Take the time and go back once more

From brides who have no regret

Advice from brides who would buy the same dress again. The figure after a line is what she paid, where she said.

• Once you have tried on good silk and lace it is hard to go back down a tier, so try the cheap route first if you want to stay in it (A$4,400)
• Go back and re-try the dress you think you should have bought; there is usually a reason you dismissed it that photos do not show.
• Decide the style you want, learn a retailer's sizing from earlier orders, then wait for the right dress at the right price
• Look at topper overlays before you commit; they widen what a simple gown can do and take the pressure off the search.
• Try it on again before you list it, and unfollow bridal boutiques so you stop comparing your gown to every new one.
• Go back to how you felt wearing it rather than how the photo compares to a better-lit shot of the runner-up.
• Go back and try the dress on alone before you commit, and browse the rest of the rail while you are there.
• A long drive to a better-stocked shop can be worth it, but check whether they ship before you commit. ($2,000)
• Give yourself time before committing; the same look can turn up far cheaper from a European maker. ($1,600)
• Go back and look at photos of the dresses you did not pick; it usually confirms you chose right.
• If the doubt is vague rather than a concrete flaw, wait for the day itself before acting on it.
• Go back and try on plenty of gowns alone, taking photos, before you commit to the replacement.
• Take your time on accessories; the veil and bouquet are what make a plain gown feel bridal.
• If you need to leave no stone unturned, do it, then go back to the one you screamed in.
• Do not feed the small doubts; go back to how you felt the first time you put it on.
• Order online early and insure the return shipment in case the dress has to go back.
• Try it on, leave without buying, wait a week, then go back if you still want it.
• Do not judge a wedding dress from phone photos; go back and put it on again.
• Shop other stores then go back if nothing beats it.
• Try it on again before you act on the doubt

From brides who regret something

The same subject from the other side. These are brides describing regret or mixed feelings about their own dress, which usually makes the advice more specific about what went wrong.

• Stop looking at other wedding dresses and go back to the moment you tried yours on; you can wear classic clothes forever but only get one wedding gown.
• Go back to your own photos, deliberately name what you like about them, and rebuild the reasons you chose the dress.
• If family talk you off your top pick, go back and change the order immediately rather than living with it.
• If you were not in love with the first dress, go back out and try more styles; changing was worth it.
• If you cannot stop thinking about the first dress, go back and try it again before committing.
• Try the dress on again as soon as it arrives in store - the return window is only 7 days.
• Look around before you commit; paying full price at the first shop is rarely necessary
• Go with your gut; if you are heartbroken over the other gown, go back and buy it. ($1,000)
• Do not take a crowd dress shopping; go back and choose the one you actually want
• Go back and look at the actual dress on the hanger when the doubt creeps in.
• Order the cheap copy early enough to judge the make before you commit to it. ($160)
• Go back on your own and trust your gut over other people's compliments.
• Book a couple more appointments before you commit, and go by yourself.
• Go back and try the dress on again alone before you write it off.

Where this fits

Advice is only as good as the situation it came from, so the prices are attached where brides gave them. If a line matters to you, the page for that price range shows what else brides bought at the same level, and the regret page shows what the brides who regret something actually regret.

Sources

Price reports on this page come from 18 public discussions where brides answered in their own words. Each comment that stated an amount became one row; notes are paraphrased, never quoted.