Your wedding dress is one of the most important features of your wedding day, but how do you go about choosing your dream wedding dress? Read on for our advice.
Do your research
Prior to hitting the shops or the online stores, engage in some research online, browsing the various brands and dress styles out there. Wedding dresses come in a range of styles and can showcase some unique designs and embellishments, so take the time to have a good look before trying on a dress in the shop.
Shop early
It’s important that you give yourself plenty of time to shop for your wedding dress, so that you can find the one for you. Nine to six months is an ideal time frame when hunting for a wedding dress.
Shopping early gives you plenty of time to make adjustments to your dress. For example, you may find the perfect style for you, but need to address the hemline, or you may like to perfect a dress you buy in store by adding some embellishments.
Think one of a kind
No matter what, you want your wedding dress to look totally unique and to reflect your personality. Vintage shops will offer you a wedding dress that is completely unique; vintage wedding dresses provide a range of styles from the past 100 years and even further back, so heading to the vintage store can really pay off if you want to look truly original on your wedding day.
As Mollie Makes notes, it’s important to be aware that sizes may differ when it comes to vintage dresses:
“Body shapes have altered considerably over the past century (largely because we are better fed these days and not having to survive on war rations!) thus, vintage wedding dresses are often quite small in fit. To be safe, assume that any size referenced in labelling will fit today’s bride who measures one size, possibly even two sizes, smaller. A garment marked UK 12/US 10/EU 40 is likely to fit a modern day UK 10/US 8/EU 38, or even the next size down. But don’t despair! Dresses in larger sizes are out there — they are just a little more difficult to come by.”
Stay open-minded
Before you shop for a dress, you may envision a bohemian wedding and an ethereal gown to match, but once you hit the shops you may have your heart melted by a fitted silk number that wasn’t anything like the dress you envisioned. You never know which style of dress will win you over in store, so stay open-minded when shopping.
Keep it simple
Wedding dress shopping can be overwhelming and confusing, but if you follow these simple tips, you’ll be well on your way to finding your dream wedding dress.
