If you aren’t like me and you haven’t binge watched almost every episode of Say Yes to the Dress on TLC, that’s perfectly fine. The good news is, I’m here to give you a summary of the most important things you can learn from from “Say Yes to the Dress” for your own wedding dress shopping experience. Although I definitely recommend you find some time to watch the show, fair warning: it is addicting and there’s over 15 seasons.

1. Choose your entourage wisely

Trying on wedding dresses is an exciting day and you have probably been looking forward to this for a long time so you want to enjoy the day or days as much as possible. However, the search for the perfect dress can may be overwhelming, so make sure you choose the right people to be by your side.

Consider how many people you are taking with you, just because you have 10 bridesmaids, doesn’t mean they all have to be there. Too many opinions may be overwhelming for you and may keep you from being able to make a decision.

Also consider the personalities of who you are taking, this may seem like a silly thing to say so let me explain. You can decide if you want brutal honesty or someone to encourage you and make recommendations. From watching episodes of Say Yes to the Dress (SYTTD) I have seen some entourages that were comical but also too critical. I mean I’ve seen bridesmaids refer to a dress as looking like a “box of tissues,” or “curtains” while I admit I giggled, if you as the bride love that dress you may not want to hear that. The brides featured on the show were definitely conflicted on whether to move forward because they loved the dress but their family and friends were very clear they did not.

2. Prepare and be PATIENT

In addition to my previous point, you can’t predict what your entourage will say or do. Your loved ones are who they are and you love them for their unique personalities, so with that they may have some strong opinions about what you should or should not be wearing. I have seen plenty of episodes where the mother of the bride or bridesmaids will make recommendations completely against what the bride wants. Be prepared to try new things. Be patient if you love a blush dress and your grandmother is persistent that you wear white. Take their wishes into consideration but at the end of the day remember it is your wedding day.

3. Don’t rush to buy a dress

It’s okay not to buy a gown on your first dress shopping visit. If someone can say no at Klienfield’s, (which by the way some celebrities buy their gowns here) don’t be afraid to say no at your local bridal shop. Wait until the moment is right! At the same time, its okay to say yes to the first gown. There are some brides who fall in love with the first gown they try on.

4. Bring Pictures of your inspiration

The appointment seems to go so much smoother when the bride brings pictures of dresses she likes. This makes things easier to communicate what you are wanting because you may not know the lingo or difference between a mermaid or trumpet style dress. You may still have to try on a few dresses before you find the perfect one but at least your bridal specialists at the dress shop will have an idea of your style.

5. Try something out of your comfort zone

So many time brides say “I absolutely don’t want beading,” then by the end of the episode she is saying “yes” to a dress with beading and admits she didn’t think she would like it. As I mentioned before, be opened to recommendations that your bride tribe makes. Also, listen to the bridal specialists who is helping you that day. They are the expert and they know what is best for your body type and style. If you try it on and don’t like, then no big deal you can just take the dress off, but you may surprise yourself.

6. Know the price before you try on

I have seen an episode where a bride tried on a dress that didn’t have the price tag, and she ended up loving the dress. Come to find out, the dress was…are you ready for this? $3400 over her budget! She was in love with a dress that was well over what she could afford. Then she was torn because every other dress she tried on didn’t seem to compare to this gorgeous dress she had tried on previously, yikes!

7. White is so last season

Everyone knows white to be the traditional wedding dress color and in more recent years off white has become more acceptable. However, colored wedding dress and even patterns are the new trend. Many episodes of SYTTD have featured brides who purchased wedding dress in red, black, and even floral patterned dresses. My favorite was one bride who chose a light blue dress-you could even use this as your “something blue” for the day!

Do you have any tips that made your dress shopping experience a breeze? Share them in the comments below.

Bianca Nichole and Co is a team of wedding planners based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Austin, Texas, traveling wherever love takes us.