The perfect wedding dress can get you a lot of things – compliments, confidence, happiness and picture-perfect memories. It is one of the things you need to make your big day perfect. Your overall look should create a picture that makes heads swivel in admiration of your beauty. Nonetheless, finding the perfect wedding dress – one that you will look at in a glance and say “this is the one.”, is a highly tedious process.
Wedding dresses come in different shapes, lengths and sizes. Most times, the wedding dress dictates the other choices of the bride. For example, the type of dress will determine the accessories, shoes, purse and even make-up. This means that picking the perfect wedding dress is the secret to pulling off a flawless wedding look. Once you get through the stress of the selecting the right dress, making other choices is usually a breeze.
Now, how do you pick a dress that accentuates your body type? One that is also within your budget range? To get the perfect wedding dress, your style and budget are important factors you must put into consideration. At the end of this article, you will understand everything you need to find the perfect dress for your dream wedding.
1. Know Your Body Shape:
The perfect wedding dress is one that accentuates your figure. For this to happen, you need to understand your shape and identify your best features. You need a gown that will highlight your hips and bust, and not hide them. If you have small sized boobs, you need either a deep V neckline or a gown with a padded bust.
For a shoulder that is slightly bigger than the hips, we recommend that you go for a ball gown. If it is the other way round, a fit and flare gown will work best. This is the first point because, after this, you can easily decide on what type of dress to go for, how much it costs and where to get it.
2. Know How You Want To Look:
Understanding how you want your dress to make you feel is a decision that you must make to get the right dress choice. Do you want to look sexy, modern, chic or traditional? Or perhaps you want your dress to have a more vintage feel? Your mood and sense of style will largely influence your decision.
Every one has their unique sense of style which is why we dress in different ways. Try to narrow down your options as best as you can as having too many options can make you indecisive when choosing your perfect wedding dress. When you finally decide, try to seek a second opinion.
Another option that you may want to consider is the wedding style concepts that people are familiar with. This guides you on what to do. Once you locate your concept, you will find your dress. You can also share your idea with your gown consultant, who can show you wedding dress styles that match the feeling you wish to evoke on your wedding day. This can make the process faster as the decision needs both logical and emotional perspectives.
3. Draw Up A Budget:
Let us talk about money. Having N200k set aside for your wedding dress does not mean your dress will be exactly that amount. Pad your budget with unforeseen expenses like shipping fee (if you are not buying off-the-rack) and refund fee, if you are renting. It is not a thing of joy to find your perfect gown and then realize you do not have enough money for it. Make sure you are checking out gowns within your budget range. If you find a dress that is above your budget, create a payment plan to avoid feeling overwhelmed or getting saddled with debt.
4. Begin Your Search Early:
One useful tip will be to start looking for the perfect wedding dresses about nine months to a year before your wedding date, if possible. If you are ordering a designer gown, it could be placed six to nine months in advance to guarantee that there is enough time for delivery and adjustments. You are not doing too much when you start your search early. With this, you will be saving yourself from disappointments and situations that you could have avoided.
You can look up brands that sell wedding dresses and make contact with them. Some brands rent out wedding dresses, depending on your budget and preference. It is also possible that there may have been some alterations during the planning, and the dress was not ordered on time. For rush orders like this, you may have to suggest a payment top-up to the seller to bring you on the favourite customer list. In other words, pay for the emergency and rush.
5. Familiarize Yourself With Wedding Dress Styles:
Do you know that wedding gowns are of different types? They are called Wedding Gown Silhouettes. It is advisable to familiarize yourself with the silhouettes before going shopping.
Bridal gown silhouettes fall into six broad categories:
Ball gowns
Empire gowns
A-line gowns
Sheath gowns
Fit-and-flare gowns
Mermaid gowns.
After you have found the gown type that suits your body shape, you will have to choose between different designs of the same gown type. Try them all on when you go shopping for your gown. Select one that meets your satisfaction in terms of design pattern, embroidery, color, size, comfort and fitting. Selecting the silhouette you want to wear will help narrow down the huge range of gown options. From there, you can decide on secondary criteria, such as neckline length, sleeves, embellishments, and texture. Be sure to communicate your feedback to your consultant after you have made your choice.
6. Test Your Dress Again:
Test how comfortable a prospective gown is by moving around in it — sit down, dance, and walk up and down the store aisles. It is advisable to test your dress again a few weeks before the wedding. This is because you may have fluctuated in size. If this happens, the dress will not fit perfectly anymore. Testing your dress on time gives you time to adjust it back to perfection. You will need to communicate with the dress store for adjustments. If your friends try to persuade you into managing a gown, kindly let them know how you feel. Do not assume that you will hurt their feelings by rejecting a recommended dress you do not like. Give your constructive criticism and move on.
After you have downloaded a million pictures from Pinterest, remember that you will be wearing one wedding dress, so do not fall into the trap of being hell-bent on a particular picture you saw online. A picture-perfect dress may look flat on you in real life and vice-versa. Follow your gut; choose a dress that is flattering to your body, rather than what is trending. If a gown is so tight that breathing seems like a luxury, let it go.
In the end, choose the perfect wedding dress- one that feels right for you, and no one else.
Did you find this post enlightening? Let us know in the comment section. Also, bookmark www.naijacupidweddings.com for more insightful wedding planning tips.
