Buying your wedding gown is often an incomparable moment as you scour bridal boutiques looking for ‘the one’, often with a family member or closest friend. The glorious moment when you are wearing the perfect wedding dress is described as one of the most memorable moments in your life, although there are a number of questions you must ask before you even consider purchasing your dream dress.
The main dilemma is picking the style of dress you want to wear. Often, wedding boutiques will guide you in which style you would suit, taking in to consideration your figure, height and complexion, as these are all factors to include on finding your gown. The theme of your ceremony and venue are also factors worth bearing in mind. Would a quirky, vintage farmhouse be suited more to a high neck, lace gown, or a Cinderella style dress?
Most women have alterations made to their dresses just to make sure they fit beautifully, so don’t be horrified if you need a hem shortening or straps removed. Never leave alterations till the last minute, as the best seamstresses are often booked well in advance. Some boutiques may offer an in-house alteration service, so this is something you should ask as soon as you decide if your dress needs altering.
If you are wondering how many visits you should make to the bridal boutique when purchasing, the minimum amount of times is three. Usually, the first time is when you initially go and pick the dress you love, the second is when your gown arrives in store after ordering it, and the third is normally just before your big day to correct any measurements or alteration issues.
Of course, your personal wedding budget is one of the main factors in purchasing a wedding dress. It is absolutely fine to ask boutiques or stores about any last season dresses they have, as they will obviously be priced lower, or any ex-display dresses. Although some of these could need professional cleaning due to being marked down from damages, which is also something to be considered when visualising and finalising your wedding budget.
If you are wondering how much time you should leave before looking for your wedding gown after becoming engaged, the answer is none! You should start searching through boutiques, stores or online stockists from around a year before your big day, as dresses can take anywhere from six to nine months to arrive. You can’t be sure that you will find your ideal dress straight away!
Planning every detail of your wedding outfit is crucial- from jewellery to lingerie. Soon to be brides are advised to keep the underwear simple yet elegant. Of course your wedding lingerie should be a set, white or nude colours will make you feel gorgeous from inside to out. French knickers or thongs are ideal, as to avoid any signs of VPL’s!
Some boutiques offer a wedding dress package. Often, other items are included in the price. It is important to ask as bespoke detail such as embellishments can cost more, as the chances are that the price is often just the dress straight off the peg. Although, value items such as brooches or bracelets may be included in the price.
If you are dieting before your big day, it is important to be completely honest about this throughout. You will possibly need more appointments closer to your wedding date so that seamstresses can be sure that the alterations are correct, as you want to dress to be perfectly fitting absolutely everywhere! The bust and waist are the most important areas to be measured correctly as these are usually the first places that are lost weight from when dieting.