Are you shopping for your dream wedding dress? If so, you’ll want to pay close attention to our wedding planning checklist packed full of everything brides need to bring with them when shopping for a wedding dress. Don’t miss our helpful video with a complete wedding dress shopping checklist too. From undergarments, we're giving brides the do's and don't's of exactly what to bring with them and what not to bring with them to their dress shopping appointment so that they can have a successful experience.
At Lovella, we love helping our brides find their dream wedding dress. We love helping brides feel beautiful and confident in the most important article of clothing they will ever wear. We are also committed to making sure that we give you all the information that you need so that your wedding dress shopping experience is stress-free and smooth.
If you have any questions about shopping for a wedding dress or finding your perfect bridal style, please get in touch with us. You could be our next blog post and video!
Today, we’re giving brides a checklist of items that they should bring with them when they go to try on wedding dresses. This is the best list of what to bring and what not to bring that you’ll find compiled from our expert bridal stylists here at Lovella in LA.
Video: Wedding Dress Shopping Checklist
If you’re going to your bridal dress appointment to try on dresses, be sure to watch our video on what brides should bring with them to their dress shopping appointment. This is a full and comprehensive list of everything brides will need to bring and things to think about prior to your appointment. Watch our video on what to bring with you to your wedding dress shopping appointment…
Book Appointments Early
We recommend that you get started early with your wedding dress shopping. Book your appointments as soon as you can. Many bridal dress stores are booking dress shopping appointments one month in advance. This means that brides should call about one month prior to wanting their dress shopping appointment.
Many bridal dress stores are by appointment only, which means that you'll need a scheduled appointment to try on dresses. Brides will want to call ahead to a shop to make sure that they fully understand the policies, including how many people they can bring to an appointment.
For more detailed information on wedding dress shopping, be sure to read our post on 5 common wedding dress shopping mistakes to avoid.
Don't Book Too Many Appointments
In addition to understanding the logistics of each wedding dress shop that they visit, brides also need to be mindful that they aren't booking too many appointments in one day. Brides will want to keep their dress shopping experience streamlined and the more dresses that you see and the more you try on the more overwhelming shopping can be.
Be strategic in which stores you are selecting to go to and not burn yourself out with a bunch of appointments in one day. Be sure to check out our post on how to find the right wedding dress shop to visit.
What To Bring
Before you go wedding dress shopping, make sure you collect these items and bring them with you to your appointment for a smooth and productive dress shopping experience.
If you need more information, be sure to check out our blog post on when to start wedding dress shopping and when to order your wedding dress.
Heels Or Shoes
Many of our brides ask if they should bring heels or bridal shoes with them to their appointment. You can also call ahead to the bridal store to ask if they have heels for you to borrow while you try on wedding dresses.
Many sample wedding dresses are really long, so even if you have heels on, it might be difficult to walk around in a sample wedding dress because you’ll be stepping on the fabric, ripping the dress, slipping, or falling. It is much better to be walking around barefoot in a sample wedding dress so that you can feel the floor and feel the dress fabric. Trying on a wedding dress barefoot is safer, so heels are not necessary for your dress shopping appointment.
Many brides bring heels with them to their appointment and they don't end up using them. However, for some brides, it is nice to have heels or bridal shoes to try on and stand still so that you're able to see the proportion of the dresses. However, walking around and maneuvering while wearing heels in a sample wedding dress is not recommended.
Nude Undergarments
Be sure to wear nude undergarments for your wedding dress shopping appointment, including a nude bra and nude underwear.
If you are wearing hot pink, black, or brightly colored underwear, these colors will show through the wedding dresses. Bright colors can be a distraction and embarrassing.
Also, you will most likely be taking pictures of yourself in the sample wedding dresses and if you’re wearing brightly colored undergarments, those colors will show in the pictures.
Shapewear
In addition to nude underwear, many brides like to wear shapewear to their wedding dress shopping appointment. It is your choice if you prefer to wear shapewear, but you should only wear it if it makes you feel most comfortable.
