Hello lovelies, 

        Happy Wednesday! As many of you may already know I’ll be getting married in a few short months (yay)! Like any due diligent bride, I quickly stocked up on plenty of bridal magazines, binge watched bridal shows (Say Yes to the Dress) and attended bridal shows. Although I felt well equipped there’s been a lot I learned along the way, so I’ve decided to compile my newly acquired knowledge to help out you brides to be! I’ll be starting a weekly themed blog posts titled Wedding Wednesday dealing with a different area of planning a wedding. 

   
   
(Source for photos Bridals by Lori)

I attended my first bridal dress fitting yesterday at Bridals by Lori, home to Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta! I was very excited and anxious to see my custom Lazaro wedding gown. I purchased my gown back in May and was excited to try it on. The fitting went great with minor adjustments (hem and taking in a bit at the waist) and lasted about 20 minutes. I was even more excited to share the experience with my grandmother who delighted in cheer when she saw me in my gown. The entire staff was beyond wonderful especially Lawerencia who was my original consultant and Ashlen who helped my bridal party to find the right gown. No easy task since I have 6 girls, and 5 live out of the country! Needless to say I highly recommend Bridals by Lori to any southern brides! 
Here are my tips of what to bring for your first wedding dress fitting so you can enjoy the process. 

1. Book your first fitting 6-8 weeks before the big day! This gives you and your seamstress enough time to get everything right. Since you’ll most likely have another two fittings (sometimes more) this is a good timeline. Any earlier and your measurements may flactuate and anything later may be cutting it too close.
2. Bring your wedding shoes! This is such an important tip. The seamstress will take in your hem during the first fitting and in order for him/her to get the hem right they’ll need to measure you with your shoes on. Also you don’t want to be constantly picking up your dress to walk or worse kicking your feet up as you walk (Gypsy bride anyone?). The right hem length will allow you to walk comfortably without fear of falling. 
3. Bring proper undergarments. Will you be wearing a bra? Long line bra? Corset? Cups sewn into your dress? Shape wear? Decide what type of undergarment you will need and feel comfortable with for your dress. Undergarments may change what needs to be taken in or adjusted depending on what you’re wearing. So shop for these pieces before the fitting and bring them with you. 
4. Bring an opinionated friend/family member. You know that one friend or family member that is honest, sometimes brutally honest? Not a negative Nancy but one that lets you know if something doesn’t look right? Yes bring them! Your dress fitting is about ohing and awwing and how fab you look, but it’s also about finding any potential issues that need to be solved. Is it too big in the bust? Is it bunched in certain areas? Does your accessories compete or compliment the dress? When you ask your friend/family member for their opinion they’ll be honest and not yes man you or in this case yes mam you. The second pair of eyes will help you get everything perfect before the big day.
5. Advocate for yourself! If the seamstress suggests something you don’t like, then say something. At the end of the day it’s your wedding and you’re paying for the alterations, so make sure you get what you want! No bridezilla tantrums, please. 
6. Breathe, its the first fitting! It’s okay if the dress doesn’t fit absolutely perfect yet. It’s the first fitting, that’s why they recommend around three fittings to get everything perfect at the end. Your dress will fit like a glove on your wedding day so let the seamstress work their magic and don’t waste time stressing on this. Trust me there are a lot more things to stress over for the wedding, seating chart anyone?! 

Hope these tips have helped and let me know if you have other tips I should include. I would also love to hear about your dress fitting experiences! -Habon xo