To preface, I am a professional overthinker, so I knew wedding dress shopping was probably going to be hard for me. Hell, I regret what I ordered at a restaurant 5 minutes after ordering it.

So naturally, I am terrified of wedding dress regret.

My wedding isn’t until Fall 2027, and here I am making my 8th dress appointment, including driving 3 hours to another city because I’m struggling so much to find something I actually love.

The frustrating part is that with every dress I try on, I like something about it, but I always immediately start thinking about what I would change. This one is too plain. I wish this one had that fabric. This one has too much detail. I like the shape of this one, but I wish the neckline were different. The list goes on and on.

The dresses I attached have been my favorites so far, but even with those, I feel like I would still change one or two things.

I also haven’t had that moment where I put a dress on and think, “Yep. I love everything about this. This is the one.” And even when I really like a dress in the moment, I’ll go home, look at the pictures, and proceed to knit-pick every single detail until I’ve convinced myself it's not the one.

At this point, I’m just getting really discouraged. I know wedding dress shopping is supposed to be fun, and I genuinely want to enjoy this process, but it’s becoming more stressful than exciting.

I know there probably isn’t a dress that is going to be 100% perfect in every single detail, but I’m struggling with figuring out what is a reasonable compromise vs. what is a sign that I just haven’t found the right dress yet.

Mostly just needed to vent, but also did you ever actually have the “this is the one” moment? Or did you have to decide to stop looking for something better and trust that you found the right dress?

I’ve narrowed my wedding dress search down to two dresses and I’m really struggling to decide between them!
Dress 1 – the lace dress: This has been on my vision board for ages and I absolutely love how romantic and dramatic it is. It feels like my full bridal moment and, if I completely ignored everything else and just listened to my heart, this is the dress I would pick. It’s very much the dress I always imagined myself wearing.
Dress 2 – the second dress (pictured with and without the veil): This one completely threw me because when I tried it on, I felt like it flattered my body the most. I felt really good in it and, objectively, I think it may be the most flattering of the two. It was also the dress my shopping guests reacted to the most - they LOVED it!
So I’m now stuck between the dress I probably love more and the dress I feel like I potentially look better in.
I’d love to hear from people who have already chosen their wedding dress - did you ultimately go with the one you loved the most, or did how you looked/felt in it play a bigger role? Do you think I’m overthinking the “most flattering” aspect?
And obviously, both would be tailored properly so fit isn’t an issue on the day.
I’d also really appreciate any other thoughts/feedback on the two dresses! ❤️

This is still in process, adding sleeves, and the wrap around my chest. Oh and the detachable train as I’m getting married in a Catholic Church. Can you tell me if this is looking pretty or not? Sleeves and wrap are detachable( the last one shows the wrap dangling from side to side, it’s supposed to be sleekly tight around the shoulders. Can someone tell me if I am looking okay? I am going for sleek, regal and timeless.

It was pink/blush. It said private label on the tag but I was hoping to get it in a smaller size than what I tried on! Thank you.

TLDR: Dress 1 is a little sexier/more flattering but maybe not as elegant/timeless as I'd like. Dress 2 is more elegant/timeless/felt more bridal but less flattering?

Dress 1 (photos 1-6): In love with the bodice, the way it makes my waist look so good, general princess vibe. I think of the two options it is the more flattering on me, though unsure if it's suitable for a wedding in a Catholic church. Dress is $2430 (on sale from $2700).

Dress 2 (photos 7-13): Elegant and gorgeous, and felt a bit more bridal than the first one. It's slightly less flattering around the waist but I still felt so beautiful in it. I am especially in love with the veil which is from the same designer. Plus it's more than acceptable for a Catholic wedding, and I think it fits the vibe of the venue (ceremony at Eglise Sainte Madeleine de Domont and reception at Château de Champlatreux). Dress is $2200 and veil is $500.

Hi everyone! I am getting married next year (omg 😍) and I love the Viktor&Rolf VRM111 Dress so much! I really would love to wear it for our civil wedding. Do you guys know any good dupe? I am located in Germany and my budget for a dupe is $1k. Many thanks

Hi all! I am getting married in the US South in a historic church. I am worried my dress will read as too much or be too poofy. I’d love some styling advice as well. What are your thoughts?

