We chatted about the WHAT, now for the who...

If you’re a bride to be, you know that planning for your wedding day is one of the most exciting times of your life. You’re in your love era after all! But you also know that with wedding planning comes what feels like a never ending list of decisions to make,  and there’s no denying that it can feel super stressful at times. One of the most anticipated parts of your bridal journey is finding the perfect dress to wear on your wedding day, but this process is not immune to your decision fatigue. Not only is there deciding which dress is “the one”, but you’re also thinking about where you’re going to shop, what your budget is, what accessories to choose and of course, who you’re going to bring with you to your wedding gown appointment. 

Lucky for you, we’ve consulted real brides for their honest opinions on their wedding gown shopping experience. The good, the bad, the frustrating, the exciting- straight up, objective feedback from brides who have been in your shoes. Plus, the Love Era team will give you all our top tips for how to choose who goes wedding gown shopping with you. 

Don’t be overwhelmed, we’ve got your back. Keep reading…

Real Bride Advice

We surveyed brides who recently got married for the full scoop on their wedding gown shopping experiences. While everyone’s feedback was a little different, there were definitely some common themes that they all seemed to agree on.

The consensus on the size of your group to bring shopping? Less is more. Bringing a smaller group helped them feel more relaxed and comfortable without the pressure of opinions flying at them from every angle. For the brides who had a lot of people in their life they wanted to share the experience with, a few of them chose different groups to bring to different stores they knew they wanted to shop at- for example mom and grandma came to the first appointment and they brought their BFFs to the next. Some brides brought their full entourage to the first appointment where they knew they wouldn’t be making the final decision, and then just brought their mom or closest confidant to subsequent appointments where they knew they’d be choosing their dress. 

All in all, our brides highly recommend only bringing the people you feel most comfortable around. One of our brides only shopped with her mom because she knew her style the best and wanted to tune out all other opinions. Another just had her best friend and Maid of Honor tag along since she trusted her completely and knew she would be supportive no matter what. However, a few brides appreciated bringing someone who was more opinionated and wasn’t afraid to tell them what dresses complimented them best.

This can be tricky though as shown by another bride who said that bringing her highly opinionated family was overwhelming at times and made her feel confused about what she really liked. Some brides even commented that they wished they would have narrowed down their group since they felt like all the opinions led them to choose a dress that made the group happy over what they truly wanted. 

The lesson here? Look for the best of both worlds- bring people who are going to be honest and helpful, but know when to put their opinions aside and encourage you to choose the dress that will make you happiest and feel most beautiful on your wedding day. 

Selecting Your Group

You’ve heard from our brides, now it’s time for some advice from our Love Era team. As we saw from our brides, a small group is the way to go. We recommend bringing 1-4 people with you who you love and trust. AKA, the ones who will be looking out for YOUR best interests when shopping for your wedding gown.

Another tip that was confirmed by our brides? It’s always great to bring someone who will help you stay organized and document your appointment. The friend who takes notes for you on what you liked and didn’t and has photos and videos that you can reference as you make your decision is always the MVP for us. It’s also important that you’re able to stand your ground with whoever you bring. If you’re not able to be honest with the people that you’re bringing and override some opinions to choose the dress that you want,  it’s probably best to leave them at home. 

As we covered in our “What To Bring To Your Wedding Dress Fitting” blog, it’s so helpful to come prepared to your appointment with a clear picture of your budget. You also might have a good idea of what you do or don’t want when it comes to your wedding dress, whether it’s the cut, style, fabric, etc. If you have these details in mind, it’s a good idea to share them with whoever you decide to bring to your appointment. That way, your friends aren’t scouring the racks of gowns picking out silhouettes that you know won’t flatter you or dresses that are wayyyyy outside your budget. Setting clear expectations early on will help avoid any uncomfortable or unwanted moments with your group while shopping. 

Solo Shopping 101 

An option that’s not often recommended but that we 100000% support? Solo shopping for your wedding gown. Imagine a quiet day all to yourself, being pampered by our Love Era staff, sipping champagne, and taking your time to explore the dresses that speak to you. Talk about the ultimate self care day. Zero pressure, zero opinions, zero stress. Welcome to the new love era where shopping alone is MORE than okay. 

Going solo to your wedding gown appointment doesn’t have to mean navigating the process alone. We love the idea of shopping by yourself for the first appointment, that way you have complete control over deciding what you like and which gowns you feel best in. If you want your closest people to ultimately be there when you choose your dream wedding dress, bring them in for the next appointment to show them your top picks. This way you’ve already chosen the gowns that you love and feel most confident in, so there’s no room for unwanted critiques or having to try on all the dresses that everyone else picked out. 

All in All:

Alright now that we’re done giving you all of our opinions, we want to leave you with one last piece of advice. In all aspects of your wedding planning process but especially when it comes to your dress, just do what feels authentic to you. One of our brides said it best, “Be kind to yourself. Let go of expectations of what you’re “supposed” to look like and just listen to what makes you feel good.” 

At Love Era, we’re here to help you feel special, seen, and most importantly, give you the space to embrace self-love. As one of our brides put it, the best experience she had while shopping for her wedding dress was just feeling so beautiful when she found the dress of her dreams, and we want that moment for every single bride that steps foot in our shop. 

Never be afraid to ask for help - connect with the Love Era team and check out our blog for answers to all your burning questions when it comes to finding your dream wedding dress. When the timing is right, we can’t wait to create a relaxed and welcoming environment for you and your loved ones to spend an unforgettable day with us.