The Perfect Dress
Baria Bailey
As a bride prepares for her special day, one of her most exciting and important tasks is finding the perfect wedding dress. For even the most fashion-forward bride, the experience can be overwhelming. The plethora of wedding dress choices and designers available can make the process less than thrilling. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. Armed with the right information, your search for your dream dress and veil doesn’t have to be stressful or unnerving. From who should join you on your quest to finding the best dress for your body shape and wedding style, here’s what you need to know.
Define your style
There are lots of beautiful gowns out there, but not all are right for your wedding or your figure. The style of dress that might be perfect for a beach wedding, for example, won’t be appropriate for a black-tie affair. Or you may want to wear a 20’s-style flapper dress, but the cut may not be the most flattering on you. Look through magazines and clip out photos of dresses that might be a good fit for you on your special day. In addition, since most designers have their current and previous collections available for viewing on their websites, you can visit the designer’s homepage for a quick sampling of their gowns before you head to a bridal shop. Print out photos of dresses that catch your eye and keep them with your magazine clippings. These examples will come in handy during your appointments at bridal salons.
When choosing your wedding dress, it’s important to know what styles normally look great on you; this will help you choose a dress that can accentuate your best assets and hide any flaws. Rani Totman, designer and president of St. Pucchi, recommends A-line dresses as an all-around flatterer. “The A-line is the most classic and versatile cut, at the same time the most attractive on all figures,” says Totman. For brides who have a straight-shaped body, she recommends bateau necklines or strapless dresses with a dropped-waist bodice and a full box pleated skirt to add curves.
If you have minimal curves, a sheath dress may be your best bet, or if you’re concerned about heavy arms, a caplet or dress with sleeves might work. Ultimately, you want to find a dress that complements your figure.
Besides the style and fit, fabric is another key factor in selecting your dream wedding dress. Looking for and investing in quality fabric makes a world of a difference in how good you’ll look. You’ll have lots of luxurious fabrics to choose from, including Italian silk, Duchesse satin, and silk taffeta, organza and tulle.
Leave the entourage at home
The more the merrier isn’t necessarily true when it comes to shopping for a bridal gown. While it’s wise to take a trusted friend or relative with you during your dress search, multiple opinions can confuse you and make it harder to make a firm decision about the dress you want.
Many brides experience the pitfalls of bringing along too many friends on wedding dress shopping trips. “I thought that including all of my bridesmaids would be fun, but it was a nightmare,” says Scarlett, a recent bride. “None of them had the same opinion on one dress that looked best on me. Instead of enjoying the experience of trying on all those gorgeous gowns, I ended up refereeing a bunch of petty arguments. If I had just taken my mother and my best friend things would have been much easier.”
Julie Sabatino, bridal stylist and founder of The Stylist Bride, agrees. “Bringing along just two people who can give you an honest opinion without imposing their own personal vision is key,” says Sabatino.
Limit your search
You’ll fight a losing battle visiting every bridal salon in your area and looking through every dress rack. Searching too much prolongs the process and is totally unnecessary. Simply narrow your choice to designers and shops that carry the dresses you’re looking for. Save yourself valuable time and energy by calling the salon or checking out their website before you visit. Ask about the designers they have on hand and price range of the gowns. Depending on their responses you’ll know whether or not that shop is a place for you.
Don’t rule out the first dress you try on
I adored the very first wedding dress tried on. It fit my body flawlessly and felt like it was tailor-made. However, I was convinced there might be something better out there, so I continued to look further just in case. Two shops and two days later, I ended up back where I started – with the dress I initially loved. However, it’s wise to wait a day or two after visiting another dress shop before making your final decision. Purchasing a wedding dress is a big financial and personal commitment, and it’s a good idea to do a bit of comparison shopping.
Once you’ve made the decision to buy the dress, you don’t want to suffer from buyer’s remorse. It’s okay to want the first dress you try on if it fits all of your pre-search criteria. Almost every bride will tell you that you’ll know you’ve found the dress the instant you try it on. Now that you’ve chosen your bridal gown, you can let out a sigh of relief – you’ve accomplished the biggest task of your wedding planning.
Finally…the headpiece or veil
Fortunately, the process of choosing a headpiece or veil to best suit the bride and her gown need not be overly time consuming. However, the bride should try on lots of headpieces and veils at her initial dress fitting. They shouldn’t overshadow or cover any special detailing on the dress. Simple and classic gowns can look spectacular with either an unadorned or ornate headpiece/veil. Elaborate dresses look best with simple ones. The headpiece/veil shouldn’t draw more attention than the dress, but accentuate it and be in proportion to the gown.
Check online for pictures of veils and headpieces, and photos of models wearing them with a variety of dresses and hairstyles. This can help you determine which look is best suited for you.
For every bride, the process of choosing her dress should be as fulfilling as the joy she feels when she announces her engagement. After all, nothing compares to the way she’ll feel and look as she walks down the aisle.