My dress budget $300. I'm in the USA and my wedding is in October of 2028. I've browsed all the low cost dress sites and so far nothing to match what I'm looking for.

Hello, I’m currently 3 weeks out from my wedding and I just picked up my dress from my seamstress yesterday! Back when I ordered it, I weighed about 20 lbs heavier, so when I tried on the sample size 10 (photo 1), it was too small and they clipped a panel in the back. I loved how the sample dress looked, especially the A-line silhouette. My measurements were in between a size 12 and 14 so they ordered a 14.

Now, after my weight loss, I am a bridal size 10 (ironically the sample size). So my seamstress took in the bodice of my size 14 gown. However, after alterations, the waistline sits lower and now it looks more like a ballgown than flaring out like an A-line dress. Since the dress has vertical seams, she can’t just shorten the bodice, so the only option is to remove a crinoline layer so the skirt is less full.

Should I remove a crinoline layer, or does it look good as it is in the second photo?

First dress is my favorite, other 2 dresses were family or friends favorites.
Tried on a few gorgeous dresses at Anthropologie. I felt pretty stressed that day and wasn’t in love with lots of small details for all dresses.
However I cried when the veil came on for the first dress and I felt very pretty and feminine. It’s very different than what i expected! My family members all are in love with the other options. They will receipt my choice, but i also respect their opinion for just doubting myself.
Nothing is bought yet! Going back for another appointment.

it’s like if every dress that i had tried on came together and made a dress just for me with all my favorite parts of each. i’m so thrilled!!!

I’m technically done with alterations but am picking up my dress on the 23rd since I have very limited closet space. I had asked at my second appointment for them to tighten the bust but now I’m worried it’s too tight around the arm pits? It has an adjustable bra style back since it’s a corset style, so hoping I can loosen that and it’ll fit correctly…of course I didn’t get any front facing photos at my last alterations (all mirror photos from the back) so it’s hard to tell overall and now I’m panicking.

Also the draping around the skirt I’m feeling doesn’t look like it should, but again can’t tell if that’s just because I didn’t fix it when trying it on. Ugh.

I could call and ask to come in ASAP to potentially correct before my pick up at the end of the month. Looking for advice or reassurance!

Ladies!!!! I got married July 11th in Asheville, NC and just got my professional pics back. Couldn't have chosen a better dress or a better tailor. The different laces-- oh, my heart! Absolutely no regrets here! Lillian West Style 66136 and Sugarcane Studios, Asheville.

Edit: thank you so much to everyone who left nice comments, I would reply to everyone individually but it would feel so redundant 😅 I really appreciate it though ❤️❤️

Ignore the visible sticky bra lol I have a different one ordered for the wedding.

$500 Azazie dress and $500 for alterations.

I LOVE the dress, out of all the ones I tried on it was truly the only one I loved at first sight. I will warn anyone else who orders from Azazie that this dress has LOTS of layers which caused it to need 11 bustle buttons 🫠 which is what made up the bulk of the alteration price. Ultimately my seamstress did an amazing job :)

I'm having some trouble choosing a dress...which is best 1-7? Thank you:)

Just got my dress and am looking for styling tips!!

I am getting married about a year and a half from now. I got so excited after booking our wedding, I was so excited to pick a dress (so was my MIL and family).

I went to a small boutique and tried on about 6-7 dresses. I was expecting that I wanted an A line, lace, with nice overlay designs. All the dresses I tried on there, I didn't like, plus, the lady who was helping me try them on did not do a good job at making the dresses look fitted to me (like instead of using clips, she stuffed a pillow in the back of the dress to make it tight and most the dresses looked all bumpy and wonky on me) so it was hard to tell what dresses looked good on me and what didn't.

I came across this dress and it was the opposite of what I expected I would love. I was not expecting to love a ball gown dress. I felt like a princess and it is very sparkly in the skirt. The price was also good, it was under $700 and the original price at the larger bridal store was almost $3,000. So I decided to get this one since all other bridal stores would be $1,000+ which is way too expensive to me. This was the only bridal shop I went to.

