Shopping for your wedding dress has a lot of hype. Pressure, emotions, body insecurities, excitement, nervousness - all the feelz! Shopping for your wedding dress should be relaxing, intimate, personalized, and you should feel comfortable and confident through it all. It should be memorable with those important women surrounding you! Morgan from The Dress by Morgan Lynn has all the best tips, tricks and advice for making shopping the best experience possible.

A few tips to set you up for a successful shopping experience:

Know your wedding date, venue, and overall style you envision for your wedding.
Find some inspiration. Pinterest is a great place to start! Finding inspiration doesn't mean you have to know exactly what you want, but it helps give you and your stylist an idea of what you are drawn to.
Discuss your budget with you you need to prior to your appointment.
Select a store to shop at that matches your style and budget.
Book one appointment at a time - you never know what will happen! Booking too many appointments in one day may make you feel overwhelmed and exhausted.

Do's and Don'ts

DO - allow yourself enough time! To ensure you have all the options available to you and to avoid expensive rush shipping fees allow yourself ample time to get your dress. Most bridal gown stores house sample dresses for multiple dresses to try on and then use those samples to order your dress in your size and color. Dresses typically take 6-8 months to order in, and you want to allow enough time for needed alterations. I recommend shopping for your bridal gown about a year in advance!

DO - Be open-minded, especially your first time trying on dresses. You may have dresses pinned on Pinterest, for inspiration, which is great, but also remember Pinterest isn't always reality! ;) Go into your appointment with a willingness to try things you may not initially think you will like.

DON'T - Don't set your emotional expectations too high. We have all seen 'Say "YES" to the dress.' Not all brides have 'that moment' where they start crying the moment they try it on! Follow your heart and your gut, when you know, you will know! <3

Questions to Ask

95% of wedding dresses need alterations of some sort. When determining your needed size, be sure to consult with your stylist about alterations - including length. Sample sizes are cut for brides who are about 5'9", most dresses are orderable in different lengths so it is one less thing for the seamstress to do, especially if the dress has a lot of detail at the hem!

In addition, be in contact with a seamstress the same time you order your dress so you can get on her schedule.

If you have a shorter timeline and need a dress sooner than 6 months, ask if there are options to purchase a sample dress off the floor.

BONUS Best Tips

As an extra piece of advice, Morgan from The Dress By Morgan Lynn has offered her 10 best tips when it comes to all things wedding related - planning, dress and the big day!

Don't lose sight of what the day is about! (This is #1 for a reason)
Wear heels! Even if they are 1 inch, you will hold your posture so much better!
2b. - On the topic of shoes - select shoes you can wear all day! Your dress will be hemmed to the length of your shoes, changing shoes will change the length of your dress which may make it drag during your reception.
Make note of the color of your dress. There will be many upcoming decisions that you will want that information for; like, guys shirt color, table linens, flower girl dresses.
Don't feel obligated to take your whole wedding party with you dress shopping! Take those whose opinions you value the most!
I know you are probably sick of your mom asking you multiple questions a day about the wedding but be patient with her! <3
5b. - Take time to help your mom look and feel great in her wedding day attire! She also deserves to feel beautiful! We know she will be self-conscious, insecure, and indecisive. Be her biggest cheerleader, stylist, and hype girl - she has always been there for you!
Let your significant other have a say in their attire (to some extent)! They also want to look and feel confident!
Even though you may get a taste of the cake when you cut it, take time later in to sit down and enjoy a piece of it!
Don't sweat the small stuff, if there are things you wanted to do that don't get done, no one will know but you!
Lean into and trust your vendors! You hired them as professionals for a reason!
ENJOY! Everyone will tell you this - but the day truly flies by, enjoy every single moment!