From Dreaming to ‘I Do’: The 7 Emotional Stages of Finding Your Perfect Wedding Dress!

It’s every little girl’s dream to one day step into a Bridal salon and pick out her very own wedding dress. But when that day actually comes (or even if you’ve just watched people pick out their dress on TV), you know it’s not always a cakewalk. Though the “Dress Shopping Experience” is different for every bride, Chantel, founder and wedding blogger of the Y Knot Jump the Broom blog, suggests there are 7 Stages of Wedding Dress shopping that relatively all brides go through:

1. The Excited Stage 
   
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   You have all your girls around you and you’re just so excited for the most important day of your life…oh and that you’re getting married too.
2. The Overwhelmed Stage
   
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   So many dresses, so little time! How will you ever be able to choose just one?
3. The Confused Stage
   
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   Well, you came into the appointment set on buying the A-Line dress you picked out on the store’s website, but now you’re in this beautiful Ballgown that makes you feel like a Fairy Tale princess…and you begin to guess yourself second.
4. The Discovery Stage
   
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   You put on The Dress and have your first “Oh my gosh, I think this is the one” moment. You look back at your entourage; some are having a moment too.
5. The “Mini-breakdown” Stage
   
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   Now you’re freaking out because:
   1. You fell in love with the over-budget dress that you just wanted to try on to see what it looked like; and
   2. Mom didn’t tear up when you came out in it.
6.  The Assurance Stage:
   
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   After a little deliberation, everyone comes together (and maybe even agree to pitch in for the dress) to show you they not only support you, but want you to have the very best for the happiest day of your life.
7. The Certainty Stage: 
   
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   After your consultant helps you find the perfect veil, you look at yourself in the mirror. In this moment, you know without a doubt that this is “the One”—this is the dress that you were destined to wear on the day you married who you were destined to love!

Whether you go through all these stages or just a few, know there is no need to fret—your family and friends will support you. You’ll also have great bridal consultants (like the ones at Best For Bride) to help you work through all these stages until you’re as happy and certain about your dress choice as you are with the person you will marry! So keep calm and don’t forget the most important part of dress shopping—to have fun!