Who to bring wedding dress shopping

Picking out your wedding dress is a special experience, one that many brides choose to share with important people in their life. It’s a day layered in magic, excitement and anticipation to find “the One.”

In your dreams about this day, you may have imagined mimosas, twirling around in a big ballgown and hearing your friends and family rave about your beauty.  But if you’ve seen the hit series Say Yes To The Dress, you’ll know sometimes the most important people aren’t the best people to have in your entourage.

So how do you figure out who to bring with you?

Forget the “norm”

First off, make sure to let go of the basic image that you’ve seen on television. Your support group may or may not include your mom, sister and best friend, and that’s okay! There’s no obligation to bring any one family member or friend, whether it be a mother or sister-in-law or bridesmaids. 

The only tradition that matters is the one you create.

If you choose to keep your group small, consider inviting the rest of your entourage to your final dress fitting or a “visit” that many bridal shops offer prior to your dress coming in. This will give your friends and family an opportunity to feel a part of the process while ensuring that you avoid being bogged down by too many opinions.

Boutique restrictions

Before you make a decision on who to bring, make sure to check in with your bridal boutique to see how many people they allow. Many boutiques do not accommodate large groups, and you’ll avoid offending your bridal party or family if you know that information beforehand.

You can also speak with your boutique for recommendations on who and how many people you should bring. They know this process better than anyone and can definitely give you the hard truth about your opinionated best friend or estranged mom.

Your A-Team

As you narrow down your entourage, think about the process like planning a dinner party. The goal is to get a group of diverse voices that each have something unique to offer the group. So what voices do you want there? Maybe your logical and honest sister, or your loving, encouraging aunt, or your favorite hype-girl? 

Take count of your personality. If you’re shy and easily bend to strong opinions, you may choose to leave your most controlling family member at home. But if you can be more emotion-driven and indecisive, stacking your entourage with multiple logical friends could help balance it out. 

It’s also important to consider who will blend well. Having competing voices on the sofa will only stress you out and bring unnecessary tension to the process. So if your mother and grandmother have an ongoing rivalry, choose to bring only one of them.

It all comes down to you feeling happy and comfortable while you’re choosing a wedding dress. Curating your A-Team allows you to take control of your day and ensure that drama and stress will not be a part of it. And if you feel prepared and ready to make the decision all on your own, just do it solo! Knowing what you need from your friends and family, and what you definitely don’t need will help you create the magical day you’ve been looking forward to for years.