Bridal attire is the crux of the bride's wedding day! With so many options for dresses, shoes, headpieces, accessories, where does a bride even start to decide what is best for her?!
Starting this week, I'm offering a blog series that will discuss each aspect of a bride's wedding attire... starting today with the Wedding Dress!
Your bridal look - and in fact your whole wedding theme - starts with the dress you choose. And so, because of this, the bridal gown will be the most influential and vital purchase you will make for the whole wedding experience! The gown you choose will be a key element in setting the tone and theme for the entire wedding.
So, before you start to shop for your dress, take time to think through a few questions... what kind of a feel do you want your wedding to have?
Do you want a formal, traditional, elegant wedding or do you prefer a whimsical, fun, informal event?
Will the wedding be indoors or outdoors? Will it be local or destination? What season of the year will it be when you get married? And do you have a "dream" look that you want for your dress? Also, you need to determine in advance what your budget is for your entire wedding outfit and then stick to this. Remember to include the dress, shoes, undergarments, accessories, headpiece AND alterations in the amount of your budget! Once you have an idea of the overall feel and theme for your wedding and dress, and what your budget it - then its time to go shopping!
When shopping for your dress, it helps to take some photos with you of dresses that you like from magazines or online bridal sites. This will give the bridal consultant an idea of where to start selecting dresses from the hundreds of styles that most stores carry.
Start by trying on the styles you have in mind, but if you aren't finding your dream dress in those styles, be open to trying on completely different styles you didn't think you'd ever like. You might be very surprised to discover that you actually fall in love with a totally different look and find your actual dream dress is something completely unexpected! Its happened to many brides in the past - including me! When I got married 27 years ago, long sleeves were very "in style" - and so I tried on one dress based on what the sleeve looked like.. but as I put the dress on, I started to laugh because it had SO much lace on it... rows of lace around the bottom of the dress. However, when I walked out of the change room in that dress... everyone's mouths dropped open and when I looked in the mirror, I fell in love with that dress... miles of lace trim and all!! So don't be afraid to try on something different and unexpected!
Another tip for dress shopping is to wear a skin-coloured or strapless bra/panties and do your hair and makeup nicely. This will help you get a more accurate over-all look in the dress.
But I think the best tip of all for shopping for your wedding dress is to only take a couple friends or family members along with you to the appointment! Even people with the best intentions can end up confusing you and sabatoging your own interests, so if you have too many voices with you at the appointment, you're going to get frustrated. And always remember - this is YOUR dress, so if YOU love the dress, then stick to your opinions and don't let others sway you! If the dress make you feel like a bride... brings tears to your eyes and butterflies in your tummy... then go for it!
When considering the myriad of different styles & colours available in bridal gowns today,
keep in mind what style/colour is going to look best on you and what will best suit your wedding theme. You especially want to select a colour or hue that enhances your own skin tone and not make you seem pale or washed out. The options in dresses go from very traditional to ultra modern... from long trains to floor length to short and sassy cocktail dresses... and these all come in a multitude of fabric choices. And Colours! Never before have brides had so many colours to choose from in dresses! Colours range from pure white to eggshell to ivory to every other colour you can imagine! Non-white wedding dresses are becoming more popular all the time! Whether pale, muted, neutral shades or bold, bright, vibrant colours, anything is acceptable these days.
Regardless of what style or colour of dress that you choose... in the end, what is most important is that you choose the dress that makes you feel like the beautiful bride that you are!
Once you've selected the dress, the hardest part is done! Stay tuned for the next blog where we look at some fun elements of your bridal attire that will help you create your own unique look through your choice of
shoes, headpieces, and accessories.
