How to buy the perfect wedding dress
You have the guy, you have the ring, and you can now picture your wedding day in your mind. While you are daydreaming do you actually see what your wedding dress will look like? You may or may not have a good idea of what your dress will look like but either way you should still be prepared for some planning, shopping and worrying over your dress purchase.
Before you start shopping you need to consider how much you are willing to spend on your wedding dress. Let me tell you right now that you can actually spend upwards of $20,000 on a wedding dress so please do not assume you do not have a budget. Whether your budget is under $1000 or under $5000 for your dress you will be able to find a wide variety of styles and designs. Many times you will find a dress in a wedding magazine made by a top designer that is very closely duplicated by a less expensive designer. Although there are not many but some wedding gown retailers will have semi annual sales to clear out their stock or you may even be fortunate enough to find a trunk sale in your area so do not worry if you cannot afford a top designer dress without forgoing those really cute favors you found. I can tell you right now, some of the most beautiful wedding gowns I have seen were purchased for less than $1000! In the past you have probably dressed up for some kind of formal occasion. What was your favorite dress? In pictures, what cut of dress has proven to be the most flattering on your body? You may envision wearing a mermaid cut gown but if you do not have a waist this is probably not the best option for you. Also consider the location and weather when narrowing down the style of dress you will search for.
If you are going to get married on a beach in July you will want to find a dress that is more lightweight without a cathedral train; if you are getting married in a 100 year old church in April you will probably want to look for a more traditional gown with a longer train and veil. Another factor on the overall style you choose should be your comfort level. If you are the kind of bride who will throw your hands up in the air like you just don’t care and dance the night away at your reception, a strapless dress may leave tugging your dress up all night long.
You may be very particular about having bare shoulders or how many layers of “fluff” line the underside of your skirt, again these are all things to be considered when choosing the style of your wedding dress. You should make an appointment to view dresses. This will ensure that when you arrive there is a salesperson ready to cater to you. When you meet with her you should let her know your budget and what style of dress you would like to look at. Remember that most wedding dress sales representative’s work on commission so they will be more than happy to show you $5000 dresses all day long. Do not be afraid to be firm if you are not being shown what you asked for. Also feel free to walk through the dresses yourself and choose a handful to try on along with the ones chosen by the sales person. You will probably want to bring at least one person with you to give you honest feedback.
If you truly think your mother is incapable of telling her princess that every dress is not made for her then you may want to bring someone else. Many times the bride to be will bring her mother, soon to be mother in law and her bridesmaids along. If you choose to bring your entourage, be prepared for a wide range of opinions. You know yourself, your family and your friends so you should know if they will truly be able to help you make this decision or if they will hinder it. Once you decide on your wedding dress you will now be faced with the alterations. Wedding dresses are made up of so many more different components than any other type of clothing that the alterations will require a professional seamstress with a great deal of experience working with wedding gowns.
There are typically three fittings: the very first, one mid way through the alterations and the final fitting. The entire process averages about six months. This is why you should begin shopping for your wedding dress at least 9 months before the big day or layer on some big bucks for a speedy alteration schedule. And last but not least most women say, “I do” and then mentally say, “I’ve got to lose 15 pounds!” It is very safe to assume that with all of the stress of living your daily life on top of planning the wedding of your dreams you may very well lose a few pounds. However, do not purchase a wedding dress a size smaller because you just know you will be able to squeeze into it before the big day. Also, once you have purchased your wedding dress do not continue to lose additional weight. At the final fitting with your seamstress she may be able to take in a little more here or there but just know these changes may not always be flattering to the actual dress design.
At the end of your magical day you should know that you looked beautiful and felt even better. Finding the perfect wedding dress will take some time and effort on your part but when you are told a thousand times that you made the most beautiful bride you will thank yourself for all of the hours you pored over those wedding magazines searching for an inspiration.
Tags: bride, wedding dress, weddings
