One of the hardest parts about getting married is finding the perfect wedding dress. Most women have dreamed about the perfect dress their entire lives, so take finding that dress very seriously. It can be very difficult to find the perfect dress, though. The best way to find it is often to enlist the help of friends. If your friend is getting married and has asked you to help them to find a dress, then you need to take this task very seriously. Your friend won’t ever forget the help that you gave them in selecting a dress, especially if your help results in them finding the perfect one.
Here are nine tips for helping your friend to find the perfect dress:
Table of Contents
Different Styles
One of the first things that you should consider for your friend’s wedding dress is its style. There are many different styles of wedding dress, though most people only know about long-tailed dresses. You can look radiant in a short wedding dress as you can in one that’s long. Make sure to tell your friend about the different styles and types of dress, so that they can give them consideration.
Budget Creation
Another thing that you need to do is to work out a budget. Wedding dresses aren’t cheap. If you really want to contribute to your friend’s wedding, then you could consider gifting her some money to help her to friend a dress. If that is not an option, then you should at least work with her and help her to work out a budget. The creation of a budget is relatively simple, and involves your friend working out monthly expenses, and how much she can reasonably afford to set aside for a dress.
Advance Shopping
It’s a good idea to shop for your friend’s dress at least six months before the wedding’s due to take place. The reason for this is so that you don’t leave it too late. A lot of women wait right up until the last moment to get their dress, which often means that they have to frantically rush to a seamstress and get it resized. If your friend intends on getting a bespoke dress, then you may need to organize its creation a year in advance, to give the tailor the time to make it.
Social Media
Social media’s a great place to learn about dresses, as well as discover what trends are popular at the moment. Wedding dresses are seasonal, like all types of clothes. Some are more prominent at certain times of year than at others. You need to work out when your friend’s wedding is going to be so that you can help her to use social media and find out what trends suit the wedding’s season. The way to do this is to use hashtags. Instagram is the best platform for searching with hashtags.
Second-hand
Another thing that you might want to consider is buying your friend’s dress second-hand. A lot of people avoid buying second-hand out of fear of judgment, but in reality, nobody’s going to know if your friend’s dress is second-hand unless she tells them. You can get some fantastic deals on second-hand wedding dresses, although you often have to settle for ones that are out of season or are no longer popular. If you are going to buy a dress-second hand, then make sure that your friend goes to the person’s house and tries it on before handing over any money.
Bridal Salon
If your friend intends on buying a dress new, then you could take her to a bridal salon. A bridal salon can be very expensive, though, which is something that you need to consider. A bridal salon is essentially just a fancy way of describing a wedding dress shop. In bridal salons, you can find a broad range of different wedding dresses. One of the greatest advantages to going to a bridal salon is that you are able to talk to bridal stylists, who will be explained in greater detail later on. You also have an opportunity to physically see different styles of dress and try them on. At the bridal salon, you can pick an outfit for yourself and other important guests.
Hiring Seamstress
Whether you buy your friend’s dress online or from a bridal salon, you will likely need to take it to a seamstress. Wedding dresses rarely fit the way that they are supposed to when they are bought off the shelf. A seamstress will need at least a month to work on your friend’s dress. Some will ask for more time, depending on their workload. If you intend on working with a seamstress, then make sure that you leave enough time in the interim between buying the dress and the wedding, for them to work on it.
Bridal Stylist
A bridal stylist is definitely worth working with. As mentioned earlier, bridal stylists work in bridal salons. With that said, it’s possible to find freelance or independent stylists. A stylist will be able to work with your friend to help her to pick the dress that’s right for her and that suits her. It’s always important to get a second opinion from a professional when you are selecting a dress because a professional’s opinion will be a lot more valuable than the emotional judgment of you and your other friends. A professional will be straight to the point and honest.
Being Honest
Lastly, make sure that you too are honest with your friend. You need to make sure that you don’t lie to your friend at all. If you think that the dress that they are interested in is ugly or doesn’t suit them, then in the politest way possible, tell them this. An important part of being a good friend is telling the truth. If you are unable to tell your friend the truth, then there is no point in you helping them to find a dress. Be as honest as you possibly can, for your friend’s sake.
If your friend is getting married, then devote your time to helping her to find at Avery Austin the dress that’s right for her.. Your friend will never forget that you helped her, and will likely return the favor if you ever get married.
