Is It Worth Shopping for Wedding Dresses IRL If You’re on a Budget?

Q:Should I go wedding dress shopping even if I’m on a budget? My fiancé and I got engaged in late 2016, and we are beginning to plan our wedding. Around the same time that we got engaged, I decided to go back to school, and shortly after, we purchased our first house together.

All that said, our wedding budget is small. I’ve found so many cool things on APW and other places online, that I’m pumped to be planning a small, inexpensive wedding. The only thing I’m really struggling with is my dress. I’ve found a few that I like online that look pretty and are budget friendly, but some family members have urged me to go look at local bridal salons and try some dresses on.

Is it even worth it to go when my budget isn’t much? Will I be missing out on the experience (and regret it later) if I don’t? The whole act of my fiancé proposing has been the only happy thing about being engaged and planning our wedding (we’ve had a lot of family drama since he put a ring on it). I’m worried I’m setting myself up for disappointment if I try on gowns (or will be laughed out of the store for not being able to afford a $1000+ dress!).

I know I probably sound so irrational, but APW, please help!

Advice from the editor:

Here is the deal. If you think you might miss real-life wedding dress shopping, go shopping. It’s fine to tell your salesperson up front that you’re not planning on buying today, you’re just trying to get a sense of their options. (Trust me, you won’t be the first person who’s said that.) Going to a place like BHLDN where the salespeople don’t operate on commission and some of their dresses are more affordable, can be a great low-stress way to pull that off. (If you do go wedding dress shopping, we have a bunch of tips right here.)

But if standing on that pedestal is making you feel tense, not excited? Skip it. Thankfully, you can find plenty of amazing dresses online these days. So make your living room your laid-back, no-pressure wedding salon. Invite people to see you try on dresses or don’t. But buy a bottle of bubbly to toast yourself either way. Why not?

Did you purchase your wedding dress from a retailer that isn’t a wedding boutique or salon? Do you have regrets not going to try on gowns? Have you gone to a bridal store and felt embarrassed by your budget?