wedding planning: buying a wedding dress

There are many articles of advice offering tips when buying a wedding dress and while they all offer a variety of steps to cover the majority will cover the basics of thinking about you, trying on a variety of styles and shopping around among other bits of solid advice. Starting with the basics allows you to avoid over-complicating the process and over-thinking what you're doing to find your perfect bridal gown because it really doesn't have to be daunting.

think about your style
Browsing a website with hundreds of styles available will help you to not only see what you like and what's available out there but rule out what styles you don't like. Think about your style and the fit that you'd feel comfortable in as well as whether you like contemporary bridal designs or vintage wedding dresses with iconic elements pulled from old hollywood and other inspirational eras. Consider the details that you're drawn to be it geometric metallic embellishments, soft tulles, subtle sequins or detailed backs, if you have an idea of the elements you love then it will be easier to find 'the one'.

try them on
Try on as many dresses as you can. Go to a store or handful of stores with one or two close friends or family (too many opinions can be too much) and pick out a great variety of styles that you like - or think you like - to help you decide on the type of dress you want to go for then re-try your favourites. When to buy a wedding dress is a personal decision that depends on a number of things like budget and losing weight so don't feel pushed into a decision - You should buy the dress you love (YOU, nobody else).

stop looking
When you've bought your dress it's important to stop looking. Hide your pinterest board, avoid bridal store windows and clear your cookies & cache so that websites you've visited will stop tempting you to peak at them. Then when your dress is ready to take home hide it away and don't look at it as it will avoid any doubts creeping in and make the day more special when you see your perfect gown again.