9 Tips To Help Your Friend Find The Perfect Wedding Outfit

There is something about weddings that brings everyone together apart from the couple getting married. The feels, the vibe everything feels different when there is a wedding in our family or if a close friend is getting married. We all know the happiness of your friend finally tying the knot with the lover of her life. And the happiness definitely doubles up when she exclusively asks you to join her while selecting “The Wedding Dress”. It all comes down to this moment for her, after all, she is the bride, and believe it or not every bride wants herself to look the best on this special day. Now when you have a responsibility to help her, trust us, this is not a small help you will do, it’s kind of a big deal.

Tips for Helping Your Friend Find a Wedding Dress

Source: House on the Clouds

Imagine your friend is getting married, doesn't matter where and when you became friends. What matters is how much you know her and have been there for her and vice-versa. To help you reduce your stress of getting her best bridal outfit, we have created a list that might come handy while helping her find 'the dream dress'. 

1. Have a Chat With Her

Ok, she invited you to this spree, but that nowhere means that you will just show up and give your opinion. I mean, you can but hear us out. Before going out with her, sit and talk with her about what she likes. Which celebrity wedding she is obsessed with, which color she always talks about will look good on her, the fabric, silhouette, just sit, ask her and take notes. Get her vision, if not, just write whatever she is saying. It is like brainstorming! Make a list of online and offline stores, and check them one by one. Utilise the weekends and make the most of your holidays in the most efficient ways. 

2. Research

After you two brainstorm on the ideas, it's best to create a Pinterest boards and share it with the bride and the people who are willing to come on the shopping journey. This will help everyone to be on board with the bride’s taste and vision, so they can share their ideas and inspiration that matches the bride's style. 

3. Do Not Divert

Source: Reels & Frames

We tend to lose our target when shopping, we do, come on admit it! Going for shoes and ending up in a makeup section is a normal thing for us. But when you are on bridesmaid duty, your job is not to get distracted and only focus on things you have to shop for. Nor you, neither the bride should be distracted from the reason you have come out for shopping. If it is just the two of you, then great, but if it is a group of people going, divide responsibilities. One person should be there to just lead and keep everyone on track. 

Also Read: The Ultimate Bridesmaid Duties Checklist Every BFF & Sister Needs

4. Remember you are doing this for the Bride

Source: Wellgroomed Designs Inc

Ladies, remember you are out for the bride’s outfit shopping, your friend’s bridal outfit. Nothing else matters, just her outfit! It can happen that when she is looking for her outfit, you might end up saying things that you like or dislike, but this is not about you, this is about her big day, her dream outfit. Apart from just noting down the kind of outfit she would like for her big day, make sure you also keep a track of her budget and help her find something within that budget. 

It is very easy to get diverted to something expensive and think that it is her special day, and it is ok for her to overspend, but trust us, it is not okay. She will later be thankful to you for helping her get something she likes, and that too within her fixed budget.

5. Be Honest

Source: Shashank Issar Photography

There is a reason your friend asked for your help as she needs a second (but honest) opinion that will help her figure things out. Not every bride is 100% sure about what kind, color, fabric, and silhouette she wants. So when she tries on different outfits, be honest with her in a kind way. Tell her what suits her, and what not about that dress she is trying on. 

If the lehenga is looking odd, but the blouse is looking nice, then you can keep the blouse aside and try on some other lehenga in a better color or design. Keep a note about the style, color, or anything specific about the outfit she is trying on, so when you visit the next store, or try the next outfit, you know what to avoid and what to look for. 

6. Make Her Feel Secure

Source: Paran Singh Photography

When it comes to getting that perfect bride outfit for the ceremony, there is a sense of nervousness and anxiety that enters the bride’s state of mind. And as a bridesmaid, making her feel secure about how she looks should be your top priority. The brides tend to go through dilemmas about whether they will look good or not and even if they think they look good, will their partner look at them with the lovey-dovey eyes? Yes, to-be-brides do have loads of questions and as a friend, you have to be prepared, stay calm, and deal with it. So when you are being honest about her options, do not cross her by saying that something is not suiting her. Be nice, even though you also might be tired and feel like snapping, but here is the situation where you are actually needed and appreciated for your support. If you think she is making a mistake by taking this outfit, first of all, see whether she actually loves the dress or if it’s just a phase. If it’s a phase then divert her to something else, and if not, then accept that this is her bridal outfit and you do not have to like it at the same extent. It’s her day to shine and she chose this diamond for her. She is happy! You are happy for her! Cheers!

7. Take Photos

While going out on bridal outfit shopping, do take photos of this experience. This is once in a lifetime kind of thing for her and even you. It is special. Your friend will walk down that aisle to begin her new journey and the feeling that you helped her in selecting her bridal ensemble is a feeling that words won't be enough to explain. These are small moments that remain with you forever. These photos will remind you of the crazy times you both spent in the market just for that one pretty outfit for your BFF. 

Whenever possible, do take photos of the outfit she is trying (if the vendor allows). It might help her go back to that one store where you loved the dupatta, or where you thought you have found your 'perfect wedding outfit'. Because you see an array of options, you may not remember where you saw which outfit, but these photos will help make the selection process a but easier. 

8. Keep a Lookout

It is very natural that if you are going for the bridal outfit, other things follow, like jewelry, bags, shoes, makeup, etcetera. Once you see that she is leaning towards a certain outfit, start your research for the jewelry, bag and accessories. What if while walking down the market, you see a great shoe store that sells beautiful footwear for traditional dresses? Keeping an eye around will help you tick mark other items from your wedding shopping checklist. 

9. Have a Great Time

Source: House on the Clouds

In all the fiasco of getting “The Dress”, don’t forget to have some fun. Days like these are memories that people carry with them for eternity. Going for shopping with your friend is fine but shopping for her bridal outfit is a big deal. It won’t be like other times where you will get one top or a dress for a date or an event. This is the day when she would choose the outfit of her dreams, and make the most beautiful bride on her special day, and you were a part of this journey!

Conclusion

Being asked for the duty of assisting your friend to select her wedding dress is an honorable and an event that you would love to be a part of. It can happen that the bride might have invited her other friends whom you might not know personally, so this is the perfect opportunity to get to know them and create a bond. After all, during the wedding, you all will spend quite some time together, and then there will be duties as the bridesmaid like handling the bride's tantrums, taking care of the bride’s outfit, helping her pose, stealing the shoes of the groom’s, etc. So, be the friend she wants you to be, support her and make sure she knows that no matter what she wears, she will look gorgeous, even if she decides to get married in a pair of pajamas! And the groom is absolutely lucky to get her as his wife. Remember to have loads of fun and drinks and make the most of it. Cheers and all the best to all the bridesmaids!

Edited & Photo Sourced By: Neha Garg Ahuja