How to Choose Your Dream Wedding Dress: 16-25 of 70 Things to Know

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Make Shopping a Whole-Day Affair

It’s surprisingly time-consuming to put one wedding gown on and off, let alone three or four, and you definitely don’t want to feel rushed to make a decision. Instead of making plans for brunch after your appointment or trying to fit it in between other errands, leave a few hours so you can take your time browsing and trying on dresses.

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Choose Your Shopping Crew Wisely

Bridal models in different dresses — GREG FINCK

Yes, you love your mom, sister, sister-in-law, maid of honor, and six bridesmaids—but if you’ve ever tried to get a crowd to agree on where to go for dinner, you can only imagine how hard it will be to find consensus on a gown. Narrow the group down to the two or three people whose opinions matter most to you.

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Bring the Right Undergarments

Model in Danielle Frankel two-piece design — DANIELLE FRANKEL

It can be hard to take in how a strapless dress really looks when your leopard bra straps are sticking out, or how a curve-hugging gown would fit once your hips are smoothed. For your appointments, wear a nude thong and strapless bra, and bring Spanx.

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Pick Your Silhouette

Your ideal gown’s shape is partly based on the style you like, the venue, and mood of your wedding, and also what flatters your body most. A fit-and-flare is both contemporary and traditional and works on many body types, whereas a simple sheath is best on tall, willowy brides. A voluminous ball gown adds drama, but can overwhelm a petite frame. Mermaid styles show off curves like your favorite pencil skirt.

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Keep Travel Arrangements in Mind

If you’re flying to your wedding destination, look into airline regulations beforehand. You don’t want to fall in love with a ball gown style dress, only to have it exceed airport size specifications come travel time.

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Consider Less Traditional Lengths

While they most likely won’t work for a formal wedding, for a more casual, rustic, or beachy wedding, untraditional lengths can be a fun way to bring your personality to your big day dress. Tea length is fun for a quirky bride, whereas a white minidress has a rocker-chic party vibe.

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Pay Attention to Fabric

In addition to silhouette, color, and embellishments, fabric makes a big difference on how a gown will look on you. A heavier, more structured material (think silk shantung, taffeta, or guipure lace) will hold its shape and smooth your figure. Unstructured silk and filmy chiffon are less flattering for those brides with curves.

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Wear Heels to the Appointment

Some bridal salons have communal high heels you can borrow, but that’s a little icky, and a dress will look a lot different with flip-flops than stilettos. Be prepared by bringing heels of the same height you think you’ll likely wear for your big day, so you’ll have a better idea of how the dress will look.

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Bring Dress Photos for Inspiration

Whether it’s printouts of dream dresses from your secret wedding Pinterest board you’ve had since college or a page from a magazine, come armed with a photo collage of the wedding dress styles you like best while shopping.

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Bring Scene-Setting Photos

In addition to gowns you pull from magazines or Pinterest, bring photos of your ceremony and reception site to the appointment. Seeing the venue ambience can help your consultant pull gowns that will be the most appropriate for the location.

(to be continued)

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This article originally appeared in Brides.