From Proposal to Wedding Day - Getting Dressed.

Time and time again, when talking to brides, the most exciting moment of their wedding planning process is hands down wedding dress shopping. It is one of those ingrained talents that we girls posses – picking the DRESS for our big day.

It doesn’t matter what your budget is when it comes to the dress (you can get a dress on a sample sale or get a discounted one from a used dresses website if necessary), what’s important is that you take your time, have fun while doing it and don’t get stressed or talked into the final decision.

Here’s what I recommend:

Do lots of “window” shopping in actual bridal stores, wedding magazines and websites. If you don’t know what type of bride you are (and chances are you do) try a lot of different styles to see what feels the best.

Once you narrow it down to the actual dress or a dress type, go to the trunk shows for the specific designer. A trunk show is a special event at which a wedding dress designer (or representative from the company) visits a bridal boutique on a set day with his or her entire line of new dresses. Brides schedule appointments to try on the dresses and meet with the designer. Even though a trunk show is not technically a sale, most do offer a discount for placing your order on the spot, sometimes up to 20 percent, so don't be shy about asking. 

If you can deal with hordes of other brides looking for a deal on a dress, try sample sales (a famous one is Kleinfeld’s) and find your dream gown that way. But be prepared and know before hand what you are looking for. Sample sales are not for trying on and deciding! Know what you want, locate it and buy it!

For those of you that have an artistic streak and just want to go the totally original way – design your own gown and work with a couture seamstress to create one. You are creating an original fashion statement and an heirloom!

In regards to a somewhat popular trend of choosing two wedding gowns, I say save the money and spend it on other wedding related things – there are so many! Just like you choose one guy for better or worse – there should be one gown that you will always think back to as the dress you got married in!

And for your groom, try to think outside of the box. Even if it’s in the selection of his super colorful socks! Unfortunately men's fashion is not as much fun as bridal gowns, but you can still make it fun by choosing an unexpected tie, socks or a boutonniere.

In my next blog, I’ll talk about getting your guests in the groove – DJ or a band? In the meantime – happy wedding planning!