Consultants Share Their Best Shopping Tips

Shopping for a wedding dress can be one of the most exciting, memorable, and albeit daunting tasks for brides-to-be. We get so many questions from our brides asking for tips on how to tackle wedding dress shopping, so we called in the experts — our consultants! Our consultants have helped thousands of brides say ‘yes’ to their dream dresses over many years at Kleinfeld Bridal. So, who better to share shopping tips for brides? Check out their advice below!

Bring photos & inspiration.

“Even a little inspiration can really guide your consultant—whether the photo is of a dress specifically from Kleinfeld or even just on Pinterest and Instagram,” says consultant Kelsey. Bringing along inspiration with you helps create focus and direction from the very beginning of your appointment, so your consultant can help guide you toward your dream wedding dress. “Your consultant has extensive knowledge of the dresses, so even pointing to a neckline or a fabric you like from a picture allows your consultant to immediately know the style versus trying to explain it. Visuals are the best!” she says.

Be open and honest.

“Don’t be afraid to say ‘yes’ when you love the dress,” explains consultant Debbie. Being honest and forthcoming with your consultant regarding what you love (and what you hate) makes the dress search easier and more fun! “Be open and honest with your consultant so they can help you find the perfect dress for you,” she says.

Once you’ve tried on three dresses, eliminate one.

“At Kleinfeld we like to say ‘you won’t pick your third favorite dress’ and with such a wide selection, it helps to stay focused by eliminating as you try,” explains consultant Kelsey. Her tactic? Treat dress shopping like the process of elimination. “I allow my brides a top 2 favorites and anything else has to beat out one of those two to stay in the running,” she explains. Because you’re slowly narrowing down as you go, making the final decision is much easier and less stressful. 

Shop early.

“Shopping early is always a good thing when it comes to your dress,” explains consultant Lisa. We always recommend shopping 9-12 months before your wedding. Why? When you say ‘yes!’, your dress is specially ordered to your largest measurement from the designer and a lot of work (like hand sewing beads and lace) then goes into making your dress. From there, your dress is then shipped from across the world and you’ll still need ample time to alter your dress as well—9-12 months adds up quickly! With that, as soon as you know your wedding date (or even a relative idea), make an appointment to come shop with us. “It’s one less thing you will have to stress about!” says Lisa. 

Come with an open mind.

“A dress on a hanger can look completely different on a body,” explains consultant Zoey. With that, come with inspiration and an idea of what you might be looking for, but most importantly, be flexible and keep an open mind while shopping. You never know what might surprise you—many brides end up saying ‘yes!’ to the exact opposite wedding dress than they envisioned!

Too many opinions can make it hard to make a decision.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and guidelines set by the government, we at Kleinfeld can only allow brides to bring two guests with them to shop in order to keep everyone safe. While you may have dreamt about having your mom, grandma, maid of honor, bridesmaids and best friends there with you, “having a guest limit may not be such a bad thing,” says consultant Lisa. “In fact having just one or two guests with you will help to keep you focused and eliminate possible confusion and too many opinions,” she explains. You heard that right: less people = less opinions = easier to say ‘yes’!

Ready to shop? Make an appointment!

Browse the newest styles in our dress gallery. 

Looking for more bridal advice? Here.