As many of my dedicated readers know I got engaged this past July to my college sweetheart, Zachary! Since getting engaged we’ve experienced an outpouring of love from our friends and family along with my SMDC readers. We are so appreciative of all the support! To celebrate this momentous occasion my parents threw us a summer engagement party that I recapped in this post. We’ve honestly been enjoying our engagement so much that we have accomplished little in the ways of actually planning our wedding.

Now that it’s 2017 I decided it was time to get the ball rolling and start making some decisions, but I honestly did not know where to start. The whole process can seem extremely daunting when you’re one of the first in your friend group to get engaged (I can count on one hand how many weddings I’ve been to in my life). I had never even tried on a wedding dress (besides my mom’s) before getting engaged so I didn’t even know what style dress I would wear. So I recently decided to make an appointment to meet a bridal stylist at David’s Bridal and brought along my friend Kelly for the experience!

When we arrived for the appointment we met were introduced to my stylist, Samantha, and she guided us around the floor showing us all the different designers they carry along with pointing out the differences between them. When she asked me what style I was looking for I told her I wanted to try on a wide variety because I had no idea what I liked yet. She started pulling dresses and asking me questions about venue, time of year, etc.

Then the fun part began – trying the dresses on! Samantha and Kelly kept boosting my confidence and telling me how great I looked in the dresses, which made it so hard to narrow down my options! This experience was personalized and intimate, and from the pictures I’m sure you can tell I had so much fun playing dress up!

Here’s what I learned from this experience and what I think you need to know before heading in to your own bridal appointment:

TRY ON DRESSES THAT YOU DON’T LOVE

My first piece of advice for finding the dress is to try on dresses that you might not even like on the hanger because sometimes they have no hanger appeal, but look gorgeous on. If you’re not necessarily drawn to a particular fabric, try it on anyways. For me I am super intimidated by embellished details and beading on dresses. I am a simple, straight edge style kind of gal. I still tried on a bunch of dresses with beautiful detail that I ended up loving.

I have insecurities about certain parts of my body, as do most people, and during my consultation I shared these areas so that we could find dress styles that flattered my figure while keeping these insecurities in mind.

MIND YOUR MOBILITY

For my petite frame I found that I was weighed down by some dresses that were made from heavy fabrics so once I was able to recognize that I knew that I probably wanted a lightweight gown. I also know that I want to be able to walk around, sit, and dance with ease on my wedding day so mobility is key. I made sure to try to sit or stretch my arms a bit in the dresses to test them out for the dance floor.

CONSIDER THE PEANUT GALLERY

I have so many people in my life whose opinions I cherish, and advise I value for just about everything else in my life besides this. Picking the dress you wear on your wedding day is such a special decision. Before coming to a bridal appointment be very thoughtful in your selection process. You’ll probably want to keep your peanut gallery to around two or three people. You don’t want everyone else’s opinions to influence you too much when trying on dresses. Keep in mind that the stylists will gladly offer their professional advise on fit, fabric, style, accessories, and more if you just ask! Plus, they’re actually the experts unlike some people in the peanut gallery! I had previously talked to Zachary, my mom, and my grandmother to get an idea of what kind of dresses they like or dislike to have that information in the back of my mind when trying them on for myself. This is also helpful! Plus, I want them all to be surprised when I walk down the aisle.

THE FINE DETAILS

Your stylist is a great resource when it comes to everything you can and should be wearing under your dress. During my appointment Samantha recommended different under garments that would work for my figure and how these would vary with different dresses. She also showed me different accessorizing options with shoes, veils, and jewelry, which really helped my vision come to life! Your stylist is a great resource that possesses so much knowledge about bridal gowns – why not utilize them while you can!?

Other things to keep in mind when trying on dresses are time of year and venue. The dress you wear to a beach wedding in the Keys will probably be different from the dress you wear to a winter wedding in Boston. To see their selection for yourself and to find the perfect dress for your day I recommend finding a store location near you.

Anything else I missed? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks to David’s Bridal for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.