Part of my job as your wedding photographer is to help educate all of my brides (and grooms!), so that they have the best, most least-stressful wedding day ever. I want you to actually enjoy the process of getting married!!!

Wedding dress shopping is one of the fun parts of planning your wedding … but it can also be very stressful. Finding that perfect dress, in your budget … sometimes you find it the first try, sometimes it takes a few trips to different bridal shops. And that’s okay!!! But once you find that dream dress, ooooh girl: YESSS.

4 Tips for Wedding Dress Shopping

Have Someone Take Pictures Of You From All Angles In It

We will be photographing you from all angles, and what better way to see what it looks like than to take pictures? That way you can see if you really love the backless look, if you like how long the train is, if you like the material, if you like look of the sewn-in corset, etc.

Bring Someone Who Will Tell You If It’s Not The Right Dress For You

All brides are beautiful. All wedding dresses are beautiful. But let’s be honest – not all beautiful brides and beautiful dresses are a perfect match. You need someone who will tell you that the cut you’re trying on is not the best choice for you. You need someone who will be kind, but honest. So if that’s your BFF, bring her. If that’s your mom, bring her. Heck, bring them both! Make a fun day of it, and don’t feel pressured to love the first dress you try on. Or even the twentieth!

Sit Down And Twirl Around In It

You’d be surprised how many brides forget to do this; funny enough, I was one of those brides! When Randy and I renewed our vows for our 10th wedding anniversary in 2013 and we got to do the whole big wedding, when I bought my dress I didn’t sit down in it. And guess what? When we rolled around to the vow renewal … I could hardly breathe sitting in my dress. It was so uncomfortable!!

And don’t forget – you’ll be dancing the night away, so be sure you can boogie in it! Twirl and squat and shake it in the bridal shop to make sure you’re able to comfortably enjoy your reception on the dance floor. Alternatively, you can even purchase a reception dress to dance the night away and not risk stepping on it.

Give Yourself At Least A Few Months

Last but not least – give yourself a few months to find the perfect dress. Why? Because most dresses need some sort of alterations, and that’s not an overnight process. Once you’re done with alterations – be sure to sit down and shimmy in it to make sure it still feels comfortable and isn’t going to be pinching you or falling off!

Ashley Durham is a wedding photographer based in Lake Havasu, Arizona, serving couples nationwide. Follow along on Instagram for more tips and planning advice for your big day!