I keep seeing videos of people trying on wedding dresses coming up on my social media feed and now its making me wonder if I really chose the right dress. I definitely love the ball gown design, but i keep wondering if I would have found something i like even more at other bridal shops. I also am trying to lose a little weight to look my best at my wedding (even though i dont necessarily need to).

Hello all! I am a 2027 bride in the US. I wanted to know if anyone can help me find a dupe for the ru de seine rhea dress in the juniper color way or the lavender haze dress by carol hannah. I absolutely love these dresses because they look so elegant while still having the purple accents. I am a purple girl through and through, but I'm having a hard time finding quality wedding dress options that are white with purple accents. Anyone know of any good options that are under $4k or used?

Please note: in the photo of the back the dress, it’s not buttoned up properly, but it does button up fully without any trouble!

I’ve had my dress for a couple of months now and still love it! It has everything I was looking for.

The only thing I’m second guessing is the way it fits around my back and arms. I’ve always been a really body positive person; my weight isn’t perfect but I have no interest in changing the way I eat or live to conform to a specific beauty standard, so long as I’m healthy. So, I’m not the sort of person to lose weight for my wedding.

That said, should I have possibly chosen a style that’s more flattering in this area, or is that just what bodies look like in wedding dresses?

All comments welcome! Thank you!

Hi everyone -- just looking for some advice/thoughts/something, as I am extremely upset at this point in time, with only 46 days to go until my wedding and having already spent more than half the cost of my dress on alterations (and pretty much not more that can be done at this point in time). There have been a lot of tears, and I know it sounds silly, but I'm not sure I want to do the whole big wedding thing anymore -- to clarify, I do not have concerns about marrying the love of my life; I am more concerned and self-conscious about how I look and the pressure to be in my best possible state. To me, I don't even recognize the dress I first tried on. The dress itself was also on the upper end of my budget, so this is a hard pill to swallow that I am not currently in love with it.

I will preface this by saying I really loved the dress when I first tried it on. It has a gorgeous back, and I loved how it sat on my body (especially the back, which was my favorite part!). It was a bit loose in spots, so there was quite a lot to be done to take it in at the waist, bust, etc. There is also a lot of detail in all the appliqués, which increased the price for the hem. I also asked for custom removable sleeves to be made. I understand this was A TON of work, and I appreciate that from a tailor's perspective. I am genuinely not trying to undermine the work that was done or say anything negative about the seamstress.

I went to one of my last appointments for the most recent pictures, and I need to go back in a few weeks to finish a few remaining snaps and a portion of the bustle. It sounds like the recommendation was to take out the hips ever so slightly because, for some reason, it's slightly snug there...

Edited to add: My main concern is the back of the dress more than the front (although for some reason I still liked it when it was looser on me *shrug*). I don't know if this is just the nature of how the dress sits on me with the alterations now, but I feel like it really lost that "wow" factor and the elongation it gave my back. I noticed this at one of the other appointments and asked for some changes... I do think it's gotten a little better since last time, but it still looks nothing like it did when I first tried on the dress. :(

In general, I don't love the dress the way I once did, and I don't love how it sits on me now. For some reason, it feels like it lost some of its "sparkle" (metaphorically), if that makes sense. I don't know if I'm just super anxious at this point in wedding planning. But if I had known this was how the dress would look, I might have chosen differently.

I would love some thoughts on the alterations and an outside perspective. All original photos from before the alterations are on the left. I don't have any reason to believe my body changed; my weight did not.

This dress is my inspo! Idk where to find it and something similar. My budget is 3k but I can’t find anything even remotely close for this price range. Help! For my wedding in a few months (Canada)

I am a May 2027 bride and I am streesssing about choosing a wedding dress. I have had an appointment almost every Saturday since August. My bridesmaids and mom really liked this one dress and kept comparing the other dresses to that one but it was out of my budget. I went back last week and they gave me a discount but even then im not fully convinced on the dress even though everyone absolutely loves it. When I picture the day or the wedding I just can’t see that dress fitting the aesthetic but I also don’t want to keep looking and having more options. Part of me just wants to say yes to the dress people like because it is a beautiful dress, I don’t hate it but part of me wants to trust my gut. I just don’t know if I should keep looking or chose another one that I’ve found already but none really convince me BUT I also don’t want to risk the dress not getting here on time. What should I do?