Choosing a wedding gown is one of the most fun tasks for the bride-to-be. Ooohing
and Ahhing over gorgeous dresses is possibly the most exciting part of getting
prepared for your wedding day. But deciding just which dress you want to be
remembered in (for the rest of your life!) is the hard part.
The following tips will help you make the process of selecting a dress a pleasant
experience. Your wedding gown isn’t something you want to rush out and
buy at the last minute. Do a lot of catalog and window shopping in advance to
help give yourself a better idea of what you’re looking for.
Dress according to the weather. If you’re getting married in January,
you probably wouldn’t feel very comfortable in a sleeveless wedding gown.
In fact, you’ll probably be very cold. In addition to the style of the
dress, you’ll also want to consider the material of the dress. Some lace
materials may look very elegant, but they may be very irritating to the skin.
Stick with something that you’ll feel comfortable in throughout the day.
We can’t emphasize this enough: Don’t wait for the last minute to
select a wedding gown. You should start shopping for your dress about a year
in advance to your big day. Why so much time in advance? Because most gowns
need to be ordered approximately 4-6 months in advance. And fittings take a
lot of time!
You look beautiful just the way you are! Don’t plan on purchasing a wedding
gown two sizes smaller because you intend to be ten pounds thinner by your wedding
day. It’s a really good idea to order the gown in your size. If you do
shed a few pounds, great! Just remember: It’s a lot cheaper to take a gown
in than to have it let out an inch here and an inch there.
Does this gown look okay on me? Whenever you’re in doubt, bring your girlfriends
along. Nevertheless, make sure that your friends feel comfortable telling you
the ‘truth.’ If you try on a gown that doesn’t flatter your figure–you
want them to tell you.
Never dismiss something the bridal shop staff recommends. They know what they’re
doing (most of the time). Something that may not looking appealing on a hanger,
may look great on you! If the staff is trying to help you find what you’re
looking for, be as specific as possible when describing your dream-gown.
“I’ll take that one,” are words I hope you never say–without
trying the gown on. Try every gown in that bridal shop on–until you find
‘the one.’
Be brave and sneak a peek at the price tag. Is the wedding gown in your budget?
Before you say ‘yes,’ there are several things to consider: accessories
to go with the gown, including: shoes, a headpiece, jewelry, and undergarments.
In addition, there may be last minute alterations needed for your gown. Keep
all of these things in mind before you slap your credit card down on the counter.
It’s important to note that most deposits on weddings gowns are non-refundable.
With that said, you must be absolutely certain that you’ve found the perfect
wedding gown before you commit to the deposit. Or you’ll always wonder”
what if–you wore that other dress.
