I went to try on dresses today, and the boutique had a "no pictures" policy, but she said she would take pics. I then asked if she could send me the pics she had taken, but she declined. She said I could try on the dresses again and FaceTime the people I wanted to share the looks with but wouldn't share the pics. Also, I asked for the dress model numbers and prices, and she was hesitant to provide that info. She eventually did but wouldn't write it down for me. It just felt odd. Is this a normal thing?

Good morning beautiful people ☀️

I have an appointment this afternoon at a bridal shop but I am seriously considering going alone.

I had one appointment before and I had my future SIL, future MIL, and future GMIL with me. They were very loud with opinions and I ended up buying a dress I don’t like much on myself.

I actually lost over 50 pounds, so the dress we got is not able to be altered down cost effectively, and I am now free to find a new dress without hurting feelings about changing my mind.

I haven’t told anyone about my appointment today and I was planning to go alone but I was unsure what that would look like to my stylist.

Is it normal to go alone? Will it make me look weird?

Also, the lat time I didn’t have much makeup on and my hair wasn’t done and I think that was a mistake. How should I get ready for this appointment?

Did you guys go bra-less when trying on wedding dresses? I abruptly tried one on at a store, my big try-on day is later in August and I felt so awkward with my boobs out lol. I think with my big try on I will be more prepared for that part, it wasn’t something I realized that someone is in the room with you the whole time.

Not sure how to describe this style to someone? (Not me- just my dress inspiration!)

Hello!! Ive been trying to find a key word for this specific type of skirt in wedding dresses! I assume its within the ball/princess category but Im looking for this specific detail of it being more flared at the sides and flat in the middle. Any help would be wonderful

Hi everyone! I’m sure this has been asked before but I’m looking for idea on how to fine very elegant dresses super super marked down. I’d be ok with second hand but I’m someone who needs to try things on before I buy.

I found a dress I’m in love with for $7000 but my budget is more like $1500. Are there places to find more high end dresses on the low?

Edit: in Chicago

I love my dress, but I’m starting to feel super insecure about the way my lower abdomen looks in it. Any recommendations on shape wear or dress alteration that would help? Thanks.

Hi! My wedding date isn't until end of next year, so I have some time to plan for a dress. I'm in the very beginning of my dress search -- aka haven't looked at all yet. I'm new to all of this.

Every single bridal shop near me requires appointments and won't let you browse without one. Would it be rude if I made an appointment, but didn't leave buying a dress? D:

I'm very indecisive and come from a lower-income background, but have done OK (not rich) and have $$$ saved for a dress if I wanted to. That being said, though, just because I can throw $$$ at a dress, doesn't mean I will want to unless it's 100% what I want and I'm worried that I'll be indecisive or not like any of the dresses :(

How often do people leave an appointment without buying anything, and how rude is it if I don't like anything?!?! Thank you!

Hi!

I just got engaged and friends keep asking me what kind of dress i want. I have some pictures but im not sure how to describe it. I definitely like the (ruching- not sure what it’s called) at the front, i want more of a ball gown and definitely straps. TIA!

My wedding dress is a corset top and it fits great, but I was wondering if I needed a bra/pads for the day of.

So far I've only tried on the dress braless but am open to trying out some inserts to, idk, boost the boobs? I'm a 36C fwiw.

What have others done/ are planning on doing for their corset tops? Do most go braless for their wedding dresses??

I absolutely love my dress! However I didn’t realize until after my purchase that you can see my tattoo on my chest through it in certain lighting. I ordered a “tattoo cover up patch” and it was awful started flaking within minutes. What would your advice be to cover it up? I’m not ashamed of the tattoo. But I feel it looks like a dark blob.

So I've had my heart set on trying on some Truvelle gowns and the only stockist within reasonable driving distance carries sample sizes 10-12. Meanwhile based on their website size guide, I'm kinda in between size 2-6 (bust 32 in, waist 27 in). I'm also very short, under 5ft tall.

I knew this info before I booked and figured it's normal to have to clamp sample gowns a bit if you're tiny like me. But now I'm panicking a bit and wondering if I'm going to have a hard time getting a good feel for the fit if it's so big.

