A wedding gown shopping checklist

SHOPPING CHECKLIST

Buying a wedding gown is not as simple as buying a winter coat or a spring suit, Mara Urshel and Ronald Rothstein write in "How to Buy Your Perfect Wedding Dress" (Simon & Schuster).

The owners of Kleinfeld, a Brooklyn, N.Y., bridal salon, suggest packing a bag of 12 "essentials" that will help make a shopping trip more successful.

A bride should carry:

Photos from magazines or Web sites of four or five gowns she loves.

A list or an idea of what she wants and needs in a gown, including ideal color, the level of formality, and which physical features she'd like to play up or disguise.

"Brideworthy," white underwear; a strapless bra, with or without pads; control-top pantyhose or other body-slimming garment.

Shoes with the same height of heel she plans to wear on wedding day.

The veil or headpiece she plans to wear if the decision already has been made. (For instance, if the bride chooses to wear her grandmother's headpiece, she should bring it on every shopping trip.)

Grooming aids, including a hairbrush, clips or other accessories to pull the hair up. Avoid wearing excessive makeup, especially lipstick, and jewelry because they can damage a dress.

Contact lenses instead of glasses if that's what the bride plans to wear on her wedding day.

Reading glasses, if needed, to make out the fine print on contracts.

A camera if the bridal salon allows it.

A bottle of water or nonstaining beverage.

Paper for notes and a pen.

Tissues.

--The Associated Press