I’ve been watching “Say Yes To The Dress” since I was in middle school. I always imagined going wedding dress shopping and what a special experience that would be. That was before I was diagnosed with any of my chronic illnesses and before trying on any sort of clothes at a store would fully exhaust me. Since I’ve developed POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) doing really simple tasks had been a lot more challenging. I get winded from standing too long or simply just going up a flight of stairs, and because my heart rate is working in overdrive I get really bad fatigue.
All of this made me a little weary about the idea of booking a time slot at a bridal boutique to try on gowns. I was worried about being on someone else’s schedule (since appointments are usually only 1 hour) and worried that I’d feel either feel faint while wedding dress shopping or I’d have to sit so much I’d loose out on the true experience. As most of my anxieties go, nothing is truly as bad as my feared scenario, but I did learn a few things as I went that made future appointments easier and easier on me.
1 . Don’t be so hard on yourself
This is your appointment and it doesn’t matter if you end up trying on 1 dress or 10. You can always make another appointment on another day.
2. The bridal consultant is there to help you
That means if you need to take a break in between try-ons (which I did at at multiple points) then that’s okay! It’s okay to cater to your needs – especially when you’re the bride.
3. Wear compression garments
For nearly all styles of wedding dresses (at least all the ones I tried on) you won’t be able to tell you’re wearing any sort of compressions underneath your gown. Even if you decide not to wear any on the big day, having that extra support during an appointment can make a huge difference.
4. Stay (and keep) hydrated!
It sounds silly cause that’s something you’d hear for exercise, but wedding gowns are heavy & changing in and out of multiple dresses is exhausting (not to mention all that standing). Go into your appointment geared up and well hydrated with electrolytes!
5. Same goes with eating!
Give yourself enough stamina by making sure you have enough food in your system. You will find dresses that fit you and eating before will not make one bit of difference in your dress size but it will help you to keep upright and sustained during your appointment.
6. Bring a small and supportive group
Having a few people with you who know your conditions and what helps you specifically will not only be useful when you need that water bottle but will also help put your mind at ease in those “what if I feel sick” scenarios. I’d also recommend limiting it to 1-3 other people so making decisions feels less overwhelming.
After going to a few stores and boutiques I finally said “Yes To The Dress” with the help of my mom, sister and best friend (who was on zoom). I don’t believe that there’s just one dress for you, I found multiple gowns I would’ve been thrilled to wear but I went with the one that I felt comfortable and confident in – and of course the one that fit my budget 🙂 I’m not posting or showing the dress I bought until after the wedding (gotta keep some mystery)!
Originally we were planning on having our wedding in the late spring, but due to the current situation of Covid-19 and with the coming vaccine, my fiancé and I decided to postpone. I’m still glad I was able to find my dress early on and now it’s one less thing I need to plan for.
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