Trying on wedding dresses is a very stressful experience for brides. They are worried they won’t find anything they love, worried the dresses won’t fit and mostly worried about what other people will think.
Being supportive of the bride during this stressful time is crucial. Here are some tips on how to be supportive of your bride-to-be while she hunts for her dream gown!
Encourage her to research dresses and styles she likes prior to the appointment.
The first thing the consultant will ask is “what kind of dress are you looking for?” Make sure your bride comes fully prepared with photos of the styles you like. Think lace, beading, neckline, body, sleeves and color. Pinterest is a great place to save your favorite images all in one place. This will help your consultant find dresses you like, and keep the appointment running smoothly (which means the bride will be less stressed!)
When she comes out in a dress, do NOT provide feedback.
You’re probably shocked at this one, thinking “why am I here, then?” Instead of providing instant feedback, ask the bride what she thinks. Leave the conversation up to her. If she says “I do not like this dress,” ask her WHY? What does she not like about the dress? This will help the consultant avoid dresses with that style or feature. If there is an aspect of the dress that she forgets to mention, be sure to ask her what she thinks about it. “What do you think about the length of the train? Is it too long?” Or ask questions like “Are you ok with the ribbon belt or would you prefer the dress have no belt?” This then moves the conversation into a constructive one, and you can ask the consultant if the dress can be made with a longer (or shorter) train and if certain aspects can be removed in alterations. Providing instant feedback of what you personally think of the gown may confuse the bride and overwhelm her.
If someone in the group is being too opinionated, ask them kindly (or jokingly if that’s easier) to be nice and tone it down.
Sometimes friends in the group (or mother of the bride!!) can be overly opinionated and almost mean. This will immediately make the bride feel uncomfortable and she will shut down. She will be miserable and unhappy. The experience is already stressful enough. Try to be really uplifting and compliment at least one aspect of EVERY gown she tries on.
Take lots of photos.
If the bride walks away without picking a dress she will want to review what she tried on when she is in the comfort of her own home. She will be more relaxed and levelheaded so she can decipher what she does and does not love about each gown (without the threat of the groups’ opinion). If she does find her dream dress, she will love the other photos so she can post on social media with the “Don’t worry, this is not THE dress!” caption :p
Bring champagne.
You will all need a drink after this big day. It will either be to celebrate the bride finding her gown, or to cheer her up when she has had a discouraging day and did not find her dream dress.
If the bride does not find her gown, assist her with finding more bridal dress shops and help book appointments.
The bride will be especially discouraged if she tried on dresses all day and found nothing. She will want to give up right then and there. Be supportive and positive for the bride-to-be and help her see that the right dress is out there; it just might take some hunting! She will feel so relieved knowing she has a friend like you to help her continue the search.
If you follow this guide, your bride will be happy and so will you! What tips and tricks do you have for the maid of honor or the bride during dress shopping? Leave your answer in the comments below!
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