Wedding Dress Shopping Checklist: 6 Must-Have Items

Brides- wedding gown shopping can be overwhelming and for those who have never gone wedding gown shopping before, you won't know the dos/don'ts of dress shopping. So here is a compiled list of items to bring WITH you to make your experience a breeze.

1. Tape measure. This is something you should always have with you when out running wedding-related errands. For your hair trial, for example, you may want to know how far down your dress starts from your shoulders/neck. If you’ve chosen a short dress, you might also want to note where the dress ends. It also will come in handy when buying heels if you have not done so. You never know what type of measurements you’ll need, so bring a tape measure and jot down a few specifics. Keep it in your wallet so it’s always with you.

2.  Wedding shoes. For those brides wearing heels, especially ones that will be adding extra height, you want to ensure that your dress is hemmed to the correct measurements with you IN your shoes. If you have yet to buy your shoes, bring one of your favorite pairs or heels with the size heel you'll be wearing on your big day.

3. Jewelry. You will want to bring your jewelry with you as you try on dresses because you will want to see how they look with the jewelry you've selected. If your dress is low cut or strapless, this might affect how long (or short) your necklace needs to be.

4. Inspiration. Whether it's actual photos of dresses that you'd like to try on, or just styles that you like, make sure to bring some sort of reference. This makes it SO much easier for the sales ladies to pull dresses than to have to pull every dress in the store. Not only will you get out of their faster, it'll make your life easier to try on less dresses but bringing specific styles that you like.

5. Camera. You won't be able to take pictures of the gowns that you actually try on, but once you have paid for the one that you are going to wear down the aisle, you can take photos so that you can reference back to it when shopping for accessories.

6. Tissues- Your mom (and maybe even yourself) is sure to break out into tears, so you will want to bring a pack of tissues with you so that you have them on hand. Some dress shops have them, but just to be on the safe side, bring your own.

Lastly-HAVE FUN!!!! This is (hopefully) going to be a ONE time experience, so you will want to remember it all and not stress so much.