The big day is fast approaching and you're all nerves and jitters: No, not your wedding day, your bridal salon appointment. No other dress will ever get as much attention as your wedding dress. Finding the perfect wedding gown should be a fun experience but often turns frantic.

Narrow Down Style Choices

As a little girl, you may have always dreamed about your wedding dress with a huge ruffled skirt, lots of lace, and flounces, and long flowing train, but now you're a grown up and that style may not fit you or your wedding. It's time to take a new look.

Buy several bridal magazines. Don't worry if it's summer and your wedding isn't until early spring next year. Wedding gowns, while fashion conscious, are relatively timeless as far as the season's go. The exception would be the use of heavy fabrics like velvet or trims like fur or faux fur. Go through the magazines and tear out photos of gowns you like. Visit online bridal stores and print out photos of gowns that appeal to you. You'll start to see a pattern emerging of the style of gown you like.

Learn the Lingo

There are terms in the wedding biz that you may be unfamiliar with. The terms for different wedding dress styles, sleeve styles, types of necklines, and so forth can be confusing. Wedding dress styles include:

Ball gown - narrow waisted floor length dress with a full skirt.

Slip dress - fluid fabric with few embellishments, falling from shoulders to floor.

Mermaid - fitted bodice and through the hips flaring out fuller at the knees reminiscent of a mermaid's tail. The back of the dress can be longer than the front of the dress.

Sheath - straight silhouette fitting close to the body.

A line- narrow at the top wider as it approaches the floor. This shape is the most forgiving of imperfect body types.

Empire - fitted closely under the bust and falling freely over the waist and hips.

Formal - floor length, usually with a train. Formal dresses have more embroidery, embellishments such as ruching, lace, ruffles, and crystal/pearl/bead work.

Informal - can be floor length, most often shorter length. While there can be embellishments there isn't quite as much as with formal gowns. Informal gowns are flirty and fun.

Blusher veil - reaches just to the collar bone and worn over the face until the wedding vows are exchanged.

Fingertip veil - not so much in style now. The veil came down to the fingertips.

Waltz length - grazes the floor.

Cathedral - extends more than six inches past the train of the dress which should be at least three feet long.

Budget

No one likes to talk about money but this is one occasion you absolutely have to. Decide what the budget is for your wedding dress and stick to it within 10%. Worrying that you've overspent on your dress will take some of the joy out of the wedding preparations. Your bridal consultant won't look down on you because you have a lower budget and shouldn't try to up sell you a dress you can't afford. A bride that isn't happy won't be a good referral.

There are beautiful dresses in every price range. Recognize that the lower your budget the less ornate your wedding gown should be. Inexpensive gowns that have lots of embellishments tend to look cheaper than inexpensive gowns that are simplistic.

Go online and get an idea of what you can expect for the money you're going to spend. Check out ebay for second hand designer dresses. The prices will be from one third to one half of what the dress cost new. Visit consignment wedding shops as well. Again the prices will be one third to one half of the retail price.

When you make your bridal salon appointment, ask when the dress has to be paid for. Most salons require you to pay for the dress when you order it. Dresses are custom made to your measurements. If you need to up your credit limit on your credit card, or better yet pay them down so there's available credit, do so ahead of time. It's embarrassing to find the perfect gown and then have Visa say you don't have the funds. Occasionally you'll find a salon that only requires 50 percent payment when the dress is ordered and the other 50 percent when the dress is delivered. There are a few salons that have payment plans.

Wear Appropriate Clothing

Wear the undergarments that you'll be wearing with your wedding dress or at least a well fitting bra. If you plan on wearing a corset you should try on the dresses with the corset. Wear the heel height that you plan on wearing at your wedding. This is not the time to try four inch platform heels if you've never worn them, no matter how sexy they make your legs look. Tripping and stumbling down the aisle is not the impression you want to make.

Prepare for your bridal salon appointment and the experience will be enjoyable. Finding that perfect bridal gown can be fun.