Wedding dress hunt

We have decided to set the deal and get married!! I'm so happy to have found the perfect man! I cannot wait to become his wife. And so my wedding dress hunt began! To get some inspiration I have watched Say Yes to the Dress so much my soon to be husband wonders if there is any other shows on TV..haha
I have to say it helped me a lot. Although I cannot go to NYC and get that experience, it sure helped me to get an understanding of the whole procedure - How do you buy a Wedding dress? All the steps. Internet also helped me figure out more. I have starred myself blind of various pictures of dresses and styles. And I want to admit, it's is a jungle and it isn't something you do over night. If you are to get married, at least where I come from most women purchase their dress.
To get the dress of your dream, be out in time!! For some bridal shops it takes months to get your order. And some might not carry a lot in stock and can even get sold out!
When I went there I was asked "When is the big day?", I said my date and she counted the months and said.. Okay that should be ok. But just so you know, it's best to dress shop 8-9 months before.
I was like..ehm... ok?! But seeing Say yes to the dress, they seem to say the same.
Once again, it depends on what you want...

As budget may differ be sure to save and look online a lot to see what you can choose from in your price class. To see prices online can give you an idea of what kind of dress you can afford. DO NOT go to places and try before you have set on a budget (including all the extras)! If you try a "dream dress" but it is out of your league you won't be able to get it out of your mind and have difficulty to find a dress.

In my mind I was like 1000 USD is my limit, I don't care if it's cheap, I know some girls wants to spend 5000-Unlimited amount. But to me, it is not "in" the dress. It's the man who is to be mine and the people around me. There are pretty dresses that cost less. Still I had money to be able to afford a dress for 3000 USD in case I got carried away! (I've seen Say yes to the dress where the bride says her budget is 3000 USD but in the end shops a dress for 12 000USD!!!)
I can therefore the show also changed my mind slowly to stretch my original budget. The more dresses you see it sorta affects your mind.

I had read blogs and posts of places who sell wedding dresses in Stockholm, there were a lot more than I knew. I booked an appointment at the one who carries most designer dresses.
But the week before I found a cancellation slot at a store where I had looked a lot at prior. It became my first and only appointment at a bridal store.

Afterwards it feels like it was meant to be, that cancellation appointment and all, it was meant for me.

I overheard another woman in the store saying it was her only visit too, she had looked online but not been able to find a store with dresses she liked nor in her price range. She also said she felt insane for buying at the first store without even trying others and this dress called her name! Her friend also said she knew several friends who had purchased their wedding dresses in this store. It made me feel even more satisfied with my choice.

The store I went to is called Lilly. They sells bridal gowns by their own brand. I'd say they start at 1100 SEK and goes up to aprox 12 000 SEK.
Then to get the final amount we need to add cost for underskirt (YES you need one unless it's already attached to the dress), possibly a veil or accessories. And not to forget alteration fee.

To the appointment I took my mum with me as it was in last minute. I also wanted my bridesmaids and dad but it was too short of time. My dad can also be very picky so I think it was good I only took my mum! haha
During my appointment I tried around 7-8 dresses in total. And after have seen the TV show all I can say, either you find it fast or you don't. On the TV-show some women only tries 2 dresses before buying. And others tries 5-6 before deciding. Or 100+ and never finds one.
YES, it is okay to be picky to a certain degree. I mean I guess most of you, just like me will hopefully only marry once. And if you are to get a dress, you want the WOW factor.

In my experience, as I got to see and try the various dresses on, I could sense "this is not the one" or "this is more what I'm looking for but..".
And then we got to "I don't like the back", "I don't like the cut in front", "I don't like the material" etc.
Since I had in mind what I liked it also helped the staff at the store to pull dresses closer to what I liked. In 1,5 h you do not have time to try the whole store. So it helped knowing kinda what I was looking for but still being open to suggestions. The staff who helped me was super kind and was good at her job.
In my case I knew I wanted the dress to make me look slimmer (who doesn't!?), No Mermaid fitted. As I'm not too girly girly I wasn't looking for a gigantic Ball gown, but I still wanted to feel like a princess so A-Line was the type for me. A bit poofy but not over the top.
Both Ivory and White works depending on style and overall look, I liked some embroidery but not all over the dress especially not all over the bottom.

The most important, you should LOVE the dress you buy. It should not be a buy just because. A second best is NOT the best! It is one day, and ONE DAY ONLY.
I got it with the one I chose, as soon as I put it on I was like "This is the one".
No kidding, it was truly, this is my dress!!
I went passed my original budget for a dress, choosing one of the most expensive in the store..haha
And yes, I, me, myself paid for the dress. But I still bought a dress on the "cheaper side".


To sum it up, if you are to buy a Wedding Dress remember:

1. Search for styles - Ball Gown, A Line, Mermaid, Empire or Sheath/Column
   Pictures or search for Say Yes to the Dress on Youtube
2. Decide on length, neckline, sleeves, fabric, embellishment, back... 
3. Save pics of the styles you like
4. Figure out a budget (and how far you can stretch it)
   Add all costs - veil, underskirt, other hair pieces etc. Just in case, a veil can be super cheap or deadly expensive
5. DO NOT BUY a dress online, it might look cheap and say custom made, but I have not found many being happy with their online purchase. Then I'd rather suggest you go take a trip to China and make a tailor make one for you!
6. Search for shops near or far (also read reviews about them...)
7. Call or email and ask to see if they have dresses they can deliver in time (in case you only have a few months to go)
8. Book an appointment to try dresses (an appointment is usually 1,5 h)
9. Bring someone close who can give you advice, DO NOT bring too many. They might be your family and friends, but too many can also make it more difficult to settle on a dress, in case their opinion matters a lot to you.
10. Get your WOW factor, it would be devastating if you would need to buy a second dress.
11. Be sure on the size, if you are to slim down, set a reasonable goal!

I hope you can find what you are looking for...