Welcome Bride to Be!   How exciting that you’ve decided to tie the knot. No doubt wedding dress shopping is at the top of your wedding planning list, but where do you start?  Brides have so many questions when embarking on their adventure to find the dress of their dreams.  We’ve put together the twelve of the most popular questions a bride asks to help you on your way.

“What’s the average number of dresses a bride tries on?”
There’s no exact answer to this as every individual bride is different. Whilst the general thought is between 4 – 15 dresses, it is important for the bride to try on a range of different styles to find the dress shape and style that suits her best.

“How many appointments should I make for wedding dress shopping?”
It is advised to keep appointments to around 2- 3 appointments maximum in a day, so that you can have plenty of time at each appointment and in between, without feeling rushed, hungry and exhausted! The more dresses you try on in a day the more confusion and frustration you can sometimes feel.

“How much does the average bride pay for a wedding dress?”
This is a difficult question to answer as it is personal to a brides budget and it can depend on factors such as whether the dress is preloved, ex sample or made to measure. According to Bridebooks January 2022 survey of nearly 5,500 UK couples, the average cost of a wedding dress in 2021 was £1250, whilst Hitches’ 2021 wedding survey of 2,000 UK couples found the average cost to be £1,300 so the two surveys came out pretty similar.

“What style of dress will suit me & how will I know I’ve found the right wedding dress?”
A common question asked by many Brides.  Brides often come into a bridal shop with a particular style of dress in their mind, but then end up choosing a completely different style. With bridal dress shopping it is so important to be open minded and try a range of different style dresses to find the one that suits the best.  Finding your dream dress is not just about looking good in a dress, but more importantly it’s about how you feel in the dress. That’s how the majority of brides know when the dress is the one. They don’t want to take the dress off, or try any more dresses on, or maybe they try other dresses but keep comparing back to that one dress. Some brides may have tears, some may just have big smiles. Everyone is different, but as the saying goes….  you know when you’ve found ‘the one’.

“Is it normal to doubt your wedding dress choice?”
It can be normal for some brides to be unsure about their choice, as it’s easy to forget how they looked and felt in the dress, once back in everyday clothes. It’s usually a short term feeling and trying the dress back on can help. It’s important to take your time when wedding dress shopping and not feel panicked or pressured. If you are unsure, it can be helpful to take time away from the shop, go for a drink/food to think about it and then you can always arrange to go back to try on the dress again.

“Who usually goes wedding dress shopping with the bride?”
Majority of brides will bring an entourage with them to appointments, for help and opinions to help them choose their dress. Often it is the mother of the bride, maid of honour and bridesmaids who attend, but others may choose to invite the mother of the groom or even their granny too! Some brides choose to come alone, or just with one person for the first few appointments, so it’s completely your choice.  The advice though is not to bring too many people. Lots of differing opinions and chattering may distract the bride and become stressful thus impacting on her experience. Think carefully who you trust for their honest and helpful opinions/advice, they are the people you want with you.

“Do you wear a bra wedding dress shopping?”
It is up to you, a lot of brides tend to remove their bra whilst trying on dresses as it’s more comfortable, or fits the style of the dress better without a bra. However, some prefer to have one on.

“Do I need my bridal shoes, bra and bridal underwear before I start wedding dress shopping?”
You do not need to have your bridal underwear and shoes with you when trying dresses on, though if you already have them it can be a good idea to bring them, or at least to know roughly what size heel, or flats, you are planning on wearing.  It is important however to make sure you have your bridal underwear and shoes before you attend your fitting appointment as this will affect the alterations.

“How many months before a wedding do you buy your dress?”
For some brides, wedding dress shopping is the first on the list, whether they are getting married that same year, or 2 years later. Others may have a short engagement, or a particularly long engagement, or just want to get the venue and other aspects sorted first.  Typically brides shop for their wedding dress 9-18 months before their wedding day so a year before the big day is a perfect time to start. It can usually take between 4-6 months to receive a made to measure wedding dress so bare this is mind as you don’t want to leave it too late.

“Why does it take up to 6 months to get a wedding dress?”
Made to measure dresses can take this amount of time as bridal designers are spread across the globe and their materials are too so it can take extra time to source materials from around the world before they are made and sent back to the bridal store.

“Why do bridal stores ask what size I usually wear?”
In general wedding dresses are 1-2 sizes smaller than the UK high street sizes you wear. It has traditionally been smaller because they have remained true to European sizing from the 1940s. This means you will be likely to try dresses at least one or two sizes larger than the normal clothing size you wear. Sizing can also be affected by many factors such as different designers, different materials, different style/shape of dresses so its best to book an appointment and try on a range of dresses to see what fits you best.

“Can I wear makeup and fake tan when wedding dress shopping?”
It is best to avoid wearing fake tan to appointments as this can rub off onto the dresses and mark them. Light makeup is fine as brides usually step into the dresses rather than put on over their heads.

So now you’re familiar with these twelve answers, you’re ready to hit the bridal shops in anticipation of finding the dress that’s perfect for you.  Booking early is recommended to make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make the right choice.  Book your appointment with Brides of Dorset.