The Pros and Cons of Buying the First (and Only!) Wedding Dress You Try On

Shopping for a wedding dress may sound like a very exciting process—the glitz, the glam, the gowns!—but there are some brides who never make it past the first dress. They know as soon as the they see themselves in the mirror for the first time that they have found "the one." Depending on how the bride-to-be in question envisioned this entire experience panning out, finding her ideal style in the very first dress she's tried can either come as a welcome relief or a bit of a disappointment.

So, this begs the question: Should you ever continue wedding dress shopping after you've already found a gown you love? We talked to boutique bridal shop owners Christine Haines Greenberg and Hana Abboud to found out about the pros and cons of purchasing the first (and only!) wedding dress you've tried on.

First and Foremost, How Many Gowns Should You Try On?

Greenberg suggests trying on between 10 to 12 wedding dresses to ensure you have enough information to make a well-rounded decision. "If nothing stands up to the very first gown, then circle back and put it back on to see how you feel on the second attempt," she says, adding that if it still feels right, you should go home and sleep on it and see how you feel in the morning. That is, of course, unless you're shopping at a sample sale or an off-the-rack boutique; if that's the case, delaying the purchase may run the risk that someone else will scoop it up as soon as you leave.

The Pros of Buying the First Dress You've Tried On

Of course, there are benefits leaning into that "aha" moment and following your gut. Abboud explains that if you do decide to buy that very first dress, you're saving yourself untold hours by bypassing trips to multiples stores and dozens of wardrobe changes. "It tends to become confusing and overwhelming after visiting a couple boutiques," she adds. Even if the dresses don't all start to blend together after a while, you may start to resent the entire process.

The Cons of Buying the First Dress You've Tried On

On the other end of the spectrum, there is no way to know if the first dress you try on is the one, or just the first one you tried on. Trying on a wedding dress for the first time may make you feel like a princess or a movie star, but that doesn't mean that other dresses won't make you feel that same way. You'll never know if there was an even better dress out there if you don't give at least a few others a try.