Ready, Set, Shop (for Your Wedding Gown!)

It’s time to buy your wedding gown! Here’s how to find the one of your dreams. by Amy Elliott
Dress Dos

Try on styles you think you抎 never wear. You抣l be pleasantly surprised.

Think 揷lassic?and 搕imeless.?A gown that抯 too trendy is bound to look outdated, or goofy, in photographs
20 years from now.

For feedback, bring only one or two people whose opinions you trust.

Bring the jewelry you plan to wear so that you can see how it works with
the necklines of the dresses you like.

At fittings, wear proper under-garments and heels similar in height to the ones you抣l wear with your dress.

Pick up Bridal Guide抯 How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Gown ($16.95; Warner Books) for more pearls of wisdom, plus attire info for the groom and your bridesmaids.
When it comes to clothing purchases, the wedding gown is in a class of its own. No other garment is as “it has to be perfect” as this one, and it’s probably the finest and most expensive item of clothing you’ll ever buy. Exciting? Yes. Scary? Not if you use these tips:
Start early
Ideally, you should begin shopping nine months before your wedding day. This time frame will allow for a stress-free pace and is very important if you’re buying a custom-made wedding gown (as opposed to an off-the-rack one), which may take several months to produce and require at least three fittings for alterations when it arrives. Only have a few months? Most bridal salons can fulfill rush orders, usually for a fee.
Establish a budget
Try to spend no more than 5% of your total wedding budget on a wedding gown and wedding accessories (veil, shoes, jewelry and so on). Wedding dresses can go for as little as $200 to $300; most brides spend about $700. Couture wedding gowns are likely to fetch $2,500 and more. And, don’t forget to factor in the cost of alterations like shortening the hem, or adjusting the bodice and sleeves. Prices vary, depending on the complexity of what you need done. Be sure to get an estimate upfront.
At a bridal salon, or a department store with an in-house bridal boutique, like J.C. Penney or Saks Fifth Avenue, doing so will get you one-on-one attention from a sales consultant who can pull the right styles for your body type, help get you into the gowns (those tiny satin-covered buttons can be tricky) and give you her undivided attention.
Plan your salon visits wisely
Most appointments last about an hour. Avoid feeling rushed by limiting yourself to trying on just five gowns per salon trip. Try not to go on a Saturday afternoon, because the brdial shop will be mobbed, and don’t go during your lunch hour or you may feel pressured by the need to get back to work.
Love the fit and feel
Comfort is important—your wedding dress should look and feel good on your body. Make sure you can breathe easily and move around in your wedding gown—raise your arms up above your head, sit down, boogie a little. Do you feel constricted? Is that tulle skirt starting to prickle? Another way to decide if this is the dress: Designers and brides swear you’ll have an immediate, in-your-gut feeling when you see yourself in the mirror.
Read the fine print
You’ve heard the horror stories (the bridal salon that mysteriously goes out of business, the wedding dress that doesn’t arrive on time), and that’s why you need to have all the details of the sale outlined in a contract. You’ll have some recourse if the terms of the contract aren’t properly executed. Make sure it includes: a dress description (style number, manufacturer, color and size); deposit and balance amounts; special requests (like removing the train); alterations info and estimated cost; the store’s cancellation policy; and the anticipated delivery date.

Pay up
A 50% deposit is standard. Pay with a credit card—if you are wrongfully charged, your credit card company will go after the store and (if everything checks out) you won’t be held responsible.
Bring it home
You should plan to pick up your wedding gown no sooner than one week before your wedding date—it will be safer at the shop than at your home. Then, you can get really excited. You’re going to look amazing!