Top Five Tips on finding the PERFECT wedding dress and saying YES to the Dress.

Happy Tuesday friends!! Today is another Tuesday Today we are talking about saying YES to the dress . Now I know if you are planning a wedding this might seem like the worst time to continue that hunt for vendors and to keep up with the wedding planning flow. But guys, I am here to tell you that it is the perfect time! No better time than ever to start researching and starting those conversations with vendors. And guess what?!?! Vendors are being so flexible right now. They are helping to accommodate the weird and uncertain time we are in. For me I am currently offering an early bird special for clients booking a 2021 wedding AND I am not charging your first payment until the first of June!! Why?? Because I want you to still plan that wedding and continue the excitement of being engaged and looking forward to the wedding of your dreams!

Now let’s talk about the good stuff and this is for all my brides out there!! Saying YES to the DRESS!! Hey I get it. It is a big decision and there are sooo many options but I am here to help. I just picked my perfect dress out this past December and let me tell you even though I have seen a ton of wedding dresses and thought I knew what I wanted…. Welp, I was wrong and went in a totally different direction. Let’s get to it!

Top 5 Tips

TIP 1) LESS IS MORE                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Try to keep your search to three shops total or less. You want to research the dresses you like and then find dress shops near you that have those dresses in the showroom and ready to try on. The same rule applies for the amount of dresses you try on! Try to stick to only trying on a handful of gowns. No more than 20. If you are not loving any dresses you try on you need to be asking yourself why? What is the reasoning you are not loving the dresses on and what can you do to readjust your mindset. For me I actually only went to one store! I knew of a store near me that a lot of my previous brides went to and I always LOVED their dresses so I wanted to check them out first. Betsy Robinson They had a sample sale happening right after Nick and I got engaged so I took advantage and went. Now I tried on about 2o gowns until I finally found the perfect one for me. I am making a few alterations to really make sure the dress is exactly what I want but I am so happy with what I picked and I know Nick will love it too!

TIP 2) BE OPEN MINDED                                                                                                                                                                                                       Now ladies I know we all have a dream dress in mind. The one we think we envision ourselves walking down the aisle in. I know I did!! I am getting married in November this year so I was really picturing something with sleeves. But oh man was I wrong. I love dresses with sleeves but I realized I do not like them on me! There were a lot of things I thought I wanted and liked but what ended up happening was my stylist that was helping me pulled some options she thought would work well for me and she was right. We ended up meeting in the middle using her initial dress type with some of the patterns and details I really liked and we made my perfect dress! I ended up getting something I never thought I would like but I was open minded to her suggestions and I am so happy I was!! My dress is the perfect mix between timeless and flirty and that is what I was going for. So ladies be open minded. Yes you may think you know what you want but your stylist is there to help so let them pull some wild cards for you because you may be pleasantly surprised. 

TIP 3) KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE                                                                                                                                                                                             This is a big one and probably the most important. Ladies we must know our body type and know what we feel most confident in. What are some features you love most about your body and what are some things you want to hide. Play to your strengths! So let’s go back to my idea of wanting a dress with sleeves. Well guess what I am not a fan of my arms so I thought sleeves would hide my insecurity and pair nicely with the season we are getting married in, fall! Oh was I so wrong.. So I have short arms and they are not as toned as I would like and sleeves emphasized that more than hide them. They actually made my arms look more stubby and almost larger than what they are. So my stylist suggested I try something that shows off my collar bone which I will say is one of my more flattering features so we chose a dress that really emphasized my neck and shoulders and that ended up actually balancing out my insecurity with my arms. Now I am also only 5’3 and am on the curvier side on my bottom half. I know normally I don’t love things that are tight around my hips and stomach and so I knew a mermaid or tight fitting wedding dress would not hide the things that I would prefer not to show off. Instead I found something that flatters my waistline and shoulders. Those are my strengths so I made my decision based on what fit my body and shows off my strengths  

TIP 4) BE HONEST                                                                                                                                                                                                                    When you are dress shopping be open and honest with the stylist helping you. Make sure you tell her the things you love most about your body and the things you don’t. Tell them honestly how you feel about a dress option. Be honest with the people you are dress shopping with and be honest with yourself. Yes I know we all want approval from the people we choose to share this experience with but really the only option that matters most is yours. Let it be known if you love something or if you’re not feeling it and if you feel like you have found THE DRESS then go with your gut! Don’t keep shopping and looking for reasons not to buy it. Just buy the damn thing and be happy with your decision because it feels right to you.                                                                                                                                                                    

TIP 5) KNOW YOUR BUDGET                                                                                                                                                                                          Another BIG tip here. Ladies know your budget. There are so many options when it comes to wedding dress shopping so the toughest part can be falling in love with a dress that is just too far out of your budget. Now when I say budget let’s be honest here this doesn’t just mean the sticker price on the dress. This also needs to include alterations which can be another $1K or more. Also, you need to include a veil, wedding belt, and even shoes and jewelry. Guess what all of these things add up and they can really sneak up on you if you are not prepared. Do your research on what these items cost and add them into your dress budget so you know what your bottom line is. Be honest with your stylist from the start so they know not to pull dresses that are out of your price range and this will help you to not be heartbroken or get your hopes up. My advice is be open minded to buying things second hand. I bought my wedding shoes off Ebay and will probably do the same for my veil and wedding belt. Why? Because it saves me $100’s of dollars and these items can be found slightly worn or only work once for way cheaper! I bought my Badgley Mischka shoes for only $40 and they look almost brand new! By doing this it gave me a little more wiggle room for the price of my dress. Second hand saves you money and also is a responsible, sustainable way to shop and not be wasteful with your purchases. 

Ok, ladies I hope this was helpful. Dress shopping is one of the most exciting and fun parts of wedding planning. If you go in knowing these top 5 tips you will undoubtedly have an easier experience and will SAY YES to your dream dress! Even though things are uncertain right now remember it is certain that you are engaged and you will have that dream wedding! Keep on planning and stay on top of things!!

Interested in my Early Bird Special? Let’s plan a time to chat and I will give you the lowdown on how you can score an amazing deal on your wedding photography!

Inquire Now: Jenna Davis Photography