1. Do your research. Before you even begin to look around, research gowns. You should always have a bit of knowledge about dresses (and know some of
the lingo) before you even set foot into a bridal shop. There are also many bridal magazines that will provide a ton of information, including Brides, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Wedding Bells, etc. All of these magazines have websites, where you can find quick information without paying for the magazine. 2. Decide on a silhouette. Wedding dresses are made in several different silhouettes. Before considering anything else, know which type of gown will flatter your figure the best. Look at photos of each type. You can browse wedding website message boards and member profiles for photos of real women wearing gowns, rather than relying on professional photos of models wearing them. 3. Envision your wedding. Picture yourself on your wedding day. What are you wearing? What silhouette is your gown? What fabric? Is it embroidered or beaded? What color is it? With so many choices for the dress, it can be overwhelming to look through hundreds or thousands of them. Some brides have said that after looking through racks and racks of dresses, they all begin to look the same. So before you even set out to try them on, envision your wedding day and how your dress looks, and jot down a list of things that describe the dress of your daydreams. You don't have to know all the wedding dress terms. Just write down a description of the gown you're envisioning. 4. Consider the circumstances. A wide variety of factors can affect what makes a particular dress appropriate to the occasion. 5. Decide on a budget. When deciding on your budget, you don't need to set a very specific price. Just make it a general range, such as $1000 - $1500, or even $1000 - $2000. But if you buy it from online shop like Gotopshop (http://www.gotopshop.com/). You will save a lot of money. You can always break this rule later if you're able to and really want to, but it helps to have a general range.
