Every bride knows the most important aspect of the wedding is the dress. Shopping for a wedding dress is one of the most memorable days in a woman’s life, and possibly one she’s been dreaming about since she was a young girl. With all the choices, shopping for a wedding dress is an overwhelming experience, but there are plenty of wedding dress shops in London employing excellent, knowledgeable salespeople who will help you choose the dress of your dreams.

In order to have a pleasurable shopping experience, follow a few tips that will make your life a lot easier.

1. Do your research before shopping. Many wedding dress shops in London post a gallery of their gowns online. If your selected shop does that, print out photos of the dresses you like, then just hand them over to your sales assistant so they can promptly pull them. If you can’t find a photo gallery for your particular wedding dress shop in London, at least browse galleries on other wedding web sites so you can tell your sales assistant if you like ruffles versus clean lines, extra beading or a slim-fitted dress.

2. Know your budget. Wedding dresses can be bought for as low as $100 or as high as the tens-of-thousands, so know what your absolute ceiling is when it comes to prices before you enter the store. Firmly reiterate this to the sales assistant, who might try to sneak in a dress just a little above the top of your budget, hoping you’ll fall in love with it and he or she will make a little extra money from commission. (But don’t automatically think a sales assistant is trying to scam you – he or she might bring out a dress for you to try just because they think it will look fabulous on you). When setting your budget, take into consideration the cost of accessories such as headpieces, jewelry, shoes and undergarments.

3. Cast a wide net initially. Try on a lot of dresses at various wedding dress shops in London at first to get a vibe for how you feel about it all. If you don’t get on with a sales rep at one store, there’s no shame in ducking out of the appointment early and trying somewhere else. The same goes for the dresses themselves – if you put a dress on and know immediately it’s not for you, don’t let someone (sales assistant, friend, mother, etc.) try to talk you into considering it. It’s about you and the dress – nothing else.

4. Bring a support group. While you don’t want anyone to talk you into a dress you’re firmly against, you do want a sounding board for the dress you’re on the fence about or that you fall in love with. They might see some dirt on the back of the gown that you can’t and will bring it to the attention of the store. Plus, you’ll need a sidekick to take photos (make sure the store allows it first) so you can look at how it fits you from an objective angle later on.

5. Don’t buy the first dress you try on. This isn’t the time for an impulse buy. Even if you fall head over heels for the first gown you try on, put your feelings aside and continue to the next wedding dress shop. If you don’t find anything that tops your first love, then you know it’s the real deal.

Now that you’ve been prepped on the shopping basics, check out our wedding dress shops in London mini-directory. For your ease, all of them have a photo gallery of at least some of the collections carried in the store.

• All That Glitters Bridal

151-155 Hartfield Road
Wimbledon, London SW19 3TJ
020 8540 4241
www.allthatglittersbridal.co.uk
Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday to Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday

• Ana Cristache London

365 Fulham Road
London SW10 9TN
020 7352 2038
www.anacristache.co.uk
Open by appointment
Prices range from £1,500-£3,000

• The Bridal Chest

28 Well Hall Road
Eltham, London SE9 6SF
020 8859 8822
www.thebridalchest.com
Open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday (Open until 8 p.m. Thursday) on an appointment-only basis

• Bridal Rogue Gallery

20-22 Chiltern St.
London W1U 7QD
0207 224 7414
www.bridalroguegallery.co.uk
Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday to Friday (Open until 7 p.m. Thursday) and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday
Dresses start at £1,500