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You’re about to start the search for the one all over again. Yes, you might have thought you’d found it with your husband or wife-to-be, but there’s going to be another one: your dream wedding dress!
Finding Your Dream Dress
We hear pretty much all of our real brides gush over the moment when they found ‘the one’. It comes in many shapes and sizes and it’s not always the straightforward teary moment you’d expect. You might need to add sleeves; adjust the neckline; find the perfect veil to truly feel like a bride. But, when you put on the dress that was meant for you, you’ll know it. Trust us.
It can be a nervous journey to begin though – you’ve likely not well versed in dress designers, colours (lots of brides don’t actually wear white), or bridal boutiques, but that’s okay. We’re going to go through the process step-by-step to make it seamless and super special, just as it should be.
Tick Tock
Most wedding dresses are made to measure, just for you, so they need to be ordered well in advance of your wedding day. You should usually allow 6-8 months for this, so start looking for your dress as soon as you feel ready. Try on as many as possible to make sure you know what you don’t want as much as what you do.
Ship Shape
Gone are the days where wedding dresses mean only ball gowns. Fit and flare, mermaid, A-line, slim-fitting, separates. There are lots of different shapes available, both for the gown itself, the neckline and the train. Spend some time flicking through Wedding Ideas’ dress and fashion features and check out the beautiful collections online to get a feel for what’s out there, then go forth and try on!
Lots of brides tell us that they chose the dress shape they never ever thought they would, so be brave and try things that you don’t think you’ll like. You might be surprised!
Style Matters
The overall style and theme of your wedding tend to reflect you as a couple, so it’s probably second nature that you’ll want a dress to co-ordinate. Floating layers of tulle and chiffon will pair beautifully with your barn or bohemian wedding, while satins will stun at a chic, contemporary celebration. This is a good guide to help you match your dress to the season you’ll say “I do”, too.
Your dress needs to make you feel like you. If it ticks this box, whether it’s a timeless design or something a little quirky, you know you’ll love it. Just make sure you don’t make one of these dress shopping mistakes.
Not Only White
Dresses are often available not just in white but in ivory, antique and champagne shades too. Many brides prefer ivory to white as it offers a slightly gentler, warmer colour than bright white. Different colours will come to the forefront as fashion changes. This year we’ve fallen for blush, pale blue and romantic dove grey gowns, and there are even black dresses on the catwalks for 2017.
Boutiques
Once you’ve got an idea of what dress styles, shapes and designers you like, it’s time to visit some bridal boutiques if you haven’t already. An easy place to start is to visit those local to you. (Don’t forget to ask them these IMPORTANT dress questions!)
If you’ve fallen for a particular dress already, though, don’t miss out just because they’re not stocked at your local boutique. Most dress designers have a list of stockists on their website, so look up the one closest to you and pay a visit. It’ll be well worth the miles – you could find your dream dress and if not, at least you’ll have banished any what-ifs away.
And remember, you can still have bespoke wedding dresses made, so if the design you’re dreaming of proves hard to find, seek out quality dressmakers and see if they could make it for you.