Choosing a wedding dress is exciting and with a few tips you can find the right dress for you. You may have a particular style in mind but the reality is you need to choose a style that looks best on your body type. With so many types of wedding dress styles, fabrics and details to choose from you need to start with a few basic guidelines to lead you to your perfect wedding day dress.
Wedding dresses can be big and bulky or slim and sheer. So begin with what time of year is your wedding going to be, this will eliminate some dresses right away to narrow the field of choose.
Next, what type of wedding are you having, a casual affair? country theme wedding? or formal ballroom event? Where will your venue be? Your dress should fit in with your wedding theme and style.
How much do you want to spend? Most brides spend an average of $1000 to $1600 on a dress. You can spend much more or spend less, setting a budget will help guide you to your dream dress.
The most common types of wedding dresses are mermaid which has an hour glass shape with a flared out fishtail bottom and can be with or without a train. A-line is a popular dress style because it is flattering on most women. The a-line looks like an A with a fitted bodice and a skirt that flares out from the waist. The sheath dress is a straight down dress like a column and is most flattering in thin tall women. The ball gown is similar to an a-line but with a much fuller plumped out skirt.
Next think about the dress train, going back to your wedding venue and general atmosphere of your wedding will help you choose a train. More casual weddings may have no train or a simple sweep/brush train. A chapel and court train tend to drag behind the dress for a dramatic effect and can usually be bustled up for the reception. A royal train is the longest train trailing behind and may have young attendants or bridesmaids help hold the train as the bride walks down the aisle.
So now you have a dress style and train in mind, next go to your local dress shop and try on dresses with the style you picked. You may find you wanted a ball gown but a mermaid dress looks better for your figure so you may have to change your plans.
Now that you have a good idea what will look good on you shop online for the best dress for the price. Some bridal websites have standard size dresses already made to ship out and returns are easy because they just put the dress back into their inventory and resell it.
Get a great deal with online with a made to order dress. Made to order means that the dressmaker doesn’t have an inventory made up already and they make a dress when they get an order. Usually made to order dresses are not returnable because the dressmakers don’t have a warehouse or place to resell a dress. Made to order dressmakers are highly skilled and experienced producers of the dresses they sell.
With made to order dresses, the most important thing you can do is know your sizing and how to measurement so you get an accurate dress. Even if you are off a little bit, most made to order dresses have a LET SEAM which is a seam that is sewn into made to order dresses so a professional tailor can let the dress in or out by about an inch. This gives you peace of mind in case you gained or lost weight while waiting for your special date.
How much do alterations cost? the average cost can be anywhere from $50 to $150 depending on how many changes you are making.
How far in advance should you order a dress? Every bridal shop is different, you should ask the bridal site for an estimated delivery date for a dress. We suggest you give five to six months for a made to order dress. The more expensive and decorative the dress is the longer it takes to finish.
If you know what dress you want, order it now! If you wait and months go by, the bridal site may not have the dress anymore. Why is this? With the already made up dresses they make only so many and when they are sold out that's it, and they constantly replace with newer trendy dress creations. Same with made to order dresses, if the dressmaker didn’t make that many of a particular dress they may discontinue making it and replace it with a new design or they run out of special materials to make that particular dress and then they discontinue making the dress.
Why are wedding dress accessories cheaper online as opposed to a local shop? You can get the best buys online because many online bridal retailers can offer a wider selection because they don’t have to store dresses or pay storefront rent. This gives the savvy bride a wide selection to choose from and many online dress retailers can add customizations for you with made to order dresses.
So, know your venue, your style (casual? formal?) try some dress styles on, choose a train length, keep in mind the time of year so you are comfortable, get your sizing numbers to be as accurate as possible, order with plenty of time knowing you can alter the dress if needed and get a dress you can’t wait to wear!