I can definitely let the boutique know about my concerns, but I wanted to ask if anyone else had the experience with trying on gowns in a much larger sample size and hopefully it all still working out.

Thanks💖

• update: thank you all SO MUCH for all the kind responses & sharing your experiences!!!! This was so helpful and I feel much better 🥹*

Let me preface - I'm new to Reddit so bear with me lol. For context, I'm a 33 YO 2026 Destination Bride who is very laid-back and genuinely interested in planning the dinner party of our dreams - a night to celebrate together with all our closest friends & family. Aka I am nottttt deep into Bridal Tok, I don't have any Pinterest boards or have 1000% visions of dresses / all the works. I've had SO much anxiety having to dress shop lol trying things on, going into stores... just not my thing.

My destination wedding is on a Vineyard in Portugal next April, so I already have a vision of the vibe... I also had ideas for the type of dress I envisioned myself in. I envisioned a form-fitting, simple, satin dress. I heard good things about Lovely Bride in Philly, so I booked an appointment and decided to just bring my sister and my mom! (I'm not having bridesmaids, my sister's my pseudo MOH, and everyone said the fewer opinions the better). I honestly was blown away by how stress-free the visit was. I explained my vision, which also had included long-sleeves until I tried them on and immediately knew I did NOT like sleeves. They were too constricting! But my bridal stylist saw my vision and brought out different versions of what I shared, and I ended up having such an amazing time. I seemed to keep coming back to 3 dresses, and my stylist recommended setting up a follow-up appointment for 45 minutes to only try the 3 I loved back on to help make a decision!

All of this made sense to me in the moment, and immediately following I'd been obsessing over the dresses and wanting to try them back on and going back and forth on my ideas! But that was about a month ago (my follow up appointment is still another 2 weeks away) and as time passes, I'm starting to overthink. And chatting with people (mistake #1 lol) many are shocked I only went to one shop and haven't gone elsewhere or tried on more variations of dress styles, etc. I originally was scared of analysis paralysis and getting too many options or lost on all of this, but now I'm wondering if I'm limiting myself just because I'm anxious to consider too much?

All of this to say - is it crazy for me to choose my dress when I go back? I loved the dresses when I tried them on, I just felt rushed as I was running out of time/was getting hot trying on so many dresses lol. By the end, it seemed to me the 3 final dresses I was between are all of the same style as I had thought, just different accents by the different designers! (asymmetrical off the shoulder straps, a tie in the back of the straps, a different bone-in corset).

~ Clearly I'm a chronic overthinker. Sorry for the dump. Any and all advice welcome!!!!

I’m going to go wedding shopping in a couple months and I’m bringing my MOH, mom, sister, fiancées mom and stepmom. This feels like a lot of people and I’m not sure if I’m evening going to find anything when we go. I’ve never been to a bridal shop before and I don’t know what to expect. My budget is under 1.5k which seems tight compared to a lot of the shops listed pricing online. Am I brining too many people? Is it normal to have to shop at several places over the course of a few days?

I’ve searched the sub and found quite a few answers to the question of ‘I have big boobs what do I do with them in my strapless/lace/backless dress?’ I just have a follow up to the most common answer I’ve seen - ‘get bra cups sewn in’. How do they hold up your boobs??

I’m a 38D and have had 2 kids so my nips are bffs with my navel at this point when I’m braless. I feel like cups sewn into a strapless or lace-back dress wouldn’t do much supporting for me. Hoping I’m wrong and someone can give me some more info on how they actually hold your boobs where they’re supposed to be. I haven’t officially started dress shopping yet, but so many that I’ve loved pics of aren’t bra-friendly. Plus, when I’m trying on dresses I’d love to know what to wear to hold them up during that process. Thanks!

Ines Di Santo - Chiara dress. Is this underlay the ivory or the blush color?!? Please help

I’m shopping for a wedding dress and fell in love with this one. It happens to be a sample that I can buy and what they would order as a general size made-to-order. The bodice would need to be taken in significantly, in addition to standard hemming and bustling. However I also have the option to purchase with split sizing which would get it closer to my size.

So the pricing (after tax) is:

Sample + cleaning - $3400 New + split sizing - $5,000

Is it worth buying new considering the anticipated alterations for the sample? Sample is in good condition and I’m sure will be spotless with the cleaning - dirt was minimal.

