Hi all… long time, no see! I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since I last posted. 2025 has been one of the busiest and most exciting years of my life, but lately it’s also been kicking… well, pretty much everything! My job has been busier than ever, my calendar packed, and as we get closer and closer to the big day, the endless vendor meetings and long lists of wedding tasks have really ramped up. These days, it feels like every day is an endless to-do list that I can barely keep up with, and I’m trying to give myself some grace… but not gonna lie, it’s really been taking its toll on me! I truly miss having spare time for things like blogging, and I appreciate your patience with me over the next couple of months, as my posting schedule may be a bit more sporadic than usual. But I’m excited to be back on the blog today, with what else but another wedding-related post! Life certainly has a theme these days…
If you read my last post about my adventures in wedding dress shopping, then you know that saying yes to the dress rarely happens as quickly or as easily as it does on TV. If you’ve never shopped for a wedding dress before, the process can feel intimidating and downright overwhelming! But after visiting seven (yes, seven) different bridal shops before finding my dream dress, I think it’s safe to say I learned a thing or two about the process. There were things I sort of expected, things that totally surprised me, and things I learned the hard way! If you’re a bride-to-be on your own dress shopping journey, fear not: I’ve compiled a list of all my tried-and-true dress shopping tips that I learned firsthand. I hope you find them practical, informative and helpful… and without further ado, here they are!
Before You Shop
Start early. Unless you buy off-the-rack, secondhand or shop a sample sale, most wedding dresses have to be ordered in advance, and can take several months to arrive. And then you also have to budget time for alterations, which typically begin at least two months before the wedding. The general rule of thumb is to order your dress at least 8-10 months before your big day. Keep in mind that’s when you actually place the order, so you’ll want to start shopping sooner: 10-12 months before your wedding is the standard recommendation. Give yourself lots of time so you don’t feel rushed – the last thing you want to do is say yes to a dress out of desperation.
Utilize online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations to find the best bridal stores in your area. If you live in or near a major city like I do, a simple search of “bridal stores near me” may pull up hundreds of results. With so many options out there, it can be tough to know where to begin! Google reviews are your best friend here: I’d start by looking at stores with ratings of 4.5 stars and higher, and read a handful of reviews – both positive and negative – to get a balanced picture of what to expect. And speaking of friends, they’re a great resource too! Ask your married friends where they got their dresses and what their experience was like – this is where you’re most likely to get the most honest reviews. Other helpful resources include local community groups (check Facebook or Reddit), Weddingwire, social media and local blogs (hey, I know one you could check out!)
Set your budget. As any bride knows, budgeting isn’t the most fun wedding planning task, but it’s one of – if not the – most essential. The first step is figuring out what you can comfortably afford – and what you reasonably want to spend. After all, even though your wedding day is going to be a beautiful and magical day you’ll remember for the rest of your life, it is also one day out of your entire life, and not worth going broke for. Of course you want a dress you feel like a million bucks in, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a million bucks! I’ve seen gorgeous bridal gowns for $5000 and I’ve seen them for $500. Trust me, you have more options than you think! Just make sure to set a budget before you set foot in a bridal boutique and start getting swayed by all the fancy frocks. And remember that you’ll also have to budget for alterations (which, as I learned the hard way, can be gut-punchingly expensive) along with veils, shoes, undergarments, accessories, and any additional “add-ons” you may need to purchase for your dress (e.g. straps or sleeves.)
Ask about styles and pricing ahead of time. You don’t have to know exactly what you want your dress to look like (and chances are, your vision may change once you actually start trying dresses on) but it’s helpful to have a few ideas to guide the process. Pinterest is a great tool for this: just create a board and start pinning whatever catches your eye. Even if you think you don’t have a “type”, you’ll probably recognize a theme pretty quickly. And if your style is bohemian and beachy but the store in question specializes in glam and glitzy ballgowns, it may not be the best fit. Before booking an appointment at any bridal boutique, I emailed them to make sure they had dresses in my price range and style – I would literally just send them a link to my Pinterest board! Luckily, I found the stores I reached out to were pretty honest. They don’t waste to waste your time or theirs! And don’t be shy about clearly articulating your budget: they’re used to it, and if they’re true professionals, they won’t even show you any dresses outside your price range.
The fabulous Kiki McDonald Bridal had plenty of options in my style AND price range!
Just say no to appointment fees. Some bridal stores charge a standard fee (usually anywhere from $25-$50) to book a shopping session. Typically, they’ll credit it back if you end up ordering one of their dresses. It’s usually the higher-end boutiques that charge these fees, and they’ll often include little niceties like champagne, petits fours or even charcuterie boards! It all sounds great in theory, but I’ll be honest: unless there’s a store you really want to visit, I just don’t think appointment fees are worth it. Finding your dream dress can be a process (hey, I visited seven shops!) and all those fees can add up quickly. Plus, you don’t want to feel pressured to pick a dress just because you paid a fee! My advice? Save your money, and once you find your dream dress, buy your own champagne and celebrate with your bridesmaids (plus, you won’t have to worry about spilling anything on a multi-thousand-dollar gown!)
