I love shopping, probably more than a healthy amount. I love clothing, fashion, styling, and everything that goes into making a statement. However, I have always had an adverse reaction to all things bridal. Nothing ever spoke to me. Needless to say, the day of wedding dress shopping had me more than a little nervous. But the whole experience was flawless, and my adventure ended with a perfectly non-traditional gown that I love. Here’s my advice to get even the most reluctant bride to say “yes” to the dress:

1. Go in with a game plan. Victoria organized the whole day. We had appointments at all the shops (something I didn’t even know you needed,) plus lunch reservations. She emailed the agenda, with addresses, to all of us beforehand.
2. Don’t bite off more than you can try on. We went to three shops that day; that equated to around 25 dresses. On an 85 degree LA summer day, that was enough.
3. Remember a ship is only as good as its crew. Have a good group of people there for you. This was probably the most important part of the day for me. I had my mom and my three bridesmaids there to help me pick out dresses. Watching my bridesmaids go through the store, sorting through gown after gown, and running over each time to show me what they thought I’d like. Everyone came with such a great attitude. It’s a long day, and you really want people who are happy to be there. People who are happy for you.
4. Honesty really is the best policy. Have someone there who will be frank. For me, that was my mother. I needed her in the dressing room with me – as my first reaction, my staunch supporter, and the one who would probably tell me what I didn’t want to hear. My bridesmaids brought the smiles and champagne, but I did need someone there to tell me the cut was not flattering.
5. Have realistic expectations. Don’t stress yourself out about finding “the dress” in the first store, on your first day. Every bad dress I tried told me something more about what I didn’t like, which for me, was very important. I knew that I might not find my dress that day, and I was okay with that.
6. Trust in the system. This was hard to grasp until it happened. When it’s the dress for you, you’ll know. When I finally had that “ah-ha” moment, I came bouldering out of the dressing room with a permanent smile cemented on my face. I didn’t care that I was barefoot, or that it was the wrong color. I didn’t ever want to take it off.

While my experience won’t cover the gamut of bridezillas out there, I think these are good words to live by. Now, if only the wedding goes as smoothly… TBD.

xoxo,
Rachel

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