Hassle Free Bridal Salon Shopping Tips For Busy Brides

So you'’ve decided to purchase your wedding gown from a bridal salon.

If you are a busy bride you may have made this choice because the bridal store has many products and services right there in one place.

Of course you are paying more for the convenience that a full service bridal shop provides, when it comes to buying accessories.

But it may be worth it to you if you need to make the best use of your shopping time.

Usually though, it will take more than a few visits to the bridal dress shop before you find your perfect wedding dress. So don’t get frustrated. It is necessary to put forth some time and effort to find the right gown for you.

Take Your Wedding Dress Pictures With You

If you have been searching in bridal magazines for pictures of wedding dresses, gather these pictures together to take with you.

• Find out which wedding dress shops in your area carry the collection of designer's gowns you want to see.
  
• Get referrals from friends and family of bridal stores known to give good service.
• Plan on going to ONE bridal shop per day when shopping for your wedding gown. You will probably try on 3 or more gowns, which can be a tiring and stressful task.
  
• Give yourself time between shopping trips to access which styles worked and what didn't work.
  

Should You Fill Out Those Registration Cards
At The Bridal Salon?

The first thing most bridal shop consultants will get you to do is to fill out a registration card.

Later many brides wonder how they end up with so much advertising sent to them. It's from filling out the registration cards at the wedding dress shops and other wedding related businesses.

You may find the vendor advertising helpful. Filling out those registration cards can open up to you resources you may never come across any other way.

But...

If you don’t want a lot of junk mail, emails or phone calls... avoid filling out registration cards. This advice goes also for ‘any’ wedding vendor not just bridal shops. Or just give as little information as possible... like your email address only or a cell phone number.

How To Make Your Bridal Shop Shopping
Experience Hassle Free

First . . . call ahead of time, to see if an appointment is needed. Some shops require one. Try to go on a week day. You will avoid the week end crowds and the sales staff will be able to spend more time with you.

What should you take on your visit? Here are the basics...

• First trip to the bridal salon.... GO BY YOURSELF! That's right. This way you can focus on what YOU like and what looks good on YOU! Figure this out first, and then when you take someone the next time they will really be helping you narrow down your dress picks. It's less stressful this way.
• Second trip you can take along one friend or relative whose opinion you trust. Definitely take no more than two people. Taking a group can cause problems. Usually it is hard for all to agree on one style. And usually one or more in a group will tend to be critical.
• If you are able, buy your bra and body slimming garments and shoes beforehand. Or at least wear your best fitting bra and/or body shaper. A lot of shops will put you in a strapless bra and slip. Remember these garments will be more expensive to purchase there. To save money, it’s best to buy them elsewhere. But if convenience is what you need, this will be the best place to get them.
• If you haven’t purchased shoes, bring along shoes about the heel height you plan to wear.
• If you have long hair you will find it helpful to bring along a ponytail holder to pull your hair back out of the way when trying on gowns. Also if you try on veils you can pull your hair up in a bun to see how an ‘up-do hairstyle’ will look.
• It can be exhausting trying on dresses. So remember to limit yourself to trying on 4 or 5 gowns at each visit. Over that amount, you start to forget what dresses look like on you and you can also become overwhelmed.
• If you visit other shops, make notes of the bridal dresses you think look best on you and the wedding dress shop it was located in.
• Have someone take pictures of you in each gown you try on. “A picture is worth a thousand words” they say. Pictures reveal things that you will not see looking into the mirror at the shop.

Once you narrow your selection down it will be time to order your dress. Read about the wedding dress shop ordering process for tips on how to protect yourself from mistakes and the unexpected as much as possible.

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