Choosing your Wedding Dress

Some might say the focal point of your entire wedding. You, wearing your wedding dress, is going to be the center of attention for much of the day (and night) so choosing the right wedding gown is an extremely important decision.

There are so many factors to consider when deciding on your wedding dress, but the most important things are:

Your wedding dress budget

There is no point falling in love with a Vera Wang orginal masterpiece if you only have a budget of $1000. So instead of putting yourself through the agony of lusting after designer wedding dresses which are totally unatainable, sort out how much you have to spend and only look at dresses in your price range. It will save so much heartache in the long run!

Your wedding theme

Depending on the theme and location of your wedding, some wedding dresses gowns are going to be more suitable than others. If you’re having a casual beach wedding then a gown with a 10 meter long cathedral train is not really practical, not saying you can’t have whatever dress you want, but imagine dragging all that fabric through the sand!

If you’re going for an elegant, modern wedding then a halter neck satin sheath gown might be a great idea. You must choose a wedding dress that suits your personality and fits in with your wedding theme.

Your body type

Unfortunately all wedding dresses are not created equally. There are about four main styles of wedding gowns, the empire, ballgown, sheath, mermaid. The empire and ballgown dresses are the most forgiving as your lower half is hidden in layers of fabric. However if you’ve got the figure to pull it off then sheath and mermaid gowns can look stunning!

The fabric

Traditionally a wedding dress is made from fabrics such as tulle, organza, satin and silk. There are so many variations to these fabrics and the same design bridal dresses can look completely different when made with each fabric, so always check with your dress maker or bridal shops what fabric is best for you.

Remember wedding dress shopping is supposed to be an enjoyable time and most of us only do it once so have fun!

If you don’t have a huge budget, you can find cheap wedding dresses online at sites such as Trade Me and E-Bay, in most cases the dresses are in brand new condition (since they have only been worn once!) and you can find amazing bargains on designer wedding dresses, sometimes at half the retail price!

Your Bridal Gown Style

Your bridal gown has a lot to live up to, as guests will be buzzing with excitement to see it. The perfect gown will accentuate your good points and minimize any flaws. It will also give you confidence, as well as being comfortable to wear and utterly gorgeous!

Petite and Slender

Empire-line dresses have a seam just below the bust and fall away to the floor. It’s a style that suits slim and smaller-busted women. A column dress with a high neck is a style that can be pulled off by those blessed with a slight figure. Steer clear of ball gowns, which can swamp a petite figure.

Untoned arms

If you feel self-conscious of your arms, don’t show them. Either opt for a bridal gown with full sleeves, or choose a sleeveless dress, but cover your arms with a pretty jacket, shrug or wrap for a hint of movie-star glamour.

Hourglass figure

Consider a halter-neck bridal gown, which gives the illusion of extending the shoulder line and balancing out the lower body. A two-piece works well if your bust is smaller than your hips. A bodice married with a ballerina-style skirt gives the figure a better proportion. Avoid straight or bias-cut designs, which magnify the hips and bottom.

Generous bust

A strapless bridal gown can look bewitching on a curvy figure, but you will need some extra support in the bust area. A V-shaped or scooped neckline (not too plunging) is also flattering. Avoid high necklines, which make breasts appear larger.

Womanly tummy

An A-line bridal gown if perfect. This style flares out from the waist and hides a multitude of sins! Many A-line dresses have vertical seams running from the top of the dress to the bottom, so there are no seams across the dress at the tummy area. Leave the beading to the upper part of your dress. Avoid bows or sashes around the waist, as they will only add bulk.

More and more people are now choosing an outdoor wedding site for their wedding ceremony. It may be a garden, a city park, by the lake or any other conveyable outdoor wedding location. There are a few factors to take into consideration when planning an outdoor wedding.

Wedding attire should match the wedding style and arrangement for one thing. In an outdoor wedding, the marrying couple does not have to adhere to the usual formal wedding attire worn in a church building wedding. But nothing is written anywhere that because you are engaging in an outdoor wedding you cannot opt to wear formal wedding attire – although some of the traditional wedding dresses may not be comfortable or may be very awkward to wear for an outdoor wedding.

An outdoor wedding gives the wedding couple, and their guests and visitors the opportunity to wear casual dress where they feel they can be comfortable and at ease.
Although there may be some people that consider outdoor weddings to be casual, there are also some people who still consider it as a formal event. For any wedding celebration may it be a church wedding or an outdoor wedding, the ideal dress for the bride would be a white bridal gown. In such a case, the bride may choose a bridal gown that she thinks will suit her best. It does not have to be a long flowing traditional wedding gown so long as it is appropriate with the wedding set-up.
A simple outdoor tea length dress or may be an ankle length dress would be fashionable enough for a beach wedding and there is no necessity of wearing it white. Any color depending on the season in which the wedding is held, will be alright. Casual wedding dresses, should also be matched with a simple hairstyle, make-up, jewelry and other accessories -and the footwear should not be disregarded either.

Guests and visitors intending to attend an outdoor or casual wedding may get confused as to what kind of attire they should wear.  If invitations had been sent to the invited guest, specifically mentioning what kind of attire should be worn; it should be the responsibility of the guest to follow the wedding dress code imposed on attending guests and visitors to the wedding. If the invitation was done verbally, they should be informed as to what kind of attire they should wear for the wedding. If the bride and groom do not intend to wear traditional wedding attire, even the guests, they do not have to wear formal dresses like cocktail dresses and the like.

However, this does not mean that wearing jeans is appropriate in attending outdoor weddings. For lady guests, a blouse and a skirt or maybe a nice casual dress could be appropriate enough to wear in an outdoor wedding or a casual wedding. It would be great fun to experiment with a range of other color when planning what to wear on a casual or an outdoor wedding.

Khaki pants paired with a white buttoned down shirts would be appropriate for the male guests to wear, or they may choose any other color provided it does not appear too formal. Though jeans may also be allowed in outdoor and casual wedding, do not just do it yourself unless the wedding invitation said so.  Wear the best that you think is appropriate for the occasion. Do not be afraid to experiment and be creative, but do not exaggerate and see to it that you never go out of style.