It’s probably one of the questions we’re asked more than any other.
“How many wedding dresses should I try on?”
One of the biggest myths in bridal is that you need to visit lots of boutiques and try on dozens of dresses before you can be sure you’ve found “the one”.
After helping hundreds of brides over the last 12 years, I can tell you that’s simply not true.
In fact, some of the happiest brides we’ve ever dressed found their gown during their very first appointment. Others needed a little longer.
The number of dresses you try on isn’t what matters. Finding the right dress is. And, more importantly, finding it in the right environment, with the right people guiding you.
There Isn’t a Magic Number
You might not believe it but a lot of the time, our brides find their dress on the very first one they try.
They’ll usually try on a few more afterwards, partly because they can’t quite believe it could really have happened that quickly, but they keep coming back to that first dress.
“Surely I can’t have found it already?” is something we hear all the time.
But why not?
Finding your dress quickly doesn’t make the moment any less special, and it certainly doesn’t mean you haven’t explored enough. Sometimes the right dress is simply the right dress, whether it’s the first one you try or the tenth.
Then there are the brides who begin by choosing a few gowns themselves before their stylist says: “I have one I’d really like you to try.” It’s often completely different from anything the bride had imagined or chosen herself. Then she puts it on, looks in the mirror and can’t believe that this is the dress.
During hundreds of bridal appointments, I’ve never once thought: “She just needs to try another dress.”
Choosing your wedding dress isn’t a numbers game. You don’t need to reach dress number twenty before you’re allowed to make a decision. It’s about finding the dress that feels like you. Sometimes that happens immediately. Sometimes it takes a little longer. But both are completely normal.
It’s Not About Visiting More Boutiques
One thing I see quite often is brides feeling they ‘should’ visit lots of different bridal boutiques before making a decision, and I completely understand why. Buying your wedding dress is one of the biggest and most exciting decisions you’ll make for your wedding day, so naturally you want to feel you’ve explored your options.
But here’s something worth thinking about…
Visiting five different boutiques doesn’t mean you’ll see five completely different collections. Many boutiques stock some of the same designers, so you may find yourself travelling from appointment to appointment only to see familiar gowns, similar styles or, occasionally, even the very same dress.
That’s one of the reasons we’ve built Maria Modes into the destination bridal store it is today, to give brides genuine choice, all under one roof.
With hundreds of gowns from a carefully curated collection of leading designers, visiting Maria Modes feels like visiting several different boutiques in one. From clean, contemporary gowns and understated elegance to romantic lace, dramatic silhouettes and fashion-forward designs, you can explore completely different bridal looks without spending weeks travelling between appointments simply to feel you’ve ‘looked enough’.
Many brides choose to visit us because they want the breadth of choice to make a confident decision in one place, supported by experienced stylists who know every dress in the collection.
Because having more appointments doesn’t always mean having more choice.
Trust Your Stylist
Before every appointment, we ask brides to send us inspiration.
Pinterest boards, Instagram saves, screenshots… we genuinely love seeing them. They give us a brilliant starting point and help us understand your style before you’ve even walked through the door.
But…a Pinterest board doesn’t know how you stand. How you smile. Or how your face lights up when you look in the mirror. Your stylist does.
After helping hundreds of brides, we’ve learnt that choosing a wedding dress is about so much more than ticking boxes. Yes, we’ll listen carefully to everything you’ve told us you love, but we’ll also be watching how you react to every dress you try on.
Sometimes you’ll dismiss a gown before it’s even on because it isn’t what you imagined. Five minutes later, you’ll be asking not to take it off.
It happens far more than you might think.
Wedding dresses can look completely different once they’re on. A gown that appears quite simple hanging on the rail can be breathtaking when worn, while a dress you’ve admired online for months may not feel quite right when you finally try it.
The magic doesn’t happen on the hanger. It happens in the fitting room.
Our bridal stylists know our collection inside out. We know which fabrics move beautifully, which silhouettes flatter different body shapes and which dresses consistently surprise brides once they’re on.
That’s why, if your stylist disappears and returns with a dress that wasn’t on your wish list, I’d always encourage you to trust them enough to give it a chance. Not because we’re trying to change your mind, but because we’re trying to help you discover something you might never have chosen for yourself.
Some of my favourite moments in the boutique happen when a bride says “I never would have picked this” followed quickly by “I think this might be my dress.”
We’re not here to sell you a dress. We’re here to help you find your dress.
Don’t Feel Pressured to Keep Looking
One of the saddest things we see is a bride who has already found her dress but doesn’t quite allow herself to believe it. She leaves saying “I just want to look in a few more shops to make sure.”
Quite often, that thought hasn’t even come from the bride herself. It’s come from someone she’s brought with her.
We completely understand that your family and friends only want the very best for you, but they can sometimes be the ones encouraging you to keep looking. Not because they don’t love your dress, but because they worry you might be making such a big decision “too quickly”.
The reality is, they don’t spend every day helping brides find their wedding dress. Our team does.
We know the signs when a bride has found the one. We see the confidence in her body language. The smile she can’t wipe off her face. The moment she stops analysing every tiny detail and simply starts imagining herself walking down the aisle.
If you’ve genuinely found a dress that makes you feel incredible, don’t convince yourself you need to keep shopping simply because someone suggests you should.
Often, brides who continue looking don’t find a better dress. They simply create more confusion by comparing beautiful dress after beautiful dress.
Sometimes the first boutique really is the right boutique. And sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is trust your own instinct.
So… How Many Wedding Dresses Should You Try On?
As many as it takes. No more. No less.
Forget what TikTok tells you. Forget what your friends did. Forget the idea that you have to visit every bridal boutique within a hundred miles before you’re allowed to make a decision.
Come with an open mind. Trust your stylist. Bring the people whose opinions genuinely matter. And when you find the dress that makes you stand a little taller, smile a little bigger and picture yourself walking towards the person you’re about to marry… Give yourself permission to stop looking.
After all, you’re only ever searching for one dress.
Not the highest number of boutiques.
And if you’re looking for somewhere with hundreds of beautiful designer gowns, experienced bridal consultants who genuinely care, and a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere where finding your dress is just as important to us as it is to you…
We’d love to welcome you to Maria Modes.
Who knows?
Your dress might already be waiting here.