How to Prepare for Wedding Dress Shopping: What to Know Before Starting
We know you're super eager to find your dream dress. And we can certainly help you do that. But first, we want to give you a better understanding of how to prepare for wedding dress shopping.
Sure - you can go in blind and start looking for gowns. But a bit of careful planning before you start searching among the dresses at Avery Austin can save you from feeling overwhelmed.
There is so much that goes into finding your dream dress - from budgeting to sizing, to carefully considering the style of your wedding and finding a gown that aligns. That's why the best way to go about this process is to let the experts here at Avery Austin hold your hand from start to finish. After all, we've got 30 years of experience working with brides such as yourself!
By the end of this guide, you'll be well on your way to crossing dress shopping off your seemingly endless to-do list. Here's how to prepare for wedding dress shopping:
How to Prepare for Wedding Dress Shopping: Important Considerations Before You Begin
There is a lot that goes into preparing for wedding dress shopping. Of course, you need to start by researching your favorite styles - which is one of the trickiest steps for most brides. But it's among the most important - and we'll explain why shortly. You can start to narrow your search among the different types of wedding dresses by sitting down and thinking about what your wedding is going to look like - and what sort of dress would compliment it.
Then, you need to set your budget. After that, you can choose your bridal entourage to help you work through this process and find your dream dress. At that point, it's just a matter of scheduling a date with the girly's to try on your gowns and maintaining an open mind!
Research Your Favorite Wedding Dress Styles
An important question to answer before you actually start trying on gowns is - what kind of wedding dress should I have?
There are an array of different necklines, silhouettes, fabrics, and features available when choosing your wedding gown. Doing some preliminary research on the lingo will help you determine what you like, dislike, and help you navigate through our website easily by using filters.
Should you go with a fit-and-flare wedding dress or a mermaid wedding dress - or something entirely different? Do you want a specific type of fabric, such as lace or tulle? And - why do wedding dresses have trains?
We encourage you to read through our blog to learn more about the different types of silhouettes, necklines, fabrics, and features available. However, a good place to start browsing for inspiration is on Pinterest or Instagram.
Once you get an idea of what you like, you can start searching our catalog by filtering between the styles or you can send your inspiration pictures to one of our Avery Austin stylists to give you recommendations directly.
Set Your Budget Before You Begin Shopping
Before you start shopping for a wedding dress, it's a good idea to have a rough budget in mind. While the national average wedding dress costs around $1800, you should do your own research on styles and prices to set a budget that is within your comfort zone.
Shopping for a wedding dress can already be a challenging process so having a budget in mind can help alleviate the unnecessary financial stress that may come along with it. Keep in mind that there are other expenses to consider when thinking about your dress budget such as the cost of alterations, veils, shoes, and accessories.
Since this may be your first time shopping for a wedding dress, getting familiar with the prices out there before shopping can help avoid sticker shock.
Fortunately for you, we have a complete guide, we have a complete guide on how to find affordable wedding dresses without compromising on the quality of your gown. But we'll tell you the secret here: it's as simple as shopping at Avery Austin.
We offer salon-quality gowns without the expensive price tag. We'll talk about this more later on. For now, let's move on to the next step in how to prepare for bridal dress shopping: taking your measurements.
Finally, Keep an Open Mind
This is one of the most important tips in wedding dress shopping! After all of your research, you may have your heart set on a specific style but wedding dress silhouettes and styles are not worn in everyday life. The only way you'll know if you like something is if you try it on which is why our Try at Home program lets you do this in the comfort of your own home.
Now, finding a dress that perfectly aligns with the rest of your wedding isn't something you need to stress about. This is something that comes from experience - and we've got you covered there. With three decades of helping brides like yourself, you can rest assured we'll assist you in getting the perfect gown for any type of wedding you have in mind.
Now What?
With all of this research under your belt, you're finally ready to start shopping for your wedding dress! And there's no better place to start than Avery Austin. Our bridal experts are here to offer you one-on-one assistance in choosing your gown. We can help you navigate all the uncertainties you're facing - whether that be budget, sizing, style preferences, matching with your wedding theme, or anything else along the way.
We offer high-quality, affordable gowns that will make you look and feel like a million bucks on your big day. Here are a few of the many reasons why brides are choosing a less traditional gown shopping experience at Avery Austin over the alternatives:
- Salon quality without the price tag: By cutting out all the middlemen the traditional gown industry is riddled with, we're able to offer massive savings to you - the bride - without any compromise in quality. We have wedding dresses under $1,000 and wedding dresses under $500.
- Industry-leading delivery times: While the industry average sits at around 6-12 months, we can get you your gown in under 9 weeks. Enjoy peace of mind even on tight turnaround times. And through our ready-to-ship wedding dresses in stock, you can get your gowns even faster!
- Try on dresses with no strings attached: Can you try on wedding dresses without buying? Yes - but going into salons to sample gowns with no intention of purchasing is uncomfortable. What if you could try on wedding dresses at home - surrounded by loved ones, with no pressure to buy? You can - at Avery Austin, it’s only $15/gown. You can invite the girls over and try on up to 3 dresses at once with no obligations!
- The bridesmaids can get in on the fun, too: Your bride tribe is feeling that same stress you’re feeling around dress shopping. So, why not point them our way? We have a great selection of salon-quality bridesmaid dresses under $100. And with our try-at-home bridesmaid dresses, everyone can sample gowns together!
There’s so much to love about dress shopping at Avery Austin. And at this point, there’s only one thing left to do - reach out to us today and get the process started! When it’s all said and done you’ll be glad you went with Avery Austin.
Final Thoughts on How to Prepare for Wedding Dress Shopping
We hope this helps you feel more confident in navigating this uncertain process. Now that you know how to prepare for wedding dress shopping, you can get to work and cross this task off your to-do list quickly. After all, you’ve got plenty of other things to plan out before the wedding day. And you want to make time to enjoy being engaged, too!
Remember - following the tips we’ve laid out in this discussion on how to prepare for bridal dress shopping will save you a lot of time and energy - along with frustration and disappointment. Going into the shopping process prepared will help ensure a smooth journey that you actually enjoy. And that’s what it’s all about, right?
If you want to learn more about what’s to come, our article on what to know before trying on wedding dresses is a great next step. You should also learn about when you should buy your wedding dress. And if you have any specific questions along the way, remember - we’re here to help. We can’t wait to play a small role in your fairytale wedding!