridal Stylist
If you are a modest or shy bride or at all concerned or self-conscious about trying on a wedding dress in a bridal shop, be sure to watch this week's advice video for all the tips you need to know when it comes to trying on wedding dresses with a bridal stylist.
You’ll Need Help
It’s easy to have an idea of how a regular, everyday article of clothing, like jeans or a sweater, will fit your body. But most brides getting married have likely never tried on wedding dresses before. You won’t have an idea of how a certain style or design of a wedding dress is going to look on your body until you try it on.
In addition, wedding dresses do not have what is typically called "hanger appeal," meaning they don't look their best hanging up on a hanger on a rack and most wedding dresses are not really showcased as their best when you just see them on a hanger. Wedding dresses truly come alive on a real body of the person wearing them, so you are going to want the expert opinion and guidance of a bridal stylist to help you through the process of selecting and trying on wedding dresses.
Looking at the logistics of trying on wedding dresses, you are going to need help. Bridal gowns are heavy and are often difficult to zip up. You need to be mindful of the fabric as you zip them up. And who is actually good at zipping up a dress themselves?
Not to mention the size of the sample wedding dresses you are trying on in the store will likely not be your exact size. Remember that the wedding dresses brides try on in bridal stores are sample sizes and you will be ordering a dress that fits your measurements. Your bridal stylist will be on hand to use clips to make the dress tighter or add extensions to make it looser.
Be Open With Your Stylist
If you are a super shy person or just feel uncomfortable about changing in front of other people, our number one tip is to just be open with your bridal stylist. Let them know before your appointment or at the start of your appointment how you are feeling. As bridal consultants, we have seen all the emotions and are used to nerves running high during wedding dress shopping appointments.
At Lovella, we will often put the dress on the floor for brides to step into and turn away until the bride tells us that she has pulled the dress up around her body. Then our stylists will turn back around and zip up the dress. Know that your bridal dress stylist is not looking anyway while you are changing, but they will have no problem turning around in the fitting room or even stepping right outside while you change dresses. You just need to be vocal about your comfort level.
Oftentimes, we find that after a few wedding dresses, our brides open up and have lost a lot of the nerves that they came into the bridal dress store with. You will likely get more comfortable with the whole process of trying on and off wedding gowns and will realize that your bridal stylist is not going to be looking right at you when you are changing.
What To Wear?
We know that self-conscious, shy, and modest brides may be uncomfortable when changing and trying on wedding dresses in a bridal dress boutique. You will be wearing close to nothing while trying on wedding dresses. We have a few tips on what you should wear for undergarments when shopping for your wedding dress.
If you are especially uncomfortable with the thought of being exposed, we recommend wearing a pair of control shorts. These will make trying on wedding dresses much easier as they will allow the fabric of the dresses to just slide on and off. A pair of control shorts like Spanx or Commando, as recommended by our Wedding Fashion Expert, will allow you to try on wedding dresses like a breeze. Look for a pair made of a thin material because the thicker shorts will make it harder to get the dresses on and will actually add a bit of volume to you under the dresses.
We don’t recommend wearing a bra while you are trying on wedding dresses because you will likely be trying on dresses with different necklines and styles. It can take you out of the overall vision of your bridal look to see bra straps while you are trying on wedding dresses. If you don’t feel comfortable going braless, we would recommend a strapless bra. Another option, that we see commonly from our brides, is to wear pasties.
These items are a great alternative to being in your underwear and being topless so that you feel a little bit more comfortable and not so shy. The control shorts are really a great option for all brides, regardless of your comfort level. Trying on wedding dresses is a bit of a workout and you will most likely get a bit sweaty. Don’t worry, your bridal stylist is used to this, but it can make it a little harder to get the dresses on and off. The control shorts provide a little barrier between your skin and the dress and makes it so easy for the dresses to slip on and off.
All in all, just remember that your bridal stylist is there to help you and make you feel comfortable so you have an enjoyable shopping experience. Think of us like doctors, we do this all day long, we really aren’t phased by brides changing in the dressing room with us, and we are not really looking at you or your body while you change.
We want to help you find your dream wedding dress so the best thing you can do is to communicate your comfort level and your needs so that your stylist has the opportunity to serve your needs and to have the opportunity to do everything they possibly can to make it a beautiful experience for you.
More Helpful Wedding Dress Shopping Advice
We hope you have found these tips for trying on wedding dresses helpful, especially if you are a modest or shy bride. For more helpful wedding dress shopping tips and advice, be sure to check out our past posts:
- What Should I Expect When Wedding Dress Shopping For The First Time
- Bridal Store Etiquette: The Dos And Don'ts Of Wedding Dress Shopping
- 5 Questions to Ask Bridal Stores When Wedding Dress Shopping
- Wedding Dress Shopping Appointment Checklist
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 podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
