Maybe it will be this weekend or even next - but sooner or later you may find yourself in a wedding dress shop thinking this wasn't how it was meant to ! Sadly if you don't start out on the right footing, the fun element of choosing your dress can very quickly go straight out the window! I have thus provided 7 tips to help you avoid a wedding dress disaster and consequently have a thoroughly enjoyable time.

What I can't promise you though is the world record of just 17 minutes to find a wedding dress set by Erica Goldstein who writes for the New York Observer's Bridal Blog.

"We bought my wedding dress yesterday and from start to finish the entire process took about 17 minutes (yep folks, that includes trying the dress on). I know some brides take months hunting down the perfect lacey, frothy fantasy number, and hey...we all work at our own pace. Mine just happens to be greased lightning."

Here are my seven tips:

1. Don't Shop with Too Many People :

Take one to two people you really trust to give you an honest opinion, perhaps your mother and your best friend. This isn't the time to take all of your best friends and turn it into a giggling day of shopping. Too many opinions will turn looking for your dress into days or even weeks of confusion and arguments. Someone's feelings will end up getting hurt and the attention will turn away from what you want and end up on smoothing egos. Choose people who know you and your taste and what suits you, and will give you honest feedback.

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2. Do Tell the Salesperson Your Price Range :

While it may seem like fun to try on a couture gown, don't waste the salesperson's time. She is there to help you, and she can better help you if you let her know right away what you can afford so that she can find beautiful dresses in your price range. She has many other brides to help as well, and you wouldn't want some other bride wasting time she could be spending on you, would you?

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3. Do Consider Your Figure :

Is the sheath dress all the rage this year? It may look great on all of those lithe models who are long and lean, but if you have a curvy, hourglass shape with plenty of bust, it's probably not the best style for you. The dress won't change your build, so talk to the experts at the bridal shop. They can suggest similar wedding gowns that will have a similar style and look, but be more flattering to your figure. It's the best of both worlds.

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4. Don't Give Up Your Dream :

Are all the magazines showing plain gowns in elegant satins with very little trim? Have you been attending weddings that are very 1940's glamour? That's fine, but if you've been dreaming of a Southern bwedding gown with a full skirt and re-embroidered lace set with crystals and seed pearls, go right ahead and get that gown. The key to your wedding day is remembering that it is the one day that really is all about you, and your wedding gown should really be your dream and no one else's.

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5. Do Take In Photos of What You Like :

Pictures from magazines are always helpful when shopping. The shop may not have that exact dress, but it can give them an idea of what you have in mind and guide them in selecting some wedding gowns for you to try on. A solid starting point will save time and energy.

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6. Don't be "Hopeful" When Ordering :

Far too many brides look down the road to their wedding date and think, "I'm going to be a size smaller by then, so I'll order the dress a size smaller." It's a terrible, terrible mistake! The stress of planning a wedding means you often don't lose as much weight as you planned to, and then find that you can't fit into your dress.

It is so much easier for a seamstress to take a dress in than it is to let a dress out. In fact, some wedding gowns are designed to such exacting standards that there isn't enough material in the seams to let them out at all, so if you buy it a size to small, you are stuck if your diet doesn't succeed. Order the size you are now!

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7. Don't Pass Up the Perfect Dress :

If you find the perfect dress at only the second stop on a long list of shops your mother has in mind, don't give in to the pressure to "just make sure you've seen everything." Many a bride has been disappointed when they have gone on to look at many other shops and gone back only to discover that perfect wedding gown has since been sold to another lucky bride who came along three hours later. If you fall in love, buy it. Sometimes you just know the dress when you see it, and know that it is "the one." You didn't pass up the perfect man; don't pass up the perfect gown.