LDS Weddings Guide: What You Should Bring While Dress Shopping

what to bring while shopping for a modest wedding dress, photo by Nicolette Francis, weddingLDS.com — Photo Courtesy of Nicolette Francis Photography

Wandering into a bridalwear store completely unprepared is okay if you’re there just to browse, but if you’re earnestly in the market for a dress and the clock is ticking, you’d better get serious. Know what to take with you when you go wedding gown shopping for the best possible experience.

Dress Shopping Checklist Item #1: One or Two Trusted Friends

What to bring while shopping for modest wedding dresses, photo by Carly Daniel photography for weddinglds.com — Photo Courtesy of Carly Daniel Photography

When wedding dress shopping, your best defense against making a decision you might regret is bringing along your two closest female friends or relatives. If you don’t yet have temple garments but will be wearing them on your wedding day, take an endowed person with you to advise you on dresses that may not cover your garments.

Choose people who are supportive of the wedding, whom you are comfortable with, and whom you can handle taking constructive criticism from as well as praise. Don’t take more than two other people, though – shopping with a mob of girlfriends is worse than shopping alone.

Dress Shopping Checklist Item #2: A Notebook and Pencil

Have a small notebook and pencil tucked away inside your purse to take notes during the dress shopping experience. You can jot down styles or cuts of dresses that look good on you and identifying information for dresses that you particularly like.

It may also be helpful to rate each dress on a scale of 1 to 5 on several different characteristics such as length, cut, skirt fullness, and so on. Save the notes to review later on, after you leave the store.

Dress Shopping Checklist Item #3: A Camera or Camera Phone

Taking pictures of the dresses you like best and reviewing them later gives you a whole different perspective than just looking in the mirror in the changing room. You’ll have to check with the retailer first to make sure that picture-taking is allowed inside the store, but bringing a camera is the best way to evaluate the pros and cons of different dresses.

Dress Shopping Checklist Item #4: The Right Shoes

the right sized heel wedding shoe — Photo Courtesy of Ravenberg Photography

You can’t buy your wedding shoes until you buy the wedding dress, but you can know approximately what height shoes you’ll ultimately choose. Bring shoes with a similar sized heel for trying on dresses.

You can let out or bring up a hemline, but only to a certain point. Make shopping easier on yourself by wear similar shoes to what you will be wearing on your wedding day.

Dress Shopping Checklist Item #5: Undergarments

Modest wedding dresses for LDS brides — Photo Courtesy of Jerry Ferguson Photography

Bridalwear retailers may provide a slip, but it’s best to bring your own just to be on the safe side.

Modest wedding dresses aren’t going to be sleeveless, so don’t worry about a special bra. In fact, if you don’t have garments now but will by the time your wedding day arrives, the bra straps provide an excellent guide for how far out the neckline can extend before exposing the garments. After you buy your dress, take time to find the right undergarments and then do a check with them and your dress. Ensure your undies don’t pinch or slip. Try sitting, bending over, and dancing around the room, and ensure you’ll be comfortable and confident on your special day.

Avoid setting yourself up for failure or disappointment by following these simple rules of thumb when going out to find the perfect LDS wedding dress. Bring a friend, a notebook, a camera, and the right shoes and undergarments to help you make the best decision possible.