Some women have been dreaming up their perfect wedding dress since their childhood days.
Others haven’t given it a single thought until the reality of ‘oh my goodness, I’m getting married’ sets in and they find themselves searching for a dress.
Sure, it’s one dress for one day—but that day is, quite possibly, the most important day of your life. Why wouldn’t you want to feel and look amazing?
6 Tips To Help You Pick The Perfect Wedding Dress
Necklines, cuts, styles, materials, lengths, colours and so much more make up a wedding dress. With so many aspects to consider and so many options to choose from, selecting the perfect wedding dress can be overwhelming & stressful.
We aim to make this important decision a little easier by sharing our top 6 tips to help you pick your perfect wedding dress.
Research Styles You Like
When you’re on the hunt for a wedding dress Pinterest will become your best friend. Browse online, leaf through bridal magazines, read articles and look at photographs of other peoples’ weddings to find inspiration.
Very quickly, you’ll establish which styles you like and which ones you don’t. Make note of all the aspects you prefer about other dresses and use this to help guide your decision.
Here are some of the most popular styles
- A-line
- Mermaid
- Ballgown
- Sheath
- Fit and Flare
Buy, Hire or Design?
Your research may lead you to your perfect dress. Then it’s a simple situation of finding out which branch of bridal store nearest to you has stock of that dress.
Avoid disappointment by narrowing your online search terms to your area. For example, if you’re in the Melbourne area, you want to search something along the lines of ‘bridal dresses in Melbourne‘. There is nothing worse than finding your dream dress and then realising it is only available in Timbuktu.
Not everyone is lucky enough to find their perfect dress. Some people find different aspects of dresses that they love and need to have these designed & custom-made.
Establish Your Wedding Dress Budget
Now that you have a good idea of the available styles in your area you will probably notice the accompanying price tags.
Throughout history weddings have always been massive events. The wedding dress has evolved but the important symbolism behind it has not.
Many people are still surprised by the cost of wedding dresses and don’t allocate enough of the wedding budget towards one. You always need to consider the amount of time, effort and materials used to create these beautiful creations.
Establish the budget you have available to spend on a wedding dress and try your best to stick to it.
No matter how pretty they are, don’t try on dresses that you know you cannot afford as that is just plain torture if you can’t own what you fall in love with.
Choose A Dress That Compliments Your Figure
Be prepared for the possibility that the style of dress you have been obsessing over just doesn’t suit your body.
Mermaid styles hug your curves. Ballgowns add volume and drama but can ‘drown’ petite frames. Sheath dresses are perfect for willowy brides. Fit and flares work on many body types.
Work with your body and what you know about yourself. If you know that you’re self-conscious about your arms on a normal day, don’t opt for a sleeveless dress for your big day. If you know that your back is one of your best features, show it off!
Practical Versus Pretty
When you’re trying on wedding dresses keep in mind that your wedding day will consist of much more than walking down the aisle and posing for photos.
You will be dancing, sitting, standing, bending and doing plenty of hugging! You want a dress that you can move around in comfortably.
Also consider the venue where the ceremony is taking place and pick your dress based on this environment. For example, what if the ground is grassy? If you opt for a long dress you’ll spend much of the day scooping up the bottom of your dress to prevent stains.
Dedicate A Whole Day To Shopping For Your Wedding Dress
If you haven’t tried on a wedding dress before you might be surprised to hear that it’s not as easy as it sounds and often is a two-person job that takes quite a while!
All the other aspects of planning a wedding can be stressful and hectic. Shopping for your dress doesn’t have to add to this stress. Make sure you dedicate enough time to browse and try on dresses.
Your perfect dress could be the very first one you try on. But it could also be the eighth. Wedding dress shopping can be unpredictable and the last thing you want to feel when shopping for your wedding dress is rushed.
One Last Thing: Stay True To Yourself
While you must place a certain level of trust in your wedding dress consultant, family, friends and bridal party don’t allow yourself to be bullied into buying a dress that you aren’t in love with.
This is your dress, for your special day—nobody else’s.
Here comes the bride!
Finding a dress that makes you feel beautiful, confident and special is no easy feat, but the reward is so worth it.
We hope this helps you find a dress that you’ll love today, on your wedding day and in 50 years from now when you’re paging through your wedding album.
