5 THINGS TO DO BEFORE WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING

Shopping for the perfect gown can be overwhelming. There are endless styles, your entourage will have many, many opinions (some that should be kept to themselves) and staying within your budget is very important! Whenever our brides walk into our stores, we want them to have fun, relaxed and comfortable and also be educated on the dress shopping experience!

Here are 5 things you should know before you head to your bridal appointment at Brilliant Bridal!

1. Set a Budget

This might be the most important step before shopping for your dream dress. If you haven't already, you should sit down with your fiancé & family (or whomever is paying for the wedding) and discuss the overall budget. (Check out WeddingWire or The Knot for their wedding budget tools - they are a life saver!) From there, you can decide on how much you'll want to spend on your bridal attire. Your bridal attire budget should include your gown, veil, accessories and any other items to complete your bridal look. This way when you walk into the store, you won't fall in love with a $3,000 dress when your budget is only $1,500. Trust us, it is a sad moment when you fall in love with a dress outside your budget. We don't want that to happen to you!

2. Pick Your Posse (Wisely)

We get it. You just got engaged (yay!). Now your mom, aunt, grandma, best friend, sister & the whole crew want to come dress shopping with you! While this is all great in theory, we highly advise only bringing a close few (by few, we mean 3-4 people) dress shopping with you. We know it can be hard leaving people out, but you won't want grandma's tongue in cheek comments or side eye. Leave your judgey friends and opinionated family members at home. This should be one of the most exciting experiences in planning your wedding, and you won't want any Debbie downers ruining your time to shine!

3. Go Pinterest Crazy

Not sure what your bridal style is? Create a *secret* Pinterest board and start to pin your favorite styles! Once you start to re-pin your faves, you'll see a recurring trend and style in the dresses you're selecting. Maybe you're really into long sleeves with lace, intricate beading, dramatic trains or a simple sheath dress. You'll really get to know your style better after just a few hours on Pinterest.

4. But, Keep an Open Mind

While you can go crazy on Pinterest and have an exact dress in mind, always walk into your appointment with an open mind. Trust your stylist as she has many years in experience in finding the perfect dress just for you! Our stylists biggest compliment is when a bride buys a gown that she would have never tried on! Keep an open mind and you might be surprised!

5. Bring Your Undergarments!

We want you to look and feel your absolute best when shopping for your perfect gown! If you know you're going to be wearing spanx or special undergarments on your big day, bring them to the fitting with you! You won't want to guess what your dress will look like on your big day with a strapless bra or a pair of spanx. Bring them with you so you can feel and look like a million bucks!