Wedding dresses come in all shapes, colors and styles and there are literally hundreds of designers to choose from. If you are in the market for a designer wedding dress, it can be overwhelming to narrow down which designers will be right for you.

Do Your Research

The Knot – Always a bride’s first stop, The Knot allows you to browse designers and filter your search to meet your needs. You can filter specific styles, cuts, length and even price point to see what dresses are out there for you. Then you can start to see which designers offer dresses that you are drawn to.

Pinterest – Take a look at your pins and see if there are any trends popping up on your wedding dress board. Maybe you tend to pin a lot of dresses by one designer, or there is a specific style that you are in love with. Use this as a guide to select the designers you may want to try on. (*If you can’t figure out who the designer is based on the link that you pinned, send a pic over to me and I will do my best to help you find out who made the dress!)

Magazines – It’s old-fashioned, but I love reading bridal magazines and marking the pages. There is something so soothing about it! So go ahead and pick up a few next time you are at the grocery store and see which designers’ dresses you fall in love with in print.

Plan Your Shopping Trip

Once you have narrowed down a few designers that you like and are in your price point, then you can find out which bridal salons in your area carry the designer. It should be noted that even if a shop has the designer you love, they may not have the exact dress that you found online. Many times they will have something similar though and any experienced consultant you speak with will be able to tell you what they have in the store. You should also keep in mind that a lot of dresses you see on Pinterest may have been made by designers that are no longer available, or the style itself may not be running anymore. Always use what you see online as a guide and don’t be discouraged if you can’t find what you think is “the dress.” There are thousands out there and you will find a dress, I promise!

Buy From a Store

I have heard way too many stories of brides who purchased their dress online only for it to show up with different beading, in a different color, or something other than what they ordered. The best way to avoid any bridal sadness here is to order the dress of your dreams in a store. It is also important not to pay any attention to a price you see online. There are lots of knock-off sites that claim to sell you the authentic designer dress, but they are simply making a cheap copy. Rule of thumb: if you can order the dress in a color that isn’t bridal, then it probably isn’t the real thing.

For more bridal inspiration, visit my Pinterest boards!