6 Tips For Shopping For A Wedding Dress That Will Make You Feel Sexy AF

1. Limit the amount of people in your entourage. You don’t have to invite your entire bridal party to the salon to watch you try on dresses. You should limit the amount of people you bring along with you because you don’t want too many opinions to alter your opinion. The more people you bring along with you, the more chances there are for drama. Even though you want to impress everyone on your wedding day, you have to remember this isn’t supposed to be about them. It doesn’t matter if everyone else loves your dress choice. It only matters if you love it.

2. Do your research ahead of time. Before you step foot into the salon, you should know your budget. You should know a few names of designers you like. And you should know what kind of style you like — or what kind of style you cannot stand. If you can bring pictures to show your consultant, even better! Also, if there’s a specific dress you’re dying to try on, make sure you call the salon ahead of time to make sure they have it in stock.

3. Keep an open mind. Even though it’s good to have a general idea of what you want, you can’t assume you’re going to walk down the aisle in the same types of dresses you’ve been pinning on Pinterest. You might love the looks of ballgowns on other brides but like what you look like better in a mermaid dress. You never know what you’re going to end up loving, so you might as well try on as many different styles as possible. If you don’t like what you look like, no one ever has to see you in it.

4. Dress appropriately. When you’re visiting a salon to try on gowns, it’s best to wear underwear that matches your skin tone so you don’t see any lines through the fabric. You should also think about wearing a strapless bra or sticky bra, since so many dresses have low backs. You might even want to wear your hair and makeup in a similar style to what you plan on wearing during your wedding day to see how the entire look fits together!

5. Take as many pictures as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask your consultant (or whoever is in your entourage) to snap a few photos of each dress. That way, you can see yourself from different angles that the mirror isn’t able to capture.

6. Manage your expectations. You might expect trying on gowns to feel exactly like an episode of Say Yes To The Dress, but that’s not realistic. Every single bride is different, so every single dress shopping experience is going to be different. You might not burst into tears when you find the perfect dress. Your parents might not drop their jaws to the floor when they see you for the first time. You might not get the extreme reaction you’ve been daydreaming about — but that doesn’t mean it’s the wrong dress. You have to manage your expectations and realize that if you feel beautiful, you’re probably wearing the right piece!