Choosing a wedding dress is a lot like choosing a partner—most brides tell our editors that they "just knew" when they'd found "the one," both in terms of a spouse and the gown they plan to marry their significant other in. But what if you don't know? Whether you've tried on just one dress or dozens, some women find it hard to know if the dress they think they love is the right gown for them or if something better could be up next. So, how do you really know if you've found your wedding dress?
As it turns out, there are a lot of signs that you've stepped into the gown you'll walk down the aisle in. We turned to the experts at some of our BRIDES Top Tier Bridal Salons and asked them to weigh in on the unmistakable signs they see when a bride-to-be has found "the one."
Photo by Meghan Lee Harris
Your whole body changes.
Chelsea McNamara, owner of Connecticut's Everthine Bridal, says that she sees a full physical change when a bride steps into "the one." "There’s a visible exhale—her shoulders drop, her face softens, and a calm confidence takes over," she notes. "In that moment, everyone just knows."
Yanique Barnes of California-based Dreamers & Lovers agrees, adding, "A bride usually shows us she has found the one without needing to say a word. Her body language shifts as her shoulders relax, she carries herself taller, and she moves with more confidence. "
You've already forgotten about every other dress you've tried on.
The comparison game ends once and for all when a bride has found "the one," affirms Olivia DeAngelo of VOWS Bridal in Watertown, Massachusetts. Instead of thinking about all of the other dresses she's tried on, maybe even outwardly discussing what another gown had that this one is lacking, she's laser-focused on the style that's on her body. "A bride has found 'the one' when she forgets about the other gowns she has tried on," she notes. "And even if she tries on more, she is constantly comparing them back to that new favorite."
You feel like "you."
So many brides say they want to look and feel like the best version of themselves on the wedding day, which is why it should come as no surprise that most women will say they finally feel like themselves when they try on "the one." According to Jodi, senior stylist at Madeleine's Daughter Bridal in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, most brides-to-be will actually say some version of this phrase when she puts on "the one." "She will often say, 'I feel like me!,' and that is just how it should feel," she notes. "One thing for certain is that it’s a feeling—it's just right!"
You can't stop smiling.
When you just can't help but smile back at yourself in a mirror, Maya Byrne and her team at Genevieve’s Bridal Couture in Deer Park, Illinois, know you've just tried on your wedding dress. "She is smiling a lot—especially at herself in the mirror," the pro notes. "She talks about how it will look in her venue or next to her fiancé."
Photo by Eager Hearts Photography
You feel at peace.
At The One Bridal Salon in Charlottesville, Virginia, owner Kelsey Lessick says she and her team notice a sense of peace wash over brides when they've found their dresses—it's a notable change she can't miss after nearly 20 years in the bridal industry. "One of the first signs I look for to see if a dress is 'the one' is when a bride seems to feel at peace in a dress. When she is happy, confident, and at peace, that tells me this is the dress," she explains.
You're feeling extremely emotional—and you may (or may not!) be crying.
If you're feeling a nervous excitement or noticing tears welling up in your eyes, there's a good chance you've just put on your wedding dress, says Julie Mersine Romeli, owner of Chicago's Mira Couture. "Often times they are overcome with emotion, and tears are often a big sign that it is 'the one,'" she explains. But she also notes that this outward expression of emotion isn't true of everyone, so if you're feeling it but not showing it, don't shy away from your gut instinct. "Sometimes it’s as subtle as the bride’s posture changes and she stands up straighter. Sometimes it’s not very subtle and they’re jumping up and down and dancing and hugging everyone! Not every bride cries in her dress, but when you pay close attention you can typically see each bride’s signals of the gown that makes her feel her best. "
You don't want to take it off.
At Charlotte, North Carolina's, Ladies of Lineage, Natasha Duff-Cole says her team pays close attention to which wedding dresses a bride is immediately ready to change out of and which ones she simply doesn't want to take off. When you've found "the one," you should be squarely in that second camp. To her, "looking in the mirror a lot, smiling, and not wanting to take the dress off" are surefire signs a bride-to-be has officially found her wedding gown.
You stop looking for external validation.
When you no longer care what your entourage thinks of the dress you've just tried on, there's a good chance that it's "the one," says Imene McCoy of Savvy Bridal Collective, with locations in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Fort Lauderdale. "One of the most powerful signs is when a bride shifts from asking for opinions to owning the moment herself," she explains. "She stops looking around the room for validation and instead says things like, ‘This feels like me,’ or, ‘I can see myself walking down the aisle in this.’"
