You walk into your first bridal appointment excited, hopeful, and maybe even a little nervous. The stylist pulls a few gowns based on your vision, and suddenly its magic. You fall in love with one. But instead of saying yes, a little voice creeps in: “What if there’s something better?”
So you go to another store. And another. And another.
Before you know it, you’ve tried on over 20 dresses. Maybe 30. And now you’re more confused than when you started.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
At first, trying on wedding dresses feels like living out a childhood fantasy, but shopping around and looking at too many can quickly turn your dream into decision paralysis. Here's why more isn’t always better when it comes to finding the one.
Your Vision Gets Cloudy - The first few dresses you try on help clarify your style. It can help determine if you like lace vs. satin, fitted vs. flowy, etc. But when you’ve tried on 20+ gowns from every store in town, the lines start to blur. Was the sweetheart neckline you loved in the first shop or the third? Which one had the removable train? Suddenly, it all becomes a haze of ivory tulle. We call it getting “dress drunk”. Everything seems to blur together, so you lose sight of what you loved and start focusing on what each dress didn’t have.
The “Perfect Dress” Doesn’t Exist - Spoiler alert: there is no perfect dress. Every gown will have a slightly different look, fit, or detail. Once you start chasing perfection, you can get caught in an endless loop. Brides who keep shopping often aren’t looking for a better dress, instead they’re looking for certainty. But certainty doesn’t come from trying on more, it comes from feeling right in one.
You Start Shopping for Others, Not Yourself - The more opinions you gather, whether that be from friends, moms, sisters, coworkers, the harder it becomes to filter out what you love. Instead of tuning into your gut, you're trying to find a gown that checks everyone else’s boxes. And if you’re visiting multiple stores with different people, their conflicting feedback can leave you completely disoriented.
It Becomes a Checklist Instead of an Experience - The magic of saying yes often happens when you're emotionally present. This is when you’re listening to your instincts, not a mental spreadsheet of every gown you’ve seen. But after too many appointments, it’s easy to fall into “comparison mode” instead of “connection mode.” You start analyzing dresses instead of feeling them. You go numb. What should be a beautiful, emotional moment starts to feel transactional.
You Risk Missing Out on the Dress You Loved First - Many brides circle back to the very first or second dress they tried on at the end of the day because deep down, they knew. But after exhausting themselves with countless others, that original favorite might be discontinued, sold off the rack, or simply not as emotionally impactful the second time around.
What’s the Sweet Spot? While there’s no magic number, most brides find success after trying on 8–12 gowns. That’s enough variety to explore your options, but not so many that you lose clarity.
Here’s how to shop smart:
- Limit the number of stores you visit—two or three is plenty.
- Trust your stylist—they're trained to help you narrow down quickly.
- Bring only your most supportive people—not your entire bridal party.
- Stop shopping once you’ve found one you love. You don’t need to see everything to know what’s right.
The right dress isn’t the one that checks every single box. It’s the one that makes you feel like yourself—the elevated, glowing, ready-to-walk-down-the-aisle version of you.
So when you find it, give yourself permission to stop. Your dress is not a decision to perfect—it’s a moment to feel.