The wedding dress can be a huge pressure point for any bride on her wedding day, but it really shouldn't be! As long as you stay true to yourself and what you love, there's no way you'll make the wrong decision. Yes, there are lots of options and opinions, but keep a level head and you'll be just fine!

Here are our guidelines to make wedding dress shopping a breeze:

DO:

• Focus on what looks best on you. Avoid letting other people's opinions about what you should wear, or the current wedding dress trends, dictate your decision. This will just end up making you feel resentful when you look back at the images, because you didn't end up going with your gut. The shape that works the best for you is probably the shape that will also make you feel the most comfortable and beautiful in your own skin on the wedding day.


• Get some picture evidence to put your mind at ease. Taking your camera into the appointment means you can keep a record of what you've tried on, whether you liked the dress or not. This will help you when you're trying to think back to all the appointments and boutiques you visited, or when you can't remember how you actually felt about a certain. dress. The mirrors in the store aren't the most reliable either, and they can make something look more or less flattering than it actually is. Having digital pictures of the dresses is also a great way to see how the dress looks on camera; you'll have hundreds of people using their phones or cameras to take your picture all day, so knowing the dress photographs well will immediately make you feel more confident.


• Stay realistic about every dress you put on. You may fall in love with a dress, but it needs to tick all the boxes you’ve set up for yourself before you buy it. These will depend on the type of wedding you're having, the time of day and the look you're wanting to achieve. Some questions to consider: Can I dance in this? Can I sit in this? Do I feel beautiful? Am I comfortable? Does it fit in all the right places?

• Feel pressured to take everyone and anyone into your appointment with you. Despite what they say, sometimes more isn't merrier! All the different opinions and concerns can just lead to more stress and anxiety, which is definitely not what you need. Try to only take the important people with you (Possibly your Mom, sister or best friend?) and leave the rest behind. Think of it this way: More people to surprise with your dress choice on the wedding day (and a great opportunity for that all important dress reveal photo!)


• Leave your appointment for late in the day. Choose to rather take the first available appointment in the morning, when the store is freshly clean and the assistants are still full of energy. This way, they can give you their full attention and the dresses will all be hung up and ready for you!


• Buy your dress accessories on impulse. Think about what will best compliment the dress (like one of our veils or hair clips!) and only make a purchase when you're sure about how you want to look on the day.