There’s nothing more exciting than a wedding…

Dress, that is!

Whether your wall has become a collage of wedding dress magazine cutouts or your bookmark tabs are all pinned dress inspirations, it’s safe to assume the options are feeling a bit overwhelming. Figuring out what, where, and when to buy your dress is no easy task. But follow this guideline and it will certainly be easier.

Remember: one thing at a time!

First, take all that inspiration and make a list of anything and everything you like. Once you sit down at a bridal salon or with a consultant, they will let you know which of your wildest dreams are and are not possible. Then, you have the homework of making a decision – and making sure you do it in time.

Aside from the time it may take to find a wedding dress, you’ll also need time up to three fittings, custom alterations, and more if you’re planning on having them.

But are you? Maybe not.

The modern wedding industry is ever-evolving; wedding dress designers and retailers have found many ways around the standard shopping experience to accommodate different gowns and different needs.

There are many different avenues and speeds for getting a dress, so the first thing to do is figure out your priority. Is it the exact style and design of the dress that’s the most important to you? Is it how flattering the dress looks on you? Or will it be something you need to both be beautiful and fit into your budget after you make your wedding the most perfect day for everyone attending? Based on your priorities, you should find yourself with a different dress-shopping timeline.

Pro-Tip #1: Pick Your Venue First

The vibe, the temperature, and the COST of the venue can all be relevant to the dress you choose – so it’s recommended to get this sorted out first.

You’ll be able to relax more and enjoy the wedding dress selection process when more of the other important wedding details are all dealt with and not looming over your head like an ugly veil.

Pro-Tip #2: Get Your Shopping Team Assembled

Three is the perfect number in this case – they’ll give you the fewest possible opinions in a clear democracy. Opt for close, supportive friends or relatives whose opinions you value most.

Pro-Tip #3: Stay On Top Of Appointments

It’s important to book any appointments well in advance; bridal boutiques fill up at speeds you didn’t even know exist. Before booking, do a bit of research into each salon’s designer selection, prices, and sample sizes they provide to make sure you aren’t wasting your time.

The Tailor-Made Dress: 9 Months In Advance

If you want your wedding dress tailor-made especially for your visual and physical preferences, this is when you’ll need to make the order. This allows for a dress being produced to your measurements, which can require certain elements that you like to be shipped in from all around the world – laces from France, beads from Asia, and more. First, make your final dress decision at your chosen bridal salon, declare any desired customizations, and pay your deposit of 50 to 60 percent. You’ll need to wait 5-6 months before the dress is made, and then sit through 3 fitting sessions until the final (and perfect!) tailoring which will have the dress in your hands in time for not only the wedding but also photoshoots, wedding travel, etc.

The Custom-Tailored Dress: 5 Months In Advance

If your priority is the fit, you may not need your wedding dress custom-made – but you do want it custom-tailored. Pick your dress out at this time, take measurements, and get your plans in order for a few fittings that will keep up with any changes necessary before the big day.

The Post-Wedding-Budget, Post-Wedding-Diet: 6-8 Weeks In Advance

Not difficult to understand: a bride-to-be who doesn’t want to pull out the credit card or try on a dress until everything else has been taken care of, and what’s left doesn’t leave any room for risk. If this is your approach, don’t forget to get all the details in at the same time: veil, gloves, undergarments, and shoes.

The Time-Crunch Dress: As Little As 1-2 Weeks In Advance

There are other alternatives to doing the traditional experience; the online route offers a widely diverse selection of retailers with collections of high-quality, trending, ready-to-wear gowns available for immediate purchase.

Don’t forget, your fiancee thinks you’re beautiful every day of the year – and that’s why they proposed.

People grow up in communities. The first and smallest community is the family. This is why it is not something unusual to find people picking up weird and funny habits from their parents. A typical scenario is a daughter picking up a distinct habit from their parents. Some of them share those habits and how it made them realize they were becoming their mom.