Don’t over-book yourself. It’s tempting to want to maximize your time and cram as many appointments as possible into a single day, but take my advice and resist the urge! There was one day where I booked appointments at four different stores, and honestly, that was way too many. Swanning around a bridal salon and trying on pretty dresses sounds like a walk in the park, but it’s surprisingly exhausting and involves a lot of mental, emotional and physical energy. And when you’re fatigued, you won’t be in the right frame of mind to think or make decisions – I found myself getting into the “let’s just get this over with” mindset by the third and fourth stores! To avoid “dress fatigue”, I recommend booking no more than two shopping appointments in a single day.
At The Appointment
Don’t bring too many people. Shopping for a wedding dress can be a fun bonding activity with the ladies in your life, and it’s only natural to want some moral support from your closest friends and relatives! But take my advice and be selective about who – and how many – you bring. While shopping for my own dress, I saw some brides with absolutely huge groups surrounding them, and I couldn’t help but notice how visibly stressed and overwhelmed they seemed. At the end of the day, more people = more opinions, and remember: the only person who needs to love your dress is you! My (extremely patient) maid of honour was my trusty shopping companion for most of my appointments, and my mom also joined for a couple. I wouldn’t recommend bringing any more than 2-3 people to your appointments. Not only is it easy to get confused amid too many opinions, but trust me: even your most patient and loving friends will get bored after hours of watching you try on dresses!
My maid of honour Victoria and our moms, Oriana and Tania.
Take lots of photos. There’s also nothing wrong with dress shopping on your own, but one of the benefits to having a trusted friend, mom or other relative accompany you is that they can take photos of you in the dresses. Trust me: you think you’ll remember what each dress looked like, but you probably won’t, especially if you’re visiting a few stores. Ask your shopping buddy to take photos of the dresses from every angle, including close-ups of any details such as straps, boning, buttons or lace. Videos can be super helpful as well, so you can see how the dress moves.
Have a clear vision of the styles you like. Remember that Pinterest board I mentioned earlier? Have that link handy to show your sales associate as soon as you walk into your appointment. Better yet, send it to the shop in advance, so they can start pulling dresses in your desired styles before you even arrive. It can be hard to articulate what you want in words – especially if you know barely anything about fashion, like me – so a picture’s worth a thousand words here.
At the same time, be open-minded. I know, I know… didn’t I just talk about having a clear vision of your dream dress? Here’s the thing: you may think you know exactly what your dream dress looks like, but after trying on a few in person, that vision can easily change. While it’s great to have a starting point, it’s also important to keep an open mind and consider trying on dresses in slightly different styles, shades or fabrics than you initially envisioned. I had sales associates bring me the exact same dresses that I’d saved to my Pinterest board, and while I’d loved them on the model, I hated them on me! One thing I learned firsthand: the same dress can look wildly different on different people.
This dress was a bit too “Vegas showgirl” for my tastes, but I thought it was SO fun… never say never!
Honesty is the best policy. The standard dress shopping appointment is 90 minutes, and while that sounds like a ton of time, it goes by surprisingly quickly! It’s important to be efficient in order to maximize your time and get the most out of your appointment. So, be honest with your sales associate: if you try on a dress that you hate, or she’s bringing you dresses that just aren’t your style, tell her! She won’t be offended – in fact, she’ll probably be grateful. Her goal is to find you your dream dress in that 90 minutes, and the quicker you get to that point, the better for both of you!
Keep comfort in mind. If my mom is reading this, she’ll be laughing and saying “I told you so” right now. This was the first piece of advice she gave me when I started dress shopping, and as with most things in life, Mom is usually right. Your wedding dress is likely the most formal gown you’ll ever wear, so it’s not going to feel like wearing sweatpants, but it should still be comfortable enough that you can walk, dance and enjoy yourself through what’s going to be a very long day. This is a key reason why I chose an A-line dress. While I loved some of the skin-tight mermaid styles I tried on, I knew I wouldn’t be comfortable being so “sucked in” for several hours – I want to dance, eat cake and drink champagne without worrying about how my stomach looks! Another thing to pay attention to is fabric. There were several dresses I tried on that I loved, but the material was just too itchy. If it’s uncomfortable for two minutes, just think of how it’ll feel after 10+ hours!
I LOVED this dress – it was my first “runner-up” – but realistically, I knew it wouldn’t be the most comfortable choice.
