When you're picking out a wedding dress, you likely have a stream of questions and thoughts going through your head.
Does this feel comfortable? Do I like the lace on the skirt? How does this gown fit into my budget? Does this neckline suit me?
But one of the most important questions to ask yourself about the gown might not be one you immediately think of, as celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger told Business Insider.
You should take photos and videos of a wedding dress before you buy it
Erlanger, who recently partnered with Zola on a guide to styling cohesive wedding ensembles, spoke to Business Insider about the key to having a successful wedding-dress appointment, and she stressed the importance of seeing how you feel about the dress in videos and photos.
"You want to get photos and video from the front, back, side, and walking," Erlanger advised.
She went on to say that pictures and clips of the gown are important because they play such a big part in the wedding — especially as you look back on it.
"Things really do read differently on camera," she said. "After your wedding day, what you are left with are the photos."
Erlanger's work with celebrities makes her more aware of how garments look in photos or videos, but that may not be the case for the average bride.
You don't want to have any regrets when you look at photos and videos of your wedding day
"It's really important that if you see yourself in a mirror feeling and looking one way, and then you see yourself in a photo and it looks and feels a little different, you want to catch that ahead of time," Erlanger said, as you don't want to have regrets about your gown when you're looking back at your wedding photos.
For instance, you may love the way a dress sparkles in person, but the glitter may not show up as well on camera. Or you may be surprised by the way a train trails behind you when you see it in a video.
"You need to look at your photos, and you need to have a really honest dialogue and trust the person helping you to guide you in making the best choice," Erlanger added.
You should pick a wedding dress that makes you look and feel good. You just may want to make sure you feel as good in the dress when you see a photo or video of it before your wedding day.