When one compliments a young friend about her dressing or grooming, the response is always the same; “thanks.” However, a lady mentioned that her mom had a different response to that scenario.

She would start to mention different things about the dressing. “Oh, thanks. It was a limited edition at the Oakland store, got it at a fair price too.” That was her kind of response, something that irritated the daughter. However, in time, she had picked up the same habit.

The source of habits from young ones is always the mom, it can be demanding and it can also be fun and interesting. When parents teach these habits, kids pick them up without realizing it.

Then they in turn teach the next generation the same way they learned the habits. For example, some moms always had to vacuum lines into the carpet before welcoming into their house, now her daughter does the same.

Ladies go out with different types of purses depending on the occasion and the outfit. They come in various sizes and designs too. But for many moms, there are some things common to their purse. It is usually big and it contains virtually everything in this world.

Band-Aids, combs, floss, mirror, a smaller pure, and Advil are just a few of the things one would find in a parent’s bag. A lady once picked up the same funny habit from her mom.

Safeguarding the kids is a habit many parents develop naturally and to the greatest extent. They would often do something others count as embarrassing and unnecessary. But they wouldn’t mind, safety above all.

One example is placing their arm across their child’s chest while pressing the breaks when they are driving. The same child that is putting on a seatbelt, doesn’t matter to the moms. A lady did the same subconsciously for her son and knew immediately where she got the habit from.

For some, they didn’t exactly become their mom, they took a step further down the family tree. This lady picked up her habit from her grandmother, not her mom. Her grandmother was the mother figure in her life.

Though she’s happy to keep her grandma’s legacy alive, she finds her choice of habit funny. Her grandmother would often reuse plastic snack bags until they had holes in them. That is exactly what she does nowadays.

For a lady, the first source of fashion tips as one grows up is the mother. They are dressed in a certain way by the mom, and as time goes on, they tend to love it. When the daughter grows up to be independent, she obviously unlearns some things and picks up new habits.

One of the habits picked up was this lady’s clue that she was turning to their parents. Buying the same cloth in every color was something mom would do, and now it is something she does.

Neatness, arrangement, order, and many others are words and synonyms that can be used to explain most mothers’ attitudes at home. Some daughters pick up these characters, some daughters do not.

Taking time to arrange the simplest of things at home has been the clue for many that they are becoming their parent. For this lady, straightening piles of books on tables was the clue that she was turning to her mom. Parents surely love arrangements.

Life in itself is spontaneous some would say but most people’s decisions and way of living falls into a repeating pattern or routine. Sometimes, helps are needed for one to maintain these routines.

One of such routines is waking up early in the morning and the typical help for that would be the alarm clock. Most parents especially mom have become accustomed to waking up early, they do not need an alarm for that. When this lady realized she was bragging about how she didn’t use an alarm before waking up, she realized she had picked a funny habit from her mom.

Some things are bought and kept in the house, but no one uses them. This is typical to many moms in different households. The kids in the house tend to wonder why this is done. But sometimes, they pick up these same habits for no apparent reason.

One example is that of a lady that bought new set of bathroom towels just for decoration. Her way of beautifying the bathroom. Then she goes ahead to use the same old towel she uses to clean herself. According to her, this was a behavior typical of her mom.

When things are free to the public, there is a need to collect them moderately. A rule, that apparently, doesn’t apply to parents especially mom. Collecting free things when you have them in abundance is a trait that a mom passed on to her daughter.

In her words, the daughter admitted that she had become her mother when she realized she was collecting pens from anywhere that offers one. If the pen writes well, she goes back to the place for more. Now the bottom of her purse is full of pen that she doesn’t need.

In many cultures, respect is a notion that is demanded from the young ones. Any form of disrespect, or any action that is perceived as one is met with instant rejection and correction. Moms are particularly interested in respect and the way the younger ones talk to them.

When this lady told her young cousin to stop talking to her like she was one of her little friends, she has realized she had turn into her mom. Guess, demanding respect from cousins is a mom’s thing.

