Welcome to what is officially Part 1 to my series of blog posts covering my wedding. It's been two years, but better late than never, right? Follow along as I share my experience planning and executing my dream wedding.
I've decided to do these posts in the order I actually did everything at the time, starting with - the wedding dress.
Being my second time around, it was really important to me that I love my wedding dress, and I absolutely did, although alterations ended up being a very rocky road - but a story for another time. My experience shopping was so great at each place I went to and I had a lot of close contenders.
I will be sharing each of my favorites from each shop I went to in Utah.
Tips & Tricks
Preparation
It honestly doesn't take too much preparation to go wedding dress shopping, but there are some things you can do beforehand to make your experience a little more efficient. Here are just a few things you can do to prepare:
Budget - Decide on a budget ahead of time. This seems like an obvious one, but when I say budget, I mean think about the overall cost which will often include, alterations, shapewear, veil, and sometimes extra materials depending on your alterations. Make a decision beforehand how much you are willing to spend all together at an absolute max.
Style - Often times its hard to know what style you'll actually end up loving until you try it out. But it's helpful to have a starting point with pictures you've curated of dresses you like that you can show to your consultant.
Alterations - I had to learn this one the hard way - shop around for a place that can do alterations and potentially the kind of alterations you're looking for at a reasonable price beforehand. A lot of times stores will have their own alterations departments or ones they recommend - but that doesn't always mean it's the best or the cheapest option.
Timeframe - Have a good idea of your timeframe with alterations being included, especially if you plan on doing a bridal shoot ahead of time. The shop and your seamstress should know the date and have your dress completed well ahead of your first event.
Mindset - The last piece of preparation I would recommend is your mindset. Wedding dress shopping is so fun and can be so exciting. It can also feel overwhelming too. Before heading out, take a deep breath and allow yourself to simply enjoy the moment. Don't be discouraged if you don't find something right away or if your guests don't love a dress you do. At the end of the day, you'll find the right dress and what matters the most is that you absolutely love it.
Experience
To have a great experience shopping with your dress is really important as the feeling you have while shopping can reflect how you feel about your dress when shopping is done. Here are a few things I have found that have helped make or break my experience with dress shopping:
Seamstress - I am putting this one first because unfortunately, while my shopping experience was really pretty good, my experience with alterations was a nightmare - (again, another story for another time). You want to make sure you trust and feel good about the person altering your dress.
Your Guests - The guests you bring to your shopping experience can also make a big difference. I recommend bringing only a few of your close family members or friends. Bring people who are more likely to be your cheerleaders and leave the overly opinionated ones at home.
The Dress
My last piece of advice is this; if you don't LOVE it, don't buy it. This being my second time around, I knew exactly what I did and did not want when it came to shopping, the experience, and my dress. Most importantly being, I knew I had to LOVE it since I never loved my first dress, and actually ended up growing to really dislike it. It had long been a regret of mine that I settled because of time constraints and I liked it enough. So this time I made sure it was different and it was. So my advice? Don't settle.
The Shops
Explore the shops I went to below. This is mostly for my Utah people, although one of the shops has an online storefront and multiple locations.
For brides on a budget, Cocomelody is a dream come true! They offer a stunning selection of wedding dresses in all sorts of styles, from classic A-line to romantic lace and even dramatic gothic looks. Whether you're short on time or planning your big day well in advance, Cocomelody's impressive turnaround times mean you can find your perfect dress without the wait. And the best part? Their prices are incredibly affordable, making your dream dress a reality.
My wedding dress search took a turn for the amazing at The Bride Room in Utah! Their consultants were absolute rockstars – attentive, kind, and truly listened to what I envisioned for my big day. They had a phenomenal selection of dresses, with something for every style, and the quality of the gowns was just incredible. I left feeling confident and excited, sure I was going to get my dream dress there!
