How To Go Dress Shopping

Before you set out to find the gown, you need to make sure you’re properly prepared

By Mirielle Cailles - CTW Features

The perfect wedding gown may be a bride’s most important detail for her big day, but finding it might not be the easiest task. From shapes and sizes, to silhouettes and sheen, wedding-gown shopping isn’t a cakewalk. To help calm your nerves, check out what gown expert Jocelyn Davis-George has to say about this wedding to-do.

Owner of Grace Bridal Boutique in Excelsior, Minn., Davis-George will typically start a consultation by gathering more information about the bride’s wedding day. With details like the venue and church, she likes to get a better idea of what the bride is picturing her day to look like. From there, she’ll run the bride through the gowns in her boutique, explaining the dresses and what kind of silhouette they are suited for.

“As far as a silhouette and a dress I really prefer that the bride is open-minded,” Davis-George says. “You might love a mermaid gown but when you see it on a model who’s 6’2” and 100 pounds; it may look good on her but you may not have the body to pull it off.”

While many brides will come in with pictures in hand, falling in love with a type of gown may not be the best idea. “You should be open-minded and don’t have a lot of things in your head because you don’t know what’s going to look good on you until you try it on,” she says.

When it comes to dressing for dress shopping, she recommends wearing a strapless bra. Also, wearing your hair in the kind of style you’d like for your wedding is a plus. “When we’re talking about veils, I’ll ask what you picture your hair looking like for your wedding day,” Davis-George says. “If it’s a low bun I’ll ask her to twirl it up in that just so we can get an idea of hair accessories and veil placement.”

But makeup, Davis-George says, is a big no-no for gown shopping. “I’d prefer the girls not to have a ton on because sometimes I do have to go over the head with a garment and I don’t want the makeup rubbing off on the dresses,” she says.

In terms of an entourage, two to three people is the perfect fit. “It should be the people whose opinions matter most to her,” Davis-George says, “but also people who aren’t going to be extremely critical either. I’ve had some brides in here where they love the dress in the dressing room but then they get out here and their entourage tears them apart – have people who are also going to respect your opinion first and then share in it as well.”

To start the wedding gown search, Davis-George recommends finding a gown one year to nine months in advance, with at least three fittings before your actual wedding day. For her, a consultation will typically last an hour and a half, with 10 to 12 dressings in a showing. If possible, avoid weekend appointments. “Typically most boutiques are slower during the week so the bride will naturally have more time and space to herself,” Davis-George says.

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