How Do You Know You Have Chosen The Right Wedding Dress?

Choosing the right wedding dress is a big task for every bride.  It is not like shopping for clothes at your local store.  There are many things to consider when choosing your dress.

Here is a brief Guide to Shopping For Your Wedding Dress.

With bridal dress styles all over the map, start by browsing through Pinterest for looks you like and make a dress board to Pin to.  This will help you find dresses with features you like.

After reviewing your Pins, narrow it down to styles that fit you, how do you want to portray your bridal image on the big day?  Some thoughts to think about are - am I going to be comfortable wearing a dress that is revealing? puffy? has a long train? is tight conforming to my body? Use these thoughts to save the realistic Pins of what you think you would like to wear.

The next thing to consider is your budget.  Decide on how much you can spend on a wedding dress and stick to it.  Today you can find a wide range of styles in almost any budget so compromising style for price shouldn't be an issue.

Wedding dresses have very specific forms unlike your everyday clothing. Some of the most popular wedding dress styles are the A Line.  The A Line dress silhouette is flattering on most female body types and can be worn easily in many fabrics with all sorts of sleeve and neckline variations.  Next is the Mermaid dress which is best on slender figures, this dress silhouette flatters the hips area where it comes in tight around the body and down through the legs with a flare out at the bottom just like a Mermaid fishtail looks like.  The Trumpet dress is similar to the Mermaid but it is not as tight fitting and a little more forgiving the wear on larger body types.  For the very slender, the Straight Sheath or Column dress is just what it sound like.  A straight down dress with no volume to the skirt.  A less popular dress style is the Ball Gown, just like it sounds, this is a full floaty skirt with a big attitude at the party.

Another big wedding dress trend for today's modern bride is the Wedding Jumpsuit.  These Wedding Jumpsuits are usually one piece with pants and bodice in full floor length or capri style.  They are practical, comfortable and a great alternative to traditional gowns.  You can even travel in them if necessary.

Bridal dresses can also vary in lengths of the dress. A typical gown is floor length but you can opt for a Tea length dress which falls just below the knees or the popular Mini Wedding Dress which is a mini dress, usually a fun flattering casual wedding dress style.

Looking back at your Pins, once you have decided your budget and gown style, now you can narrow in on the particulars of what you like.  Do you like lace?  silky material? tulle?  Keep in mind what is most important to you - are you looking for comfort? are you looking to WOW the guests? do you want to float into the reception in a full ball gown skirt?  is the train important to you?  

Next, Choose your favorite fabric and the details will come together as to what the fabric will practically support.   For example, a silk dress will not lend itself to many sequins or bead work. Lace and tulle are better for those embellishments.

Other details will be sleeve length, neckline and back of the dress stylings.  The more conservative dresses have a scoop or straight neckline which is not revealing.  To have a more daring wedding dress, choose a V neckline or a busty Sweetheart neckline which is flattering to your bosom if you want to enhance that part of your bridal look.  Popular today is the Deep V or Plunge V neckline.  Many do not know that dresses with these necklines have a flesh tone mesh netting in between the breasts to keep the V part secure.  It may be hard to see in photos but most wedding dresses have them.

The other item many brides are not aware of is that most wedding dresses under $1000.00 have bra pads in the bra area to cover the breasts, it's not a full bra.  This is to make a discreet coverage without compromising the dress style.

Let's talk about Sleeves! Some of this depends on the time of year your wedding is going to occur. Long or short sleeves, you can have illusion lace sleeves, cap sleeves which are short, or no sleeves or no sleeves with shoulder straps.  It really is a person preference item.

Now the back of dress is overlooked by many but it a source of great dress real estate to really customize your wedding day style and up the WOW dress factor.  Let's start with the back bodice dress portion.  For a dramatic look, choose an illusion back with covered buttons.  This means the back bodice is lace or see through mesh netting and buttons are sewn into it to cascade down the back that stands out for a dramatic effect.  Other enhances can be the Deep V Back which can be very wide open or narrow depending on how daring you are.  Deep V backs can also stop in different locations like at the waist or dip a little lower for that sexy reveal. Other back options are the KeyHole opening which is a sweet romantic look.

Keep in mind your train style when deciding about the back of your dress. Some questions to ask yourself - how long a train do I want?  would I like it to be detachable? would I like it to have embellishments like a lace hemline or scalloped edge? do I want to bustle it for the reception?

Most brides opt for the Sweep/Brush train which is the most easy to wear and deal with, it is a small train that sweeps out around the bottom of the dress and is not very long.  More formal wedding dresses usually have a chapel or cathedral train which is a long train and you may need attendant to assist with the train during the ceremony and have a way to bustle it up after for your reception party.

Lastly, make sure you give yourself enough time to find and receive your dream dress.  Wedding dress production varies from 20 days to 8 weeks depending on the dress, number of orders ahead of you and shipping schedules.