Wedding dress shopping can be a lot of fun. Or it can be a horrible experience. There’s not really a grey area to this one. (Sorry not sorry.) First and foremost it matters that you keep Bridezilla in hiding and you make it more like a regular shopping trip with your best girlfriends. And that’s fun, right?
To be completely honest, I’m more of a loner shopper. I rarely go shopping with other people and if I do, it’s for them to buy something – not me. But all that aside, it can be a super fun time! After all, you want your shopping trips to be the least stressful part of your whole wedding experience. There’s enough going on elsewhere to worry about.
So, grab a glass of champagne and read on to find out how to keep Bridezilla at bay. This goes for both brides and friends!
How to Avoid Bridezilla when Wedding Dress Shopping
Don’t give too many opinions
This might seem like a strange tip (you’re there for your advice, right?), but it’s true. You don’t want to give too many of your own personal opinions to the bride. If the dress is truly unflattering, of course, you should tell her. But if it’s an empire waist when you’d rather sheath, keep that one to yourself. Remember: it’s her wedding. You can pick whatever the hell you want on yours.
Don’t drink too much coffee before
Nothing is worse than trying on fitted clothing when your stomach is full of venti caramel macchiato. And it’s really bad to have to be running to the bathroom to pee every 5 minutes between trying on wedding dresses. But there is one silver lining to this: at least you’re not having a Bridesmaids moment. I hope.
Bring your accessories (shoes, jewellery, etc.)
You want to feel at your best and really imagine that you’ll be wearing each dress at your wedding. Bring anything with you that’ll help you create your dream wedding look. If you don’t have exact shoes, bring similar ones. Sometimes just putting on a pair of heels can instantly transform the way a dress looks on. And if you’re really set on a specific pair, they need to match the dress. Even wearing something sexy underneath can help you imagine how the entire night is going to go.
Trust your instincts
If you can’t see yourself walk down the aisle in this dress, forget it. There will be plenty more. You know the feeling you got when you realized the man you’re about to marry was the one? Well, you’re going to have that feeling with your dress too. So if the bride hasn’t felt that feeling – help her move on.
Go for post-shopping cocktails
After trying on a thousand different dresses, you’ll definitely need a drink. The wedding dress shopping aftermath will either be something to celebrate or something you’ll want to forget about. In both cases, a drink is necessary. Do you even realize how heavy those dresses are and how time consuming they are to put on? Oh my god. It’s like a 3 hour long workout.
Overall, just try to make it a lot of fun! Help the bride be open to new ideas – her dress doesn’t have to perfectly fit with her Pinterest inspiration board. Get her to try on dresses she normally wouldn’t and remember that you’re there to help her out on this special day. Take lots of photos and videos too so you guys can review all the dresses together after.
Do you have any other tips to avoid wedding dress shopping with Bridezilla? Let me know.
This ‘Wedding Dress Shopping’ post was contributed to The Lady-like Leopard.