Six Ways to Make Wedding Dress Shopping a Piece of Cake

Wedding planning can be one of the most fun times in the life of a woman, and nothing about a wedding is as major as purchasing the perfect dress. As anyone who has ever been wedding dress shopping -- be it for themselves or a friend -- knows, it can also be stressful and confusing.

Having experienced the many facets of wedding dress shopping -- as the shopper, as the friend, and as the consultant in a bridal store -- I can offer a few pieces of advice to make the experience as rewarding and painless as possible.

1. Try on the dresses with undergarments, even if you are not sure if you plan to wear them. Most wedding dresses are designed to keep their form with a proper bustier and slip underneath. Countless brides come in to shop planning to wear nothing special underneath their dresses, only to try the undergarments on and realize what a difference they make. You can always try to dress on without them, too, and compare the difference. If you have undergarments already purchased for your wedding, bring them with you to get the full effect. If not, most bridal shops can provide you with loaners.

2. Do not fret about sizes. Wedding dresses are rarely sized the same as regular clothing. Generally, unfortunately, you will be wearing a size or two bigger in a wedding dress than you would in normal clothing. Keep in mind that different dress cuts are snug in different places, and so if you have a large chest and small waist or vice versa, you may wear a different size in different dress styles.

3. Try on different dress styles. I'm not saying you should try on something you hate. However, many women do not realize how stunning they may actually look in a particular cut of a dress if they come in having already limited what they are willing to wear before coming in. Many brides I have worked with have come in with one dress style in mind and left with another.