Wedding Dresses and Bridal Shops Near Me

Wedding dress shopping is an exciting and thrilling adventure full of fairy tale moments, and countless emotions. For many brides, the experience can be a daunting one. But thankfully, bridal shop stylists understand this, and they’re experts in not just finding beautiful bridal gowns, but also providing support for their brides.

Shopping for wedding dresses is an unbeatably exciting experience, one that many brides have dreamt about for some time. However, navigating the seemingly limitless possibilities in bridal, and deciding which style and silhouette is right for you can be challenging.

Bridal shops understand how difficult it can be to find ‘the one’, and their job is to guide you towards the perfect gown. One that feels like you, but an elevated version. And their expert, hands-on knowledge will help you find it, you just have to trust them.

We have a wealth of experienced bridal shops, with beautiful collections of wedding dresses at Wedding Planning Assistant. All of whom would love the opportunity to find you the bridal of your dreams.

When beginning your wedding dress search, try to plan out your visits carefully, rather than book things on a whim. Using Google, or a site such as Wedding Planning Assistant, you’ll be able to see all the bridal shops near you, and check out which collections they carry. An important to detail to know if you’ve got a particular brand, or style in mind.

Spread out your bridal appointments, and avoid booking them all for one day, or the same weekend. That way you won’t feel rushed, and you’ll be able to enjoy each session, while also having time to think about what you’ve tried on.

Think also about who’ll be joining you on your shop visits, and consider how positive certain people will be during the experience. You should only invite guests that you know will give you honest, constructive views, and not simply say everything is bad, or everything is good.

Think carefully too about the number of guests you invite. More than 2 or 3, and you will find your mind starts to become a bit cluttered with all the opinions flying around.

Before visiting bridal shops, it is wise to do some wedding dress research, and attempt to understand a little about silhouettes, and which potentially could be good for you. You may find that the dress you end up wearing is entirely different, but it’s good to enter a store with a little bit of knowledge. Something you’ll need when working out a budget for your dress.

Avoid doing too much research though, as that may cloud your judgement in-store, and stop you from opening yourself up to the suggestions made by the stylist. Walking into your first bridal shop believing that there is only one dress, or one designer out there for you is a mistake. Brides who do this are massively limiting their possibilities, and stopping the stylist from finding them a gown that actually fits and suits them better.

Armed with some knowledge, and a clear bridal budget, you should start visiting bridal shops roughly 6 months before the big day. Wedding dresses take on average 3–6 months to arrive, and be altered to your body. It is possible to buy off-the-rack, or pay extra for fast delivery, but you’ll be giving yourself less choice.

When booking bridal appointments, inquire about alterations, and whether they offer them as part of the service. This will be an extra cost, but by asking about the general pricing of alterations when contacting stores, at least you’ll be able to budget accordingly.

During your appointment, there will be times you’ll need to flash the flesh in front of your stylist. They’ve seen it all before, but keep this in mind when preparing yourself for the day. Wear practical, supportive underwear and be certain not to arrive at your appointment covered in sweat! Furthermore, if you normally shave your body hair, do this too, before the appointment to avoid any embarrassment.

When you first start wedding dress shopping, you may not have bought your bridal shoes yet, but you should know what heel height you’ll be wearing. The height of your heels will affect the way you stand in a wedding dress, and how you feel. Shops will typically have spare heels in-store for you to borrow during an appointment, but if you’d feel more comfortable in your own, bring them along.