We know that for most women, their wedding day is an event that is shrouded in anticipation and excitement. It’s a time to publicly rejoice in the fact that you’ve found the love of your life, celebrate with a family and friend-filled day and to showcase your own optimisation of style in a perfectly selected dress. We wouldn’t blame you for sometimes having the temptation to jump the gun in the planning process. Say if you’ve been in a long-term relationship or you’ve just recently gotten engaged, it can be tempting to pop into a boutique when out and about with girlfriends “just to see”. While it may be fun and seem like a harmless day of wedding indulgence, you don't want to get overly flustered or anxious about the different dress styles, designers and trends you knew nothing about. The very first step any bride should take to avoid that feeling of overwhelming anxiety is to research what wedding style you like. Have a look around online and through some of the recent bridal shows and collections to see what catches your eye. You probably have been envisioning this dress since you were a little girl, so its more than acceptable (and not to mention great fun) to trawl through the latest and best wedding dresses around to see which style you want to wear on your big day. It's a well-known fact that most brides go into their first fitting armed with the exact style of wedding dress they see themselves in. Granted, the process of actually trying on the dress is different to looking at them, but the knowledge of what you like and don't like when it comes to style will save you a lot of time. For some current, on-trend wedding style inspiration, take a look at our collective dress gallery here - we have every designer from Galia Lahav and their plunging necklines to Sareh Nouri and her billowing skirts. Taking a look through these various collections from each season is sure to set your eyes on a distinctive style you will love. But who ever said just because you know you want a fitted trumpet gown doesn't mean you can't try on that A-line organza dress either - after all, it is in the name of research.

Once you have been fully inspired by all that the bridal fashion world has to offer you, the next step is planning out your trip to the boutique. Preparation is key, and there are a couple of necessities and must-haves we suggest you tick off before going anywhere near a changing room.

Claire Pettibone

Know your venue and your bridesmaids

You should have at least a minimum of these three things secured and doubtless in your head when you go looking for your wedding dress – your fiancé, your chief bridesmaid and bridesmaids, and your venue. The fiancé is an obvious, but the maid of honour and the venue are going to affect your judgement in the style of gown you will want. It is vital to coordinate these two things with your wedding dress. In order to have a consistent theme, and for obvious practicality reasons, you need to know what type of venue your wedding will be hosted in. If it is a beach wedding you will need to search for light and airy fabric, slim fitted silhouettes with a bohemian touch. Falling in love with an organza gown that has a huge tulle A-line skirt might be well and good, until you decide to traipse it through the sand. The venue will set the tone for the style of your gown, so make sure you have a solid idea of the setting you want. Likewise with the chief bridesmaid, you need to rest assured in the knowledge that you have chosen the most serene, encouraging and positive person to aid you through every gruelling detail. This goes double for the dress shopping – you need a true friend by your side, someone who will shush away any negativity and second guessing that you don’t need to hear when you are standing in the dream dress.

Allocate time for dress alterations

There’s no point running around and throwing on dresses in between a lunch break or on a day where you have errands to get done or grandparents to visit – this is one of the most important steps of your wedding planning, give it the attention it deserves. A well-tailored and altered wedding gown can take up to six months to perfect, so allow yourself enough time to have a thorough search and decide on a style you like. Then, allow yourself more time again to have the gown you fell in love with altered so that it suits you impeccably. The odds are that the dress you initially see will not fit you like a glove – many wedding dresses belong to designers whose individual style fittings are completely different from each other. Typically, wedding dresses are usually fitted two sizes smaller than normal clothing, so don’t get alarmed if it’s a little bit tight, it will soon be tailored to fit your body perfectly.

Claire Pettibone

Surround yourself with the right people

If you have set goals and targets in mind or possibly certain restrictions you want to place upon yourself when it comes to the dress – make sure your bridal party are well-prepped. If you have a limit on your budget, have a particular part of your silhouette you don’t want on show or even if there’s a style you loathe and want to steer clear of – then your friends will be the ones to ensure those restrictions are kept. Whatever it is you are not looking for, make sure your team are informed so as to reign you in if you get a little side-tracked.

