How to Pick the Perfect Wedding Dress
The Elegant Brides 2026 Guide to Shopping for Your Wedding Dress.
The Dilemma
When it comes to wedding dress shopping, the possibilities are endless! There are dresses in nearly every style, shape, fabric, and color imaginable. There are simple dresses, detailed dresses, and ones in between. Some dresses focus on floral detail while others emphasize glitter and rhinestones. Some dresses come in different shades of white or completely different colors. Again, the possibilities are endless!
Some brides know exactly what they are looking for when they go wedding dress shopping, but others feel totally overwhelmed by the infinite choices. Where does a bride begin in the ocean of options? In addition, brides will often try on a range of dresses while looking for the perfect one. This may lead a bride to say “I look great in so many of these dresses! How do I know which one I should pick?”
Unfortunately, the answers to these questions are not cut and dry. There is no simple one-size-fits-all answer to the question of which dress is best for you, but there are some signals you should look out for that can let you know when you’ve found the one. We can also give you some starting points for your search to help make your shopping process less stressful and more fun.
Common Myths to Bust
If it's the right dress, you have to cry
Many brides have come into the store assuming that if a dress is the dress, they (and the guests with them) will be in tears. While there absolutely are some brides who have this experience, not everyone does! Sometimes brides don’t cry, even when they try on a dress that they love and is exactly what they imagined themselves getting married in.
you should stick to styles you know work for you
Some brides assume there is only one style of dress that compliments their body, and they need to stick to that one style—this is simply not true. A lot of brides are pleasantly surprised when they try on a style that is completely different from what they expect to love. It’s not uncommon for brides to pick a dress that is completely different from what they thought they would!
If your party doesn't like it, it's not for you
Bringing guests to your bridal appointment can be valuable in the way that they can give you feedback, make suggestions, and hype you up when you need it. However, if you fall in love with a dress your party doesn’t like, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the dress should get kicked out of the race.
If you love a dress your party doesn’t love, ask your stylist to accessorize you so your guests can see the full picture, or return to the dress after trying on some others. Sometimes, a fresh perspective does the trick. In the end, you will be the one wearing it on your big day, so you should wear a dress you love!
How to Start Your Search
First, getting a feel for what styles you generally like can be a good springboard for the rest of your search. First, search for wedding dress inspiration on a social media site like Pinterest. Save the pictures you like the best to a board. Once you feel satisfied with how many you’ve saved, look at your board and see if you notice any themes or patterns. Is there a style you saved most? Or a theme in detail or fabric? Maybe there’s a designer that caught your eye. If you still want more information on what styles to look for, some designers, like Maggie Sottero, offer a style quiz to help guide you towards which style you might like best.
Once you have an idea of what styles you like, start looking at designers’ websites or websites for the bridal shops you have appointments with. At Elegant Brides, we list all of our designers on our Wedding Dresses page. From there, you can explore wedding dresses by the designers we carry in our store. You don’t have to have specific dresses in mind to try on when you go to your appointment, but knowing which styles you like or having pictures from your Pinterest board to show your stylist can help them select options you might like.
Shopping for Your Dress
When you start shopping for your dress, tell your stylist about what styles you like and show them pictures of some of your favorites. As you start trying on dresses, let your stylist know about what you like and don’t like about the dresses. They are there to guide you and help you find your perfect dress! Also remember to stay open-minded. You may think you’ll hate a dress before putting it on, but end up loving it once it’s on your body! And if you do hate it, let your stylist know why.
You may also want to try on dresses at several shops before settling on one option. Brides often fall in love with a dress at one shop, but still try on dresses at other shops so they can feel confident that the one they fell in love with truly is the one for them. On the contrary, sometimes it takes going to several locations before the perfect dress rears its head. Again, every bride’s experience is unique, so trusting your gut is essential.
Sometimes, the perfect dress isn’t obvious at first. It may take some time to sink in that you’ve found the one you want. If that happens, it’s okay! At most stores, you can schedule a second bridal appointment to try a dress on again and purchase if it’s the one you want. Remember, not everyone has an emotional reaction to the dress that ends up being the one they go with in the end.
Is It Time to Say Yes to the Dress?
If you feel really strongly about a dress and can’t imagine yourself getting married in another one, then yes, it’s likely time to say yes to the dress! However, if you’re feeling hesitant, it’s okay to need some time to think or to shop around at other stores to be sure you’ve found the one for you. If you want to schedule a second bridal appointment to try the dress on again after having some time to think, most shops will welcome you hack happily (we certainly will). You can also request that your stylist give you a veil or other accessories to try on so you can see the complete vision.
When you’re deciding whether you’ve found the right wedding dress, what’s most important is that you feel amazing and can envision yourself walking down the aisle in the dress. Not every bride will feel overwhelmed with emotion or will know they’ve found ‘the one’ immediately after trying it on. You should make your final decision when you feel comfortable and confident doing so.