How on earth did you decide on a dress?!?!?!

I went shopping with my mother, future mother-in-law, future SIL, and MOH. Five stores in two days and I tried on over FIFTY (50!) dresses. I've been shopping before so even more dresses in total. I've found many that I really really like but none that hit me as being THE dress. I'm slightly afraid that i'll never get that feeling and will just have to pick one. I'm also slightly glad I didn't buy with them because I'm afraid I would have buying a dress that got the greatest reaction from everyone else and not from me. But seriously, how on earth do you pick ONE?!?!?! Ahhh. At least I have 11 months before the wedding! Hopefully at some point i'll become more decisive!

I'm sure everyone is telling you the same thing, but when you find "the one" you know it! I did a lot of pre-shopping prep work. I basically stalked EVERY designer's website, and found a bunch of dresses that I loved. When I finally went out to look, I didn't have to pick through. I was able look for only what I already knew I liked. I actually found my dress by mistake. I was shopping with my best friend (who is getting married the week before me.) We went to look for a dress for her. I was 6 months prego, so I wasn't even ready to try anything on. Just kinda seeing which shops carried the styles I liked, so I can go back and try on after the babers. At the 7th shop, I found THE DRESS! It looked pretty hot even at 6 months prego, so I HAD to get it! It was the one and only dress that I tried on. It will happen like that for you too. You will know that it's right as soon as you see it.

oops, triple post!

whoa, technical issues - multiple posts. sorry!

Thanks. I appreciate the encouragement. Its frustrating to try on so many beautiful dresses, and dresses that look good on me and not know which one I should buy. At least I have till fall to shop around by myself - not having to focus on everyone elses opinion. I figure if I can sleep a night without owning it, it probably isn't the one.

To me, the dress shopping was the hardest part. I took a bunch of people with me on my second trip to the dress shop, and ended up buying the one that everybody oohed and ahhed over, and that made my future mother-in-law cry.

It also followed the "rules" of all the wedding guides, that tell you what type of silhouette to buy based on your shape.

A few months later when the dress came in, it wasn't me. I agonized over trying to make myself like it, but then I ended up going out by myself months later (didn't tell anybody I was going) and finding a dress that I really loved. (FMIL still doesn't know I'm not wearing the 1st dress!)

So I say go with your heart & get what you really love. Don't feel obligated to bring everybody with you or follow the "rules" of the wedding dress guides, and you'll make the right choice.

Asking for peoples opinion is great and reassuring but go by how you feel. I literally just found my dress this weekend. I was so relieved because I was not having fun with the looking because I am not happy with my weight and the way I am built, so what I loved in the books, catalogs, and online, never looked right on me!!! Take a small entourage (one or two people)... take pictures... look at them when you get home... alone! Then run with it. Don't panic.

I know exactly how you felt!! I was right there with you until two weeks ago! My best suggestion - go shopping by yourself and then when you think you have found THE DRESS you can take everyone with you for them to oooh and aaaah after you. I had to do this for the same reasons as you - everyone kept telling me how great dresses looked but I just wasn't feeling them. Finally, I made the decision to go shopping on my own and found a great little boutique store with super helpful employees and I found THE DRESS and knew as soon as I put it on that it was the one for me. It was a euphoric feeling that no one can describe for you- you will just feel it and know once you have that dress on. Another tip- and this just worked for me - just go try stuff on - don't have any "ideas" in your mind just yet about what style etc you are going to buy. I had done that and decided I MUST have a fit n flare gown but when it all came down to it I ended with something completely different. I think we tend to do ourselves an injustice deciding what style we must have and we miss out on many other great gowns because of that idea!

More than anything- have FUN, take lots of pics, and take your time!!! You will find the right one!

Hmmm... looks like I'm the odd one out here. lol. I actually HATE shopping, so I was dreading looking for a dress. I also didn't want to spend a fortune on one, so I went to a bridal sale with my mom and sister and said that we weren't leaving until I found one. The reason I did that is because I am very indecisive. I could see myself thinking after every dress "oh, I like this... but what if there's something better out there?"

I ended up getting something that I said I would never get! It's amazing how you think you know what you want, but when I was trying those types of dresses on I just didn't feel right.... or look right for that matter. I tried a bunch of dresses on within a 2 hour time frame and picked the one that made me "feel" the best. I have never turned back and I actually love the dress more now then when I originally bought it! I have no regrets!! Oh... and another thing, I didn't end up buying the one that my sister loved the most - so go with your gut.

I'm going to go against the grain and tell you....not everyone gets that lightening bolt feeling.

There are a lot of gals here on the forum who didn't ever feel like they had a moment of just absolutely knowing they found the right dress. I think it happens like that for some, but not all. That doesn't mean you can't find a dress that you absolutely adore wearing on your big day.....I think that sometimes, we as brides put way too much pressure on ourselves to FEEL that magic moment when we try on a gown. It's just too much pressure and expectation, so you go through the entire shopping experience waiting to feel more than "wow, I really like this' when the "Wow, I really like this" is exactly the feeling you should be looking for!

Keep a list of the style numbers/names that you really like, feel look best on you and then whittle it down from there. In the meantime, keep searching online and calling around to find out which shops have which dress samples to try on. In the midst of all this, you just may have that magic moment. If not, you still have a list of potentials and when you go back and RE-try those on, some will start to stand out from the others. Believe me. I think the first go round of intense try on's is simply overwhelming. No wonder you can't make up your mind..you're trying to take it all in!

Give yourself some time, make your list and scour the internet before going back. Some dresses will start standing apart from the crowd, I guarantee you.