Dream Dresses

To be perfectly honest the sooner you start shopping for your wedding dress, the better. You’ll have time to find exactly what you want, and either have the chance to save up for it or have it made to measure. You’ll also stand more of a chance of finding a bargain in a sale, which normally occur in January and midsummer.

Wedding dress shopping is a lengthy process; you will usually need to make an appointment and allow at least two hours. Each of the shops will specialise in just a few designs so, to get a good idea of the range that’s available you have to be prepared to visit quite a few of them! It takes stamina and determination, and after a while they will all start to look the same.

However, this is a major expenditure as a dress can cost anywhere from £250-£5000, and will more than likely be the most expensive outfit you will ever wear.

Here then, are a few pointers to help guide you when choosing your wedding dress and accessories -

Think back to a time when you had an evening dress that really suited you. What was it about that particular dress that made it look so good?
Ask yourself what look you want to achieve, and then bear it in mind when your trying on dresses in all those shops. Are you aiming for glamour? Innocence? Sophistication? Sex appeal?
Do you want to be Grace Kelly? Audrey Hepburn? Marilyn Monroe? Madonna? Victoria Beckham? Ru Paul?!
Always take somebody else with you, preferably two, because then you will get more than one opinion, and at least they can talk amongst themselves whilst you’re being pinned into yet another long white frock!
It’s considered bad luck to try on an entire wedding outfit before the actual wedding day, so you can always keep the shoes separate until the last minute, and just wear a pair with the same heel height. It’s very important to see the dress with the head-dress, veil gloves, wrap, jewellery and even a mock bouquet to find out whether the whole look is going to work.
When you’re trying on dresses make sure you’re wearing a strapless bra and pale tights or hold-ups. It’s hard to make a decision if you’ve got a blue bra strap hanging out at the top and black tights showing at the bottom.
On the wedding day, plan your underwear both before and after you put the dress on. It has been known for an unfortunate bride to walk up the aisle in a backless dress with the red mark from the bra she’d taken off clearly visible to the whole congregation. If you have any doubts, don’t wear a bra at all until you get into the dress.
When it comes to wedding jewellery, less is usually more, especially if you’re wearing a very glittery headpiece. Remember to switch your engagement ring from your left hand to your right hand before you leave for the ceremony. Try this out in advance and, if it’s too small to fit on your right hand, ask one on your bridesmaids to look after it until after the ceremony. You’ll need it on the outside of your wedding ring for the photographs.
If you are getting