A Piece of Unsolicited Advice

All right ladies! Time for another piece of unsolicited advice! Just what every bride wants to hear- more advice they did not ask for or want.

But here’s the deal, you need to hear this advice. I’m sure your family and friends have been an amazing (insert sarcastic voice here) source for information on all things from seating arrangements to wedding favors. They have probably included a few phrases like: “that’s not how I did it” or “well, I just think this way is better” for variety.

And if you ask for our opinion on those kinds of things, we will give it to you. Gladly! We have tons of thoughts about all things wedding related. We love sharing our ideas and knowledge about our chosen field. However, it’s not our general practice to go around giving unsolicited advice. That’s how you know this is important.

You ready? Ok, here it is! When you find a dress that you love, STOP LOOKING! Nothing good will come from continuing to look at dresses once you find your dream dress. Don’t try anything else on. Don’t look online. Nothing! Most bridal stores have a policy about gowns being a final sale and you really don’t want to pay for two dresses, do you? (This policy is in place, not because bridal stores are greedy or anything, but because once we place your dress order with the designer, we can’t cancel it.)

I struggle with this when I am shopping. I always think there could be something better out there. So, I can sympathize with the need to make sure you have the best available.

However, most shopping experiences are not an emotional purchase, which is primarily why buying a wedding dress is different. You don’t cry with happiness when you find the perfect yoga pants. You don’t FaceTime your grandma when you find amazing shoes. A wedding dress is a big, important and touching purchase. But, once you find this emotional connection with the dress you will walk down the aisle in, continuing to shop will only confuse you and make you second guess yourself.

Sometimes, brides continue looking not because they are worried the perfect dress is still out there, but because they want to extend the experience. They love how much fun it is or how good they feel in a wedding dress. This will backfire big time. Trying on too many dresses can make ALL wedding dresses feel less special. You won’t love any of them by the time you are done.

Most of us have this checklist of what would make the perfect wedding dress. That checklist doesn’t always account for how a dress can make you feel though. Often brides find themselves in love with a dress that wasn’t what they thought they wanted. It may not tick off all the boxes, but their heart seizes up with the knowledge that this gown was made for them.

Think of finding your wedding dress the same way you found your fiancé. You had an idea of what you wanted. You checked out a few from far away while hanging out with girlfriends. Maybe you even looked online. Finally, you try some on for size. Then it happens! Your heart swells and you can’t stop thinking, “this is the one!” You want nothing more than to feel like this forever! When you found all these good feelings for your fiancé, you didn’t continue to date other people “just in case there is a better one.” So why would you keep looking after you find a dress that makes you feel beautiful and perfect?