hitched wedding dress shopping tips {part 1}

Does the thought of wedding dress shopping have you feeling overwhelmed? We are thrilled for a {very} special guest post today with some fantastic wedding dress shopping advice from our good friend Leigh Ann at Hitched in Georgetown. We love Hitched since they carry so many fabulous dress lines and designs...they are the best in the business for helping brides to get hitched {and stitched}!

Hello, fabulous {ritzy bee} readers! As a huge fan of Maria’s blog and creative event planning skills and advice, I was thrilled when she asked me to guest blog. At Hitched, we see all types of brides, so it was hard to pinpoint my “Top 5” gown shopping tips—but here goes!

1.  Start early. It’s a good idea to order your gown 6-9 months before the wedding in order to avoid those dreaded rush fees, so starting the process about a year out from the big day (or sooner) is wise. As soon as you’ve secured the location and have an idea of the overall vibe of your wedding, the dress is the next step! However, if you’re working with a shorter time frame, don’t fret—at Hitched, for example, we carry many designers who are able to turn things around quickly if need be. A quick turnaround doesn’t mean you can’t have the dress of your dreams!

Keep in mind that deciding on your gown will also help set the tone for the other visual elements (flowers, bridesmaid dresses, etc.). Of course, take your time shopping, and continue to do so until you feel confident that you’ve found “the dress,” but once you have—pull the trigger! You don’t want to risk the gown of your dreams being discontinued, which can happen without warning.

{Amsale gown, available at Hitched. Photo credit: Amsale.com}

2. Know yourself, but trust the experts. It’s helpful to start the shopping process with some sort of idea of what you’re looking for. If you want, you can bring in a couple of magazine cutouts, or simply describe to the bridal consultant some visual elements that you’d like to find in a gown. Staying true to your personal style will help steer her in the right direction, but be open to trying some things that she suggests for you as well. Remember that the dresses you’ve seen on models may or may not be a great match for you.  The consultant should be able to steer you towards things that will be flattering on your shape, giving you more options of potential dresses to love.

{Ulla-Maija Anouk gown available at Hitched. Photo credit: Ulla-Maija.com}

{Oscar de la Renta Flower gown available at Hitched. Photo credit: Oscardelarenta.com}

Stay tuned later today for the remainder of Leigh Ann's great wedding dress shopping tips...

Comments

[AmyJean @RelentlessBride]

Can I just say that Leigh Ann is ABsOLUTELY FABULOUS!? I went in there with not a single thought as to what i really wanted, and walked out in Love with Anouk... my friend went there a few weeks later, and had an amazing experience with Leigh Ann as well! She definitely knows her stuff, has great advice, and truly listens to what we dis/like... Hitched and Leigh Ann rock! :)

[Kendall @designbykendall]

The amsale gown looks a lot like the dress that was supposedly made out of their mothers wedding dress in 27 dresses! very beautiful

[Flower Girl Dresses]

i like the dress

[Flower Girl Dresses]

i like the dress

[Wedding Planning]

cool...... love it!

[wholesale clothing]

The second one was cute.

-mikee

[dresseswedding]

My mother told me that if I need to customize the dress, I’d better begin my selection one year in advance, at least 9 months. It takes about 4 months to design a wedding dress, and only when I get the dress 2 months before the wedding, I have time to do some small changes.