You’re engaged!! What an exciting time for you and your fiancé. There’s setting the date, choosing a venue, selecting colors, décor, suit colors, bridesmaid dresses, and SO much more! But arguably one of the most important aspects of preparing for your most coveted day – is your dream gown. There’s so many bridal stores, hundreds of dress options, veil sizes, accessory designs, oh my! It can be a bit overwhelming at times. So we’ve gathered the top 10 things you NEED to do before booking your first bridal appointment.

Always make an appointment! Walk-ins are typically accepted at most Showrooms, including Luv Bridal. But the difference between an appointment and a walk-in is that you are prepared. You have selected who will be with you, got ready, put some thought into what you want to try on, and typically have the basics of your wedding figured out. As a walk-in you’re not guaranteed a stylist and a full appointment slot so you could feel rushed and may purchase something you’ll regret later.

Have a good breakfast! We cannot stress how important it is to not be hungry when you’re shopping for your dream gown. We totally understand not wanting to feel bloated while trying on gowns, but also want you to know that trying on multiple wedding dresses is a WORKOUT.

If you’re planning on a full day of dress shopping, we highly recommend that you allot time out for lunch and/or a snack to give yourself the energy to push through. It can be exhausting mentally, physically, and emotionally!

We love when our brides come in with multiple styles picked out and walk through them with us to talk about the different aspects of those styles that our brides love. So don’t be afraid to do some homework and show us at your appointment! Each bride is so uniquely different and the best way to help you find your dream gown is to see the things that you are immediately liking.

With that said, KEEP AN OPEN MIND. Excuse the caps. But you never know what you’re gonna love, trust us with helping to get you out of your comfort zone! You may hate something we pull for you or it may be the perfect gown that you never pictured for yourself. Either way, we are simply there to help you find what you feel absolutely stunning in!

We understand that you don’t necessarily make a budget everytime you go out shopping but your wedding dress is different. We are talking about a difference sometimes of a thousand dollars between two dresses. Imagine putting on a dress, falling in love with every aspect of it, crying in it, and then finding out it’s way too expensive. Trust us, the pain is not worth it. Make a comprehensive budget keeping in mind that you’ll probably want to purchase bridal accessories and factor in alterations. Once you’ve done that, be really meticulous about trying on within your budget.

Stepping into your dream gown and looking into the mirror to see that you’ve become a bride is such a special moment - it will probably pull you to tears. But imagine you look up to see the messy top know from the club before and a mascara smudge under your eye. Not to say that you wouldn’t still be beautiful, but it’s probably not what you’re expecting to look like on your wedding day. Wake up early and take the time to curl your hair, do the smoky eye, or whatever you envision you’ll do for the big day. Trust us on this one, it helps the envisioning part of your day much easier!

Entourage You’ve got a mom, future mother-in-law, two grandmas, five best friends, three cousins, and a couple kids amongst them. Your intimate shopping experience just got wild. We understand wanting to make sure everyone feels included but it’s incredibly important to choose the right people that will support you and your style while trying on gowns. Every Luv Showroom has free wifi so you are more than welcome to Zoom in with anyone and you can also designate someone in your party to send pictures to others as well.

Our designers thoughtfully design their gowns with the everyday woman in mind. Each of our gowns has enough form or construction inside to support your curves without the need of shapewear or bras. So we highly recommend wearing nude toned underwear but not worrying about anything else. However, you know yourself the best and if you would feel better and more confident with shapewear or your own bra - please feel free to bring them!

Our Luv Bridal Showrooms also have pedestals for every bride so there’s no need to bring specific shoes (unless you’ve already bought your bridal shoes, then you should bring them in and show them off!).

Some cry, some laugh, some stare, and some just simply know and that’s that. Everybody is different - so why should we expect our reaction to finding your dream gown will be the same. It definitely won’t! But what you will feel is an undeniable urge to stay in the gown and imagine walking down the aisle to your spouse. We will love however you react to that feeling!

This is SUCH an important one! There are hundreds of stores, thousands of styles, and the list goes on. It can be difficult to find ‘The One!’ with so many options around you. But don’t get discouraged! So many of our brides will show all the signs of finding their dream gown but then start to stress over all the other gowns out there. Once you’ve felt that inexplicable feeling, you should honestly consider making that your dream gown. HOWEVER, if you don’t feel that special feeling - don’t settle!!

On your wedding day the last thing you want to be stressed about is how your body looks in your gown. Make sure one of the feelings you have when trying is comfort. We cannot stress this enough! Wearing your wedding gown should feel light, exciting, and (sometimes) even sexy. Don’t purchase a gown that doesn’t do that for you too!

Our Luv Showroom is an amazing atmosphere that encapsulates various emotions in a bride’s journey to their wedding day. It is also a very busy place - especially on the weekends! If you’re wanting a more lowkey appointment with less bustle and people, try and get your entourage to make a weekday appointment. If you can’t make a weekday appointment, then book one of our private “Rent the Showroom” appointment!