We get new dresses in stock pretty often! With so many gorgeous gowns to choose from, it can be daunting to imagine just one of them being THE dress. Add in different silhouettes, laces, beading, and necklines, and suddenly going dress shopping can seem like the most difficult decision of your wedding planning process. How can you possibly narrow it down to just one beautiful dress?! Finding "the one" can actually be so much easier than reality TV makes it seem.
Does it make you feel pretty, or does it make you feel bridal?
There's a massive difference between a pretty white dress and a dress you can imagine getting married in! It's important to be able to envision yourself in this dress on your wedding day. Ultimately, so many dresses will look beautiful on you, but not every dress will be something you can actually picture tying the knot in. If one does give you that feeling over another, don't ignore the sign!
You won't want to take it off.
If you're in the dress for almost half an hour and you still can't get enough- that's another huge sign. Maybe you'll eventually take it off just to try a couple more, but if you find yourself missing the previous dress, it's probably time to put it back on!
You go to other stores looking for the exact same thing.
If you couldn't pull the trigger the first time around, because you just needed to see what else is out there, you might find yourself looking for, essentially, that exact same dress at any other stores you go to. If you try on dresses at another store and all of them are just missing that one special detail that your fave had, don't put yourself through the stress of trying to recreate a dress that you already know exists!
You're smiling.
It might sound like a little thing, but trust us, you'll find yourself smiling a lot more in some dresses than others. Looking beautiful might be at the top of your checklist, but looking happy will be super important, too. If you can't take your eyes off your mirror reflection and you look and feel happy in it, that's not a feeling that will accompany every dress you put on.
Does the input of others matter?
Do you love the dress as much as the group does? If so, that's amazing! If not, it might not be the one. Moreover, if a member of your group doesn't love the dress as much as you do, how much does their opinion sway you? If you love this dress for you, not for them, it could very well be the one.
You might not react the same way other brides do.
Some brides cry. Some brides don't, and that's okay! Movies can make it seem like saying "yes" needs to be a huge, sweeping display of emotion, but in real life, it's not always that way! Whether you're crying, jumping, at a loss for words, or just incredibly decisive and practical, every bride will have her own unique reaction to finding her dress. Don't assume it can't be the one just because you don't have the same reaction your matron of honor had when she found her dress!
Photography: Chantel Breanna Photography