If you do decide to wear shapewear to your appointment, we recommend that it is not thick shapewear. We recommend thin shapewear because under a wedding dress thick shapewear will add volume. Shapewear that is thick will add a layer of volume that many brides prefer not to have under their wedding dress.
For more on wedding day undergarments for brides, be sure to watch our video on undergarments to wear with your wedding dress.
If you decide that you want to wear undergarments on your wedding day, it is a good idea to bring them with you to your dress shopping appointment.
A Helper
We highly recommend that brides bring with them another person who will be with them on the wedding day, such as a family member, bridesmaid, or another helper. This person will be on hand to help you get in and out of your wedding dress properly on your wedding day.
Be prepared at your appointment with someone who will be helping you change into your wedding dress in your bridal suite helping you get in and out of your wedding dress on your wedding day. They will want to learn how to zip up, button-up, and bustle your wedding dress and help you get into your dress properly.
Pasties or Adhesive Bra
When you go to your wedding dress appointment, brides might want to bring along some type of adhesive bras such as a pastie or petal. You might be braless when you’re in the dressing room and trying on different wedding dresses. Having an adhesive bra might make you feel more comfortable.
Keep in mind that your wedding dress will be altered to fit you perfectly, so brides most likely will not be wearing a bra on their wedding day. The pasties during your dress shopping are for your comfort.
When you’re shopping for a dress, you will want the sample dress to look as realistic as possible to how it will look on your wedding day, therefore bringing along an adhesive bra might make you feel more comfortable at your appointment.
Hair & Makeup
When you go to your wedding dress shopping appointment, brides might want to consider going with their hair and make-up done in whatever makes them feel their best. At Lovella, we have found that brides that come into their dress appointment with no makeup and no hair, don’t feel as good.
Your hair and makeup don’t have to be fully done up, but somewhat done hair and makeup tends to make most brides feel confident and pretty.
Keep in mind, if you are not a hair and makeup person, that is just fine. You don’t have to do your hair and makeup. We only want you to do for your appointment what will make you feel your best.
Bad Day Vibes
Speaking of feeling your best for your appointment, if you’re having a bad day on your wedding dress shopping appointment day, you might want to consider rescheduling your appointment.
For example, if you're on your period or you're having a really bad day and not feeling your best, you don't want to be trying on wedding dresses.
If you’re not feeling good, it is not going to be a productive appointment for you, for the bridal stylist, or for anyone involved.
Inspiration Photos
When you go wedding dress shopping, you’ll also want to bring inspiration photos of wedding dresses that you love. What you love is very valuable information for a bridal stylist so that they can get to know your style and ultimately help you find your dream bridal style.
Wedding dress inspiration photos can be dresses that you've already tried on and that you're loving or it can be photos from Instagram, Pinterest, or wherever you’re sourcing wedding inspiration.
You can also show your bridal stylist dresses that you don’t like and dresses that you've tried on that you don't love. Be sure to show them specifically what you don't love about it, so they can help you find a dress that you do love.
Your Feedback Is Important
It is so important for you to share with your bridal stylist at your dress shopping appointment. Share with them what you love and what you don’t like. Be sure to be specific about what you like and don’t like.
Give as much feedback as you possibly can for each wedding dress so that your bridal stylist can help you. A bridal stylist is only as good as the feedback you provide her or him.
For example, if you’re feeling self-conscious about your arms or your belly, tell your bridal stylist why you're self-conscious about your arms or your belly. Be sure to tell them what you’re the most confident about so that they can find a bridal gown that highlights the things that you feel the most confident about and conceals the things that you are the most insecure about.
Stress-Free Appointments
When you go wedding dress shopping, we hope that you find our list of everything to bring with you helpful.
We only want to make your dress shopping appointment stress-free for you, so that you can find your dream wedding dress. We want you to find a wedding dress that you love that makes you feel confident and beautiful.
Remember, if you have any questions about the wedding dress shopping experience, please let us know. We want to hear from you! Also, you can check out our You Tube Channel for all things wedding dress shopping.
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.
