I always wore a strapless bar and panties that covered my butt. I wore shoes that I could slip in and out of. I didn't always bring shoes with me because I really had no idea what size heel I'd be wearing. But if you know then it doesn't hurt to bring them. Also, you usually stand on a pedestal but if you take pics that I felt like I always looked distorted but when I got on the ground with heels and took a pic it was more true to what I looked like. Note: Most of these dresses are a larger size so theres a lot of heaviness to them even if the material is not exactly heavy. I also brought a bottle of water with me. LOL, i was thristy! Oh, and if you have pictures of what you like, bring them. A lot of places found this very helpful.
I went to a lot of stores. Someone above mentioned Kleinfelds. i didn't make it there but wish I had bc it would've given me a quicker idea of what style looked best on my body. So, thats my next tip- unless you're dead set on a specific style then please try on different things. The dress I choose was nothing like what I thought I wanted but it is amazing and perfect for me! Also, don't feel rushed. I totally didn't want to keep shopping. The first store I went in, I wanted to buy it and be done! HAHA, thats silly. Thank goodness I didn't do that!
A few of the places I went to:
Village Bridal- Spent a lot of time there. Good selection & they were so nice. I was very comfortable there.
Bridal Elegance- I loved this place & if I didn't get a dress from a designer that doesn't sell anywhere, then I would have def ordered my dress from Phyliss at Bridal Elegance. She was a great help. She was even willing to give me a better price on every dress I asked her about that I tried on somewhere else. She has a good selection. They have GREAT hours, you don't have to have an appointment, and my FSIL ordered her dress from their last year and it came out perfect. She orginally found it at RK Bridal and Phyliss gave her a much better price!
Lillettes- Ehhh, I didn't love this place. (Ppl on this site seem to like it) The woman who helped me was Carol. She was nice, but it was towards the end of the day and she seemed like she wanted to go home. The place was packed. You aren't allowed to take pictures- which I HATED. I'd leave and barely remember what the dress looked like, let alone, what it looked like on me. They had a great selection. I'd suggest maybe going there in the beginning so that you cantry on a good variety. I knew that even if I found a dress there that I loved, that I woulda went back to Bridal Elegance and have them order it for me for less!
The Wedding Plaza- Floral Park. I went on a Sunday by appointment only and it was soooo wonderful. They have a decent selection but it seemed your budget should start at 2 thousand for that place. The woman who helped was the sweetest person I encountered in all of my dress shopping. (I tried on over 50 dresses and prob 15 places, so that says a lot about her.) She only works Sundays.
The Wedding Center in Commack- My experience was good. They were extremely helpful when the place wasn't super busy. I was looking for a trumpet style dress and they barely had any. They do have a large price range though.
BRIDAL REFLECTIONS in Massapequa.
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This is where I found my dress. The woman who helped me was like my fairy dress-god mother sent from above. LOL. By the time I made it to this place I was about 40 dresses in and I knew what I wanted, I knew what styles fit me right, and within slipping some dresses on, I knew to immediately take them off. Mary Lou was the woman who helped me. Within moments of me telling her what I was looking for she started pulling the most beautiful dresses for me to try on. I was seriously impressed. She knew exactly what she was doing. I was worried bc she was moving so quickly, I almost felt rushed at first, but it was bc she listened and was able to perfectly figure me out! The only thing I didn't like was she brought me a dress over my budget. The one I ended up getting... But some RH on here/ maybe even showcases give a $500 off coupon. That helped me tons!
GOOD LUCK!
