GRAB YOUR GOWN FILE. Come on we know you have been tearing out photos from bridal magazines for a while now, even before you were engaged. Take your folder with you to the Dress Shops this will give your salesperson an idea of your taste from the start.

TRY ON DIFFERENT STYLES. This is probably the first time you have worn a wedding gown. You won’t know what looks best on you until you try it, so keep an open mind.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT BRIDAL SHOP. The staff at a full-service dress shop will help you select your gown and alter it until it is perfect. A knowledgeable sales staff can help you weed out the ones that are not for your body type and can save you time and misery.

YOUR DRESS FITS WHEN.

• Raise your arms above your head
  
• Do a little dance
  
• Sit down and cross your legs-on a straight back chair
  
• Bend at the waist
  
• Walk easily around the store
  
  

DON’T SHOP WITH A CROWD. This is not the kind of shopping you do alone so recruit one or two trustworthy people you know well and who will give you honest feed back. Any more than that will only make the process more confusing.

SHOPPING NECESSITIES.

• Strapless bra
  
• Control-top panty hose
  
• Heels the height you would like to wear for the wedding
  
• Hair ties, clips or bobby pins so you can create a quick up-do
  
• Measuring tape
  
• Pen & Paper to jot down manufacturers and style numbers of the dresses you like and the shop that you found it in
  
  

DON’T COUNT ON LOSING WEIGHT. It is easier to have a dress taken in than to have a snug dress let out at the last minute.