Remember that this is supposed to be fun, not stressful or hard. If it’s getting to feel more like a chore, take a break! There are no prizes for powering through. Remember that you will almost certainly not try on dresses that are your size, and that 99.999999999% of wedding gowns need to be altered. You WILL have to use a bit of imagination. Don’t get yourself into a funk because the dresses aren’t absolutely perfect: they’re not expected to be. Have an idea going in of what you’d like to see so you don’t waste time doing the most basic style sorting. BUT: the stylist does this for a living! If her experience has taught her that ladies with your body type look sensational in X style, then give it a try! You may surprise yourself. If you still don’t like it, you can just take it off - no harm done. But lots of brides are surprised by what they like once they see it on their bodies! Don’t try on dresses that are outside your budget. No “just for fun”, no “I’m just curious”. Do not do it. Don’t even look at them on the hanger if you don’t have to. It will only cause problems. Tell you entourage in advance what kind of support you need. Do you want them to be honest? Or do you just need a positive hype crew? Your underwear and shoes don’t matter. You will try dresses on barefoot, you won’t be able to see your undies through 10 layers of satin, and most ladies go braless for the try-ons. If the stylist is being rude or pushy, leave. Don’t trap yourself with some imagined obligation that you have to tough it out to be polite. That’s only hurting you. If the stylist sucks, leave. On the flip side, remember that the stylists work on commission, so if one stylist at one salon does a really great job and makes you feel gorgeous, consider showing your appreciation for her by buying your gown there (if possible). If you end up buying a dress, don’t freak out when the size they measure is higher than the size of your jeans/blouses. A 1-3 size difference from your street clothes is standard and entirely expected. It’s just a number, it can’t hurt you! While they are measuring, pay attention!!! There was a story on here once of a stylist mis-reading the tape measure and writing down a bust measurement that was 8” smaller than the bride’s bra band size. Pro tip: that’s not possible. If she’d been paying attention, she should have noticed that during the appointment and wouldn’t have ended up with a dress 4 sizes too small for her. Pay attention and if something doesn’t seem right, ask them to double check it. If you end up buying a dress, check EVERY aspect of the purchase order. The designer, style, size, color, and any other customization options need to be checked and confirmed by you. Even if they don’t offer to show it to you, you need to be proactive and ask to see it. They will usually make you sign something saying that you agree that the order is right, so make sure you’re not signing blindly. They may give you a copy of the order, but if they don’t, take a picture of it yourself. Same with the size chart and the list of the measurements they took from you. If you end up buying a dress, you will have to put a substantial deposit down. Usually it is around 50% at minimum, although you could be expected to pay for the whole thing. Make sure your bank account is ready for that. Answer from itinerantdustbunny on reddit.com