Mom’s always right…
Don’t feel pressured to make a decision right away. Some people can say yes to the dress on the spot, but others (myself included) need a bit more time before making such a big decision. This advice isn’t for everyone – I know plenty of very decisive brides who purchased their dress immediately after trying it on, and had zero regrets – but if you’re a bit more cautious like me, don’t feel bad about asking for a little more time! Don’t let a pushy sales associate pressure you: if you need some time to think about it, they should respect that. Even though I pretty much knew I’d found “the one”, I took a couple of days to think it over before confirming my decision. If you’re shopping off-the-rack or your dress is one-of-a-kind, ask if the store can place a 24-hour hold on it for you.
Wise words from Kiki McDonald: inhale, exhale!
After The Appointment
Create photo albums for each dress. After each appointment, I’d create a Google Drive folder for that specific store, with sub-folders for each of the dresses I liked. The sub-folders contained the dress details (designer, style number if I had it, and of course, price) and all the photos of me in the dress. I can’t tell you how helpful this was when going back and looking through my options! It’s best if you do it right after your appointment, when everything is still fresh in your mind. Trust me… you think you’ll remember all the details, but you likely won’t!
Don’t get too many opinions. Like I said earlier: the only one who needs to love your dress is you! I’m notoriously indecisive, and am the kind of person who’d send photos of a dress to the group chat and ask for everyone’s opinion. I’m telling you… do not do this! Everyone is bound to have a different opinion, and you’ll just be more confused than ever. Trust your gut, stay true to your own style, and take all opinions with a grain of salt!
The one exception to this rule is my BFF Victoria – I trust everything she says!
Once You’ve Said Yes To The Dress
You may be wondering… how did I know when I’d found “the one”? The answer is simple: I knew my wedding dress was “my” dress because, out of the countless dresses I’d tried on, it was the only one where I didn’t have a “but”. With every other dress I tried on, I liked it BUT… there was always at least one detail I wished I could change. Aside from wanting to add straps, which my seamstress is doing for me, my “yes” dress was perfect as is! I feel beautiful in it, it’s (relatively) comfortable, and while it was on the upper end of my range, it was still in budget. Once you’ve said yes to the dress and placed your order, here are my final pieces of advice…
Stop shopping! Once you’ve sealed the deal and put your deposit down, STOP looking at other dresses. It can be tempting to continue browsing wedding dress websites and catalogues, but not only is it a total waste of time, the last thing you want to do is stumble across a new “dream dress” and start second-guessing your decision. To totally remove temptation, consider unfollowing any local bridal boutiques you follow on social media, and unsubscribing from their newsletter lists.
Don’t stress about sizing. When being measured, it’s important to note that wedding dresses often run 2-3 sizes larger than regular clothing sizes. We live in a world plagued by toxic diet culture and, even in 2025, there’s an overwhelming pressure for women to look a certain way (i.e. thin) – and unfortunately, that mindset is especially prevalent within the wedding industry. I was between two sizes, and the lady who measured me encouraged me to order the smaller size and drop a few pounds to “save money on alterations.” I politely ignored her advice, ordered the bigger size (thankfully my wonderful sales associate was totally on board) and honestly, I’m so glad I did! It’s always easier to take a dress in than to let it out, and wedding planning is stressful enough – the last thing you want to be stressing over is crash-dieting your way into a dress that’s too small. Don’t pay attention to the number on the tag, order the size that fits you best now… and when in doubt, pick the bigger size!
Start thinking about alterations early. You should generally go for your first alteration appointment about 8-10 weeks before your wedding, but you should be booking that appointment well before then! At least in my area, seamstresses are in high demand, and they begin booking appointments several months in advance. I just had my first fitting at the start of May, and I booked that appointment back in February. If you wait too long, you run the risk of alterationists being all booked up – or if they can accommodate you, they may charge a hefty rush fee. I recommend starting to research and book alterations 4-5 months prior to the wedding.
Don’t forget about your accessories! It’s not just all about the dress – you’ll also need to consider your shoes, veil (or other hairpiece), shapewear, jewelry, and any other accessories you may want to wear on your wedding day. I’d focus on finding shoes first, as you’ll need to bring them to your first fitting so your dress can be hemmed correctly. And make sure they’re “the ones”, because if you change your shoes, you risk having to start from scratch and get your dress re-altered. I’m wearing shoes from Naturalizer (like I said, comfort is key!) but had a surprisingly tough time finding a pair I liked, so starting early is good advice here too. You’ll also want to source any “additions” for your dress (e.g. sleeves or straps) well in advance of your first fitting. I was so lucky that Crème Couture happened to have a single pair of perfect lace straps in stock on the shop floor, otherwise, I would have had to order them and wait several months for them to arrive!
Well, there you have them… my best tips for the thrilling, exhilarating – and yes, sometimes overwhelming – adventure that is wedding dress shopping. I learned so much throughout this process, and I hope this post was helpful to all my fellow brides-to-be out there! If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments or send me an email – I’d love to help however I can!
Until next time (which hopefully will be sooner rather than later…) I hope you all have a great rest of your day and a great week ahead!
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