Parents tend to do things that seem out of the ordinary. At first, one might not understand the reason for their actions or why they are different.

This person had the same feeling when his parents would often back their cars into parking spaces. He was always angry when they did this because it drew attention to him especially at school. Now that is exactly what he does when he packs his car. He later admitted that packing that way saves time and it is smarter.

“Waste not, want not” is something that is typical of parents. Collecting items for no particular reason is one of their traits. Subconsciously, daughters pick up this trait. For this lady, her collection involved paper bags.

She would often pick up and save any paper bag she got from grocery shopping. Her habit did not end up there, she would store the paper bags under the sink, creating a pile of bags. This was the moment she realized she was the latest version of her mom.

Kids live a life of fun and they seem to have an endless supply of energy. At times, this energy can lead to injury. It is often the job of the parents to protect and to caution their kids. A method some parents use involves asking kids what they would do in a certain situation.

This was one of the training methods this person grew up with. When she grew up and was asking her son those types of questions, she realized she had picked up a habit from her mom.

For some, shopping is an art. It is a duet between the buyer and the seller to get the best sales price. For the buyer; as low as possible and for the seller; as high as possible. Parents often come home after shopping bragging about how good a deal was.

They believe they had gotten the goods or services at the cheapest price, giving praises to their power of persuasion. When this lady realized she had developed the habit of bragging about deals, she knew she had become her mother.

Sometimes, people pick up habits and soon, they become addicted to these habits. Interesting, some of those habits might be harmless. An example is plant collection, a funny habit that a mom picked up early in her life.

Her daughter would often complain about the whole issue. She mentioned having an intervention about mom’s plant addiction. Now, she goes to the grocery store for no reason, comes back home with wine, plants, and no memory of why she went to the store.

No one talks about rules more than the old folks. They are always alert to make sure everything is done by the books. An example is their tendency to ask young guys seen drinking if they are old enough to do such.

Even sons and daughters get embarrassed when they see their moms asking such questions at school parties or play. When this young lady asked two young guys at a concert if they were old enough to drink, she realized she was turning to mom.

When things are misplaced at home, the first instinct of many parents is the children. They believe they must have touched and misplaced whatever it is that they are looking for.

So, the first thing they do is ask the kids without even bothering to look for the said item. Sometimes, they realize it wasn’t missing after all. This lady was asking others at home about her eyeglasses. The weird part? She was wearing the glasses. A habit she picked from her mom.

Another example of daughters become their parents is seen in how some home chores are done. To some, it is not just about doing it, it is necessary to it the right way.

And the only right way to do it is their way. A lady was telling her fiancée that he was folding laundry the wrong way. There are obviously many ways to fold laundry, she decided that any other way apart from hers’ is wrong. She knew the source of her habit was her mom.

Some types of clothing and grooming are particular to the 20th century. Once it is found in the closet, one can easily guess who owns them.

Examples include linen shorts with elastic waistbands. This is often seen on moms back in the days. Another thing common to mom is how they wear the shorts every time. This lady bought linen shorts with an elastic waistband during quarantine, that was the only thing she wore all day. A talent she got from her mom.

One aspect of American life that seems to be on the decline in today’s world is patriotism. Many just don’t seem to care. One of the patriotic rituals by the older generations is how they seem to say “God Bless America” at every opportunity.

Whenever this mom drops something or stubs her toe, her next words would be “God Bless America.” The daughter didn’t understand why she does this. But for no reason, she had picked up the habit too.

Sometimes, it is hard to explain some habits that parent exhibit and why they do most of the things they do. One example is that of a lady that could not understand why her mom was always fond of stealing jam packets for no apparent reason.

Now she is a grown woman and one doesn’t need to wonder too much about what funny habit she picked up from her mom. She too has developed the habit of stealing jam packets for no reason.

Many people’s habits and attitudes today can be traced back to their background, especially family. An example is how moms in different homes would always warn others against eating snacks just before dinner because it would ruin their appetite.