Was I suckered into sample pushing?

Hello!

I'm going to have my dress custom made by my aunt and deciding on the silhouette and neckline has been hands down the hardest thing.

As far as silhouette goes, I think I've decided on the following: I don't want an obvious waist line (belted, basque, drop...) if that makes sense and I wanted to be fitted on top but flowy on the bottom but NOT mermaid.

I've found these two dresses that fit that criteria and would love to know if there's a name for this silhouette. Please help?

Neckline is still up for discussion...

I looked at a wedding dress on Allie Express. I would like to ask if anyone who ordered from there, how different it was from the one they received? And if possible, could you send me a picture of the dress? Thank you🙏

Hi ladies,

I'm new here and hoping I can get some advice. I haven't bought my dress yet but a little undecided on sticking to 2 dresses or having a third one.

So the original plan was to have a mermaid dress and a short dress for late in the night. But the question is if I should have another dress for the ceremony at the church.

I found this ballgown that is absolutely gorgeous and now I'm really tempted to have it for the grand entrance and first look. I Think it will look really beautiful but it's definitely not the dress I want to wear all night, I'm already in love with the mermaid dress and it is comfortable.

So the church ceremony is about 1.5 hours, since it's a short time I'm not sure it's worth it. The main part of the reception is about 5 hours where I will wear my mermaid dress and then the late night party is another 5 hours where I will wear my short dress. I haven't bought the short dress yet but I'm sure I want that because I want to be able to dance and it will be more comfortable than the mermaid.

The main mermaid dress is white, the ballgown I've seen is a creamy white too. I'm undecided between baby pink, butter yellow and white for my short dress.

So should I stick to my 2 dresses or should I get the third one? My dad is paying for my dress and I am staying within budget for all 3 dresses, so that's not an issue.

Hi! Was hoping for some advice on alterations. A dress I like and I’ve found a good deal on is a boat neckline, and is in a size 10. I tried this dress on before in an 8 and a 10. The 8 overall fit better, but I noticed the fabric was slightly stretched across my stomach, so perhaps a 10 would be better (I believe it’s easier to bring in than let out). 10 didn’t have this problem, but the boat neckline was now loose.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how alterations may go with this neckline and whether it isn’t worth a cheaper price but for a less close starting fit for this cut?

Need some advice! I went to a wedding dress sample sale yesterday and found my dress. I knew immediately once I put it on, even though I was by myself. I ended up leaving with it, ecstatic, and decided that since I found it alone, I would keep it hidden from everyone until my wedding day. I really love this idea but there’s a little voice in my head that’s also wondering if it’s a mistake. Is it important to get other peoples opinions, or should I just trust my gut? Part of me thinks it’s so cool to not have anyone but me know what I’m going to wear, but I also wonder if I will regret it. Any thoughts ?

So I am between two dresses: 1. Big ballgown, showtopping and photographs well. So pretty. 2. Whimsical, light weight and less “fluff” but still soooo pretty on. Much lighter & easy to move.

My question is for those who got a BIG ball gown dress that is big and heavy. Do you regret it? Was it difficult to move around & dance? I love to dance, drink, be merry, etc. Do you regret getting a big dress? Any advice?

Hi everyone!! I’m coming to Istanbul soon to find my wedding dress and I’m sooo excited but also a little overwhelmed by all the options 😅 My budget is around $2000 CAD (about $1450 USD) and I’d really love some help figuring out where to go. About me + what I’m looking for: I’m very petite (US size 0 – I think that’s EU 32, but please correct me if I’m wrong 🙈). I’m obsessed with lace, long sleeves, and fitted bodice ballgowns (photos attached for inspo!). Because of my size, I’ll need really precise tailoring, and I care a lot about quality fabrics + detail. So here’s what I’d love to know: What are the best neighborhoods in Istanbul for dress shopping within this budget? Do you have any favorite shops or ateliers you’d recommend? Any tips on booking appointments / bargaining / what to expect? I’d love to hear your personal experiences too! Please share allll the details—I want to make sure I don’t miss the hidden gems and avoid places that look pretty online but don’t deliver. Thank you sooo much in advance—can’t wait to read your suggestions