Make sure that you select all the right people for this part of the wedding planning – just like your chief bridesmaid, make them people you trust, whose opinion you respect and people you are comfortable sharing total honesty with. Don’t feel the obligation to invite long distance relatives who don’t know your personal taste or work friends just because they’ve heard you gushing about the boutique all week. Make your bridal party as small and intimate as you want and don’t apologise for creating a warm and comfortable environment. You don’t want anyone who is known for their outlandish style or overly critical nature to put any doubts in your head when you’ve found the perfect fit.

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Recreate the lighting

Create the same lighting that your wedding day will have – if you are in a church try viewing the dress behind an enclosed place such as a curtained room or ask the staff to dim the lighting. If you are having the service in a bright open space, say like a garden or beach wedding, then pull back the curtains and bathe the dress in as much natural light as you can to get the full effect of how it will look at your ceremony.

Avoid personal mishaps

Pay very close attention to the type of tan you are going to wear if you are looking to achieve that natural glow on your big day. Now we know preaching to Irish lasses about the correct methods of wearing fake tan is like telling the mother of the bride not to cry, but mistakes can happen. Without the correct planning and preparation there can easily be a dress rehearsal mishap if you’re not careful. Many boutiques and stores will inform you prior to your arrival what their personal requirements are. Many advise not to wear any tan at all when trying on their dresses, understandably for all the obvious reasons. If you insist on seeing the dress on glowing skin, then try a subtle wash off tan a few days beforehand as to allow it fade appropriately. It is also vital that you wear the correct underwear. Again, most boutiques will specify the requirements of undergarments for sanitary reasons. It is always best to wear a nude coloured strapless bra and matching underwear, and remember that you will most likely be changing in front of a member of staff to consult and guide you, so wear something you’ll feel comfortable in.

Bridal dress

Know your style limits

Take into account the weight of your dress – if you are going for a highly embellished beaded gown, be aware that it’s going to be heavier than your average wedding dress. Now that’s not too much of a problem, but trying on a heavy dress for a maximum of 30 minutes isn’t going to give you the full experience of how much the fabric will weigh on you by the end of the night. Similarly, always do a movement test in a gown. It may feel fine whilst standing up in front a mirror, but you need to move around the room, bend, kneel, dance - see how well you can manoeuvre yourself.  Don’t take the measurement of your gown lightly and joke away the thought of a few beads or tightness – a full sheath of beading can add up to 20 pounds of extra weight on your dress alone. If you’re a strong lass who knows she can handle it, invest in a resilient deodorant and make that dress your own. If you still adore the dress but worry you might not be able to handle the weight or shape, then we’re afraid we’re going to have to use the one word every bride hates to hear on her wedding day – compromise.

Wear whatever makes you comfortable

This brings us to another rule – don’t be afraid to invest in a second dress for practicality reasons. If you’re steadfast on wearing an extravagant gown to walk down the aisle and be photographed in, don’t waste that opportunity. Make a compromise on this dress and if you so desperately want it, then invest in a similarly stunning (but less expensive) second dress to wear at your reception party. Don’t worry about looking like a high maintenance I-want-it-all bride to your friends and family when they see you in a second dress. All the A-listers do style changes throughout any big event that they’re hosting, why should your wedding day be any different? If you do encounter judgement raised eyebrows, smirk it off and show them just how well you can dance in a versatile gown.

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Allow yourself to get emotional

Last but not least, here comes the emotional part. It’s far from a scientific truth that all brides gush when they put on their wedding dress, despite what popular rom-coms have lead us to believe. But it does happen, because the discovery of the perfect dress can be a tremendously happy time for brides and the bridal party. So much attention and organisation has gone into the search that, more often than not, brides forget to factor in how they’ll be feeling on the day. It can be a stressful process, and all that catering for friends and family and coordinating with the boutique can make the bride forget how the day is supposed to be as much fun as it is productive. For most, stepping out in a gown that you have decided will be the one brings on a sense of relief if anything else. You will look beautiful, have smiling friends and words of encouragement all round and begin to anticipate the look on your fiancé's face when he sees you. Who wouldn’t forgive a few emotions running high?

- Roisin Curran

Image credits: Bride smiling: Claire Pettibone | Bride 1: Claire Pettibone | Bride 2: Retrospect Images