This lady recounted how her experience made her realize she had turned to her mom. Her finance came home at night some minutes before dinner. He picked up snacks to eat before. Guess what? She warned him about spoiling his appetite.

When this lady was a kid, she would often shout in the morning. Her mom, in return, had one response to her constant screaming: “Do you want to wake up the whole neighborhood?”

Hearing that question every morning affected her and little did she know that she had picked up a funny habit from her mom. When she became a teenager, she was babysitting a kid who was screaming in the morning. Her response was exactly like her mom’s. A reaction she described as scary.

For moms that love cooking for the family, they develop a special connection with the kitchen. They would often tell kids to get out when they are cooking. Disturbance and distraction are something many people avoid when in the kitchen.

A lady mentioned that at a point she started getting angry if there was any other person in her kitchen. A trait she admitted she had picked up from her mom. Just another typical example of daughters becoming their moms.

Telling stories with excitement and in detail is something many young people are good at. They will tell the story in a sequence that makes it interesting and funny.

One would wait to hear the end. Forgetting part of stories or the interesting details was something common to many moms. This lady mentioned that her mom was no different. But when she started to ramble through stories, she realized she had become just like her mom.

Most teenagers are never happy or excited when cleaning and doing chores are the topic of discussion. Admittedly, most of them do these to maintain neatness and hygiene, it is generally not something to be excited about.

The only set of people that get excited about cleaning are moms. When this 17-year-old lady became excited over buying cleaning equipment, a Scrub Daddy, she realized she was gradually turning to her mom.

“Coming through – hot stuff.” That was the popular phrase at home whenever this guy’s parent was coming through with any hot dish from the kitchen.

Everyone understood the language and its source. But for many in the family, the habit did not extend beyond the walls. However, this guy was with friends and suddenly found himself saying that exact phrase amongst friends. “Coming through – hot stuff.”

Rushing from work, speeding through traffic, and getting home in a hurry just to watch a popular TV series is something that is common to many old guys.

They would often go to work the next day to discuss the new secrets they have discovered. A lady mentioned how she would often make fun of her mom when she is glued to the TV watching these home series. But in time, she turned into her mom. She would get fully focused and invested in finding out new things about her favorite series.

Getting emotional over little things was a typical character of this lady’s mom. She would often tease her mom when she saw her crying over a TV commercial, saying it is silly and unnecessary. But things changed as the daughter grew older.

Here is an unexpected scene; mom and daughter sharing tissue while crying over TV commercials. Yes, the same commercials she would often tease her mom about. That goes to show that any habit can be picked up, even the funny and unexplained ones.

Shopping takes a bit of focus; everything is designed to look appealing and interesting. Even the things one has at home still look a little bit tempting.

Young people often go shopping with the intention of buying what they need, and that is what they do. But for parents with many things on their mind, they tend to get distracted at the grocery store, buying the things they need and the things they don’t need. A lady mentioned that when she developed that same habit, it reminded her of her parents.

Opening the door for just a few seconds is not going to make the cold air from the air conditioner disappear. A fact that is known by all involved. But for some weird reasons, parents seem to ignore this fact.

They are always the first to shout when someone leaves the door open for a minute. Little kids do not fully understand the reason for this. But now they do the same. This person grew up and developed the same habit. He would shout at any kid that leaves the door open.

Drinking gently at a restaurant is such a relaxing feeling. Some like to enjoy those moments without interruption. A prime example of this is a dad that often finishes his drink at a restaurant before paying his bill.

The young child would often wonder why this is so. Now, whenever he goes to a restaurant, he would sit down calmly and enjoy his drink. When the waiter brought the bills, he continued sipping his drink and he only paid after finishing. A habit he picked up from his dad.

A clean house is something every parent is very particular about. They don’t go out without making sure the house is in order. When they come back after a long vacation, the first thing on their mind is cleaning the house.

Young ones are more excited about where they are going or the highlights of the journey. When a lady realized she was more concerned about keeping the house than the vacation she was going for, she knew she had become just like her parents.

The word “why” is used for apparently everything. They question every decision and every answer. However, giving answers and directives for no reason is a habit parents have developed. When do the kids ask why?

The mom’s answer would be: “for no reason” and that was supposed to be enough. A kid asks if he can go out to play, mom answer was “no.” Kids asks “why,” mom says “for no reason, just no.” The same kid grew up and did the same for his kids.

The organization is something that parents are good at. They are always particular about the arrangement of things. Some of which are important and necessary, but at times, some of these organizations are meaningless and time-wasting.

That was the complaint from a lady when her mom would arrange a Starbucks cup and cardboard sleeve so that the logos line up. She didn’t see the reason for this but in time she adopted the same.

One general aspect of life as a kid was the fact that ‘trusting others or trusting yourself’ was easy. On the downside, it was the start of “trust issues” for many.

An example is the cookie box. when one finds a cookie box, one expects to find cookies in the box. However, in many homes, the box is filled with a sewing kit. Most kids would be disappointed after the excitement. This lady talked about how she was always angry when she was little, but now, she does the same thing.

Kids seem to have unlimited energy and they are always active. Running around with so much strength. They would run into things that could be potentially harmful. They would do so with no single care in the world.

The funny thing is that across different homes, most parents always have the same response; “stop messing around.” It was a phrase common to all parents. This lady shouted the same set of words among her friends. She knew, right there, that she had turned into her parents.

Comfort has always been an important element of fashion. This is true for fashion across different ages. Though it is more important in some categories than others. For some, trends and style are more important, but for many in the parent category, comfort takes the edge.

They wear oversized shirts and jeans, with funny designs. One would often say, ‘that’s a mom-type of clothing.’ However, some ladies have come to enjoy the fashion style handed down by their mom. The big and oversized shirts are not so bad after all.

Parents have a rule for every scenario and every situation and the rules are always specific. Sometimes, a kid would show from his or her demeanor that he or she is tired of listening to the same rules repeated every time. However, the moms don’t care, they go on with their rules.

A lady mentioned that this was her childhood experience. She would hate it back then. However, that is the same thing she does for her kids today. “Don’t go out alone,” “Don’t take food from strangers,” “Stick together in groups,” etc.

Young people love to go out always, see new places and experience the world around them. But as one grows older, one thing that becomes important to people is peace and quiet. People start to have another preference.

They prefer to stay at home and enjoy their privacy. A guy mentioned that he would always want to go out when he was young, but when it got to a stage that he would always want to be indoor, he knew he was turning to his parents.

If one should make a list of top 10 things that happened to them while they were kids, parents and their funny habits would be a major part of that list.

A lady’s most embarrassing moment in her childhood was when her mom would often spit on a napkin to clean her face. Now she is a mom, and one day, she finds herself doing the same thing to her son. This was not only funny to her seeing that she used to hate it, but also scary.

There are weird and dark selfies spread all over the internet and the popular opinion is that they are all works of old guys. These old guys are majorly parents who take a selfie in weird forms and post it without a care in the world.

Young people are known for their habit of making fun of these people for their ways. They forget they didn’t grow up surrounded by gadgets and technology. A lady, Brenda, would often make fun of her parents because of this. Now she posts the same weird and dark selfies on the internet.

A guy shared his experience as a child, he mentioned how he would often use swear words in conversation. His dad would tell him to watch his language and he wouldn’t care.

Now he is a dad, and one can easily guess the habit he has picked up from his parents. He would not allow his kids to use those words in conversation. The same words that he uses. Sometimes people pick up habits even when they don’t want to do so.

It is good to have parents that are always alert to remind one about the small things before a journey. A lady mentioned that her mom would often remind the whole house to go to the bathroom before going on a journey.

This lady picked this habit and would often ask friends if they had a pee before going out. She didn’t realize she had become her parent and the parent figure among her friends. It wasn’t until her friends pointed it out. Another example of people turning into their parents.