It’s almost ALL about the wedding dress!
There is so much to think about when planning your big day and what’s more, there’s so much that you need to think about in relation to each other. When you’re rifling through wedding day inspiration, pinning like mad and coming up with your dream theme, colour scheme and décor, remember that all of your choices will also have to reflect in your final wedding dress selection.
When you’re finally taking the plunge to choose your wedding dress, the pressure is on to get it just right – you do only get to wear one after all! Make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to browse different designers and styles and don’t forget that the average wedding dress takes around 6 months to make once you’ve found it, so you’ll probably want to start the hunt 8-10 months in advance.
With so many things to take into account, it can be tough to know where to start. Follow my top tips on wedding dress shopping to find out how to choose your wedding dress and know it’s the right one…
Consider ALL factors
There are so many things that play a part in selecting the perfect wedding dress for your big day, some of which are not so obvious. As a bridal hair and makeup artist with over 25 years of experience, I have had the pleasure of working with hundreds (maybe thousands?!) of brides-to-be so I’ve heard just about all wedding dress dilemmas!
When you’re making your decision, here are 3 key points to think about:
Wedding Dress Comfort
Yes, you want to look drop dead gorgeous, but whatever you do, don’t let that come at the expense of your comfort – you can have the best of both worlds! You want your day to be nothing but pure joy, and wearing a wedding dress that makes you feel uncomfortable in any sense (whether that’s down to restricted breathing, tripping up on long skirts, the feel of the material or wearing something that just isn’t really ‘you’) is one sure-fire way to put a downer on your wedding day.
Find a wedding dress that not only looks fabulous, but feels fabulous too. I’ve fallen in love with these vintage dresses designed by Candy Anthony!
The Groom
I’m not just talking about finding a dress that your fiancé will think looks beautiful, you also need to factor it what he wants to wear (it’s his day too!) and almost more importantly, his height and stature. Shoes and hairstyle also play a big part here! If you and your groom don’t have much difference in height but you would both rather have him looking and feeling taller than you on your big day, then you might find a smaller dress works better. You should also consider his outfit – is he going to be wearing a suit? Or perhaps a kilt or other traditional dress?
To look your best together as you say your ‘I dos’, stay well coordinated in both colour and style.
Venue/Destination
Always settle on your venue or travel destination before making a final decision on your wedding dress. It may seem obvious to some, but it is so easy to get caught up in that dream wedding dress idea and end up going for something that, when it comes down to it, is totally inappropriate. If you’re planning on tying the know abroad then check out our destination wedding tips here.
If you’ve always been dead-set on wearing a huge, ball gown wedding dress with a cathedral veil, then perhaps it’s time to say goodbye to getting married on a beach in the Maldives. Decide what is the most important aspect to you and go with that, but whatever you do, make sure that your dress is suitable for your venue, don’t try to make something work that in your heart you know won’t – trust your instincts!
