Choosing your wedding gown is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make. It can be intimidating, which is why many brides like to bring along friends or family for help. If you bring along the wrong mix of people, it can sour the whole experience! Learn who to bring wedding gown shopping to ensure success.

The bride’s mother is normally the first person she thinks of when it’s time to go wedding gown shopping. Besides, if you don’t invite your mom to help pick out your wedding dress, she will probably kill you! Given that the bride’s parents are often paying for the dress, the official mom stamp of approval can be critical. So whether they tend to agree on style or never see eye to eye on anything, mom usually makes the list for gown shopping.

There might be no one better to have by your side in the bridal salon than your best friend. Your best friend is your best ally. You can trust her to be honest and to give her opinions on what looks best. Your best friend will always know what you like. Unlike your mother, she is probably not going to try to steer you into a princess wedding gown if your style is sleek and modern. Brides often find their mother and best friend to be the two right people to help them choose a gown. Your mom is there for the sentimental part of it (and to write the checks!) and of course your best friend will keep your mother from driving you nuts.

Bringing your sister along can either be a wonderful thing or a nightmare. While many brides are very close with their sisters and would not dream of shopping for a wedding dress without them, an equal number find that their sisters cause big trouble in the bridal salon. Sibling rivalry tends to rear its ugly head when a wedding is in the works, and that can come out during gown shopping. Consider shopping without your sister if she tends to put you down or be overly critical. The last thing any bride needs is additional pressure or added stress. You can always take her to your favorite jewelry store in Raleigh to help you select the perfect bridal jewelry after you buy your wedding dress. This can be a good compromise that allows you to include her, but on your terms.

Your future mother in law is another person whom you might want to invite wedding gown shopping. You need to decide if having there would make you feel at all uneasy. It is sweet to have her come along if you value what she thinks. Just be sure that your own mom will not feel like she is getting pushed aside by your husband’s mother. On the other hand, if you are intimidated by your mother in law, it is better not to bring her along. If your fiance’s mother has very different taste than you, having her there will make it hard to pick.

One other person that you might want with you is your groom. I personally do not recommend it because it can spoil the element of surprise. While it is not traditional, many a groom now helps pick the bridal gown. If your fiance does help you pick out your gown, maintain some element of surprise by accessorizing the dress with unique wedding jewelry from a jewelry store in Raleigh, a beautiful veil, and a special headpiece. That way you can still have the big reveal on your wedding day, as you make your entrance in your perfect bridal gown.