Wedding dress shopping – usually one of the first (and most fun!) wedding planning tasks you’ll check off! But how enjoyable of a process it is sometimes depends on how well you’ve planned for your bridal shop visits. We have lots of wedding dress shopping tips to share, but today, we’re focusing on one piece: whom should you bring wedding dress shopping?
A lot of folks will tell you to focus on the number of people you’re bringing to the appointment (usually to say, “don’t bring too many!”). We actually think the TYPE of people is much more important. You want to ask guests who will be supportive, kind, and excited for this step in your wedding planning process. You’re not really looking for guests who will make the experience all about them, or who will share their opinions in an overly judgmental way. If only your best friend falls into the first category? She’s the one who’s coming. If mama, mama-in-law, grandmama, sister, and best friend fit the bill? That sounds like a fabulous bonding experience. (Just be sure to check in with the bridal salon beforehand – some limit the number in your entourage because of space constraints!)
In my own dress shopping journey, I ran the gamut – my first appointment was with my mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law, my second appointment was with my Mom and two sisters, and my third appointment was with just my Mom. Thankfully, they were all sweet experiences!
I’d love to hear: who/how many people did you bring to your dress shopping appointment(s)? How did it go?
P.S. Ready for more dress shopping tips? Check out our YouTube channel, where we have a series of four videos to take you from inspiration to purchase!
We’ll be sharing a quick and simple piece of wedding planning advice based on our most frequently asked questions once a week! Feel free to email us with your own question, or pick up a copy of the Southern Weddings Planner for all of our best resources in one place!
Shopping for your wedding dress is one of many experiences that most brides only dream of, and what a memorable one! When I went shopping for my wedding dress I made sure to bring with me my biggest support group, who would be honest but also just as happy and excited for me. I think as a Southern Bride, it’s most important to invite your mom. This wedding is not only for you and your fiancé, it is for her as well. Think about your grandmothers as well, they are often full of great advice. I also recommend inviting a close friend, whether it be your MOH or your trusty sister who will tell you how beautiful you are but also will be honest with the dress. Whoever you choose to invite, keep it small and intimate. This time is about you, and your moment! Enjoy every step of this process and enjoy this time that everyone celebrates you! Congrats!
When I went dress shopping I wanted to keep it intimate. My sister and I actually went on the same day to get our dresses. She is 3 years older than me and got married 8 months after I did. We took our mom and that was ideal. We didn’t want to get a lot of opinions; since we were going together if we would have brought everyone included in both weddings there would have been 10 bridesmaids, two mothers in law, and our aunt and grandma and that would have gotten very muddy. So we decided on just our mom and the two of us.
It was just my mama and me. It kept it simple by not adding too many opinions to the mix and allowing me to purchase a dress that I really loved for the right reasons. Also, I really wanted to make it a special day for just us two…and it certainly was. :)
I went with just my mom and two sisters, and it was perfect for me. I wanted a super intimate experience and I didn’t want to be distracted by too many opinions. They were super supportive, honest, and excited for me–the perfect combination, I thought! :)
My wedding dress shopping experience was perfect! I surprised my mother-in-law and two sisters over thanksgiving with a trip dress shopping, and my mom (whose approval I got first) came with us as well. I wanted my whole wedding experience to be intimate and let my family know how special they were to me and the whole process. I opted to not invite anyone that fell in that second category.
I recently went wedding dress shopping and brought along my Mom and my two maids of honor. It went so perfectly! I ended up buying the third dress I tried on – my whole appointment only took an hour from browsing to checking out! I think the TYPE of people I surrounded myself with was most important – I value my Mom’s opinion always. My two best friends/MOHs balance each other out so well with their opinions and they always know what’s best for me. They all three cried as soon as I stepped out of the dressing room so we all agreed on THE ONE! I can’t wait to go back with this same group to pick out bridesmaid dresses because I know we’ll be successful :)
I had my future mother in law and my mommy with me for my dress fitting! My mom and I flew into Houston because she and I knew that I wanted to have an appointment at BHLDN, and there aren’t many in America, but my fiance’s family lives in Houston – so it was perfect! When we drove to BHLDN, there was a designer dress pop-up sale next door, so we stopped by there first. I tried on all of these gowns that I had always imagined myself in, but they were so heavy and uncomfortable. It’s a good thing we headed to BHLDN next, where everything fell into place. My wedding planners had champagne waiting for us, the dresses were all beautiful, and I knew I had found the one once I tried it on! I can’t wait to wear it for real in June :)
I love y’all but I have to say: it’s “Whom should I bring wedding dress shopping?”!