Shopping. We all do it.
But we all vastly differ in the ways that we shop and the experiences that we have. Here are the four shoppers. You may recognise yourself as one of these or maybe as a mix of a few of them, but we’re going to look at these four types, and the advantages and disadvantages they may face when it comes to finding your dress.
The Scientist
The Scientist is all about empirical evidence. She has a Pinterest board full of dream dresses and can tell the difference between her Pronovias and her Rosa Clara. She is well versed in bridal fabrics and knows exactly which bridal shop will stock the designer and sizes that she needs. For this shopper, efficiency and clarity are key. She walks into the store, probably knowing a bit more about the dresses that the sales assistants and will not be tossed and turned about by other opinions. She has done all of her calculations, (could show you her working out) and will therefore get the right result.
PROS
- Having a clear idea of what you want definitely makes the process easier! Bridal shops can be overwhelming with the vast variety of silhouettes, fabrics, colours and styles. Going in with an idea of what you want will help you to narrow down your choices and allow the experience to be extremely positive.
- Some bridal stores will only stock certain designers who may have very specific styles. Doing some research into which stores work for you and your vision will help you to select your stores in a smarter way and save time on those precious Saturdays that will run out quickly in the months leading up to the wedding.
CONS
- You really cannot know how a dress is going to look until you have tried it on. The scientist may risk feelings of disappointment and insecurity, if they find that the rigid ideal that they had set for their dream dress, doesn’t quite work for them.
- Doing all of your homework may pay off, in that you may go to your carefully selected store, find your pre-chosen dress, and leave in an efficient and timely manner. But you only get to try on wedding dresses once! This over-structured mentality may take from the fun of the experience.
The Anti-Shopper
She hates it. The best thing since Hovis Best of Both, was the invention of internet shopping which minimised the amount of time she’d have to go trawling through busy shops for a few items! She would much rather have her mum or best friend deal with the stress of wading through the billowing clouds of dresses so that she can focus on more fun aspects of wedding planning. The anti-shopper is dreading the thought of having to go into the changing rooms and parade around the many dress choices forced upon her.
PROS
- This attitude is probably not going to allow the stress of the dress interfere with the real meaning behind the wedding! It means that whilst you obviously want to look nice, the dress is not the most important part! You have confidence that your future spouse will be smitten no matter what, so you can save yourself the uncomfortable experience!
- Finding the right dress can be TIMELY. From booking the appointments, to making the decision, and then potential alterations and fittings after that- it’s a lot. It is definitely one of the “big” things that needs to be done. If you don’t particularly like the shopping aspect of it all, you can save so much time and energy!
CONS
- Staying away from it all may seem really freeing, but it could be quite limiting in terms of the choices that you have available to you. It’s hard to know what’s out there if you don’t look, and as it’s one of the most important days of your life, you may retrospectively regret the fact that you didn’t go for something that you loved!
- As much as this process is about you, there may potentially be special moments with loved ones (We’re talking mums here) that can be lost if you do not embrace this part of the wedding process.
The Bargain-Hunter
The bargain hunter will do absolutely anything to save money. One dress that you are wearing for one day, should not cost a ludicrous amount of money. She, like the scientist, will do her homework diligently looking for sample sales, the options of renting/ borrowing a dress, basically anything to avoid spending money where she doesn’t need to.
PROS
- All wallets involved will be grateful for this kind of bride’s tenacity and determination in finding the best bargain. If you are willing to save the pennies on the dress, it’s likely that you are really good at saving in general! You understand that there’ll be a real need for money after the wedding and you want to be prepared!
- Bargain hunting and saving money really allows you to explore your creative side! The DIY queen within you will push you to try new things and you know there is nothing more impressive when you meet a person who has made their own dress!
CONS
- Similarly to the scientist, the bargain hunter way of life is extremely time consuming. Good deals can be really difficult to find and can sometimes take so much effort that you lose precious time! The idea of there being something cheaper/ a better deal to be found means that you may never stop until you’ve found the cheapest thing. It’s a never ending spiral!!!
- The desire to find a bargain could overcome the desire to find a dress that you really love. I am in NO way suggesting that you need to compromise your budget in order to find what you love, but a bargain hunter is willing to go so far the other way that the bargain becomes more important than actually finding a dress that encompasses what you really want.
The Free Spirit
The free spirit definitely cares about the gown and wants it to be all that she has ever dreamed of, but she also wants to enjoy the experience. In fact she is ALL about the experience. The free spirit wants to put on a dress and FEEL as though it is the right dress. She’ll make quite a few different appointments, wanting to explore as many options out there as possible. She won’t stop at trying one type of style and silhouette. She wants to try them all just in case!
PROS
- This bride will absolutely make the most of this experience. She will love every second of being being pampered by the sales assistant and love having these precious moments with those around her. And so she should!
- The free spirit will also be able to stand her own ground. Sometimes it is easy to be swayed by the people around you especially when it comes to asking opinions about the way that you look, but the free spirit will not be moved to make a decision until it feels right for her!
CONS
- The free spirit is free. Wedding dresses are not. Focusing on the feeling and getting lost in the moment is wonderful, but the reality of your budget, or the amount of work that a certain dress will take to alter, will bring reality crashing down and this could really end up leaving you feeling disappointed.
- We have spoken a lot about time, and this way of shopping is extremely time consuming. If you are searching for a certain feeling, and will not rest until you have found it, you may be looking for a long time. To the point where you start to feel discouraged if that perfectly magical feeling never comes.
That was an actual dissertation. But clearly something to really think about!
The truth is that every type of shopper has strengths that will allow her to have an efficient but enjoyable experience. The main thing to remember with all of these shopper types, is to have flexibility. Stay true to who you are, as this method has probably always worked for you, but do not be afraid to dip into the personas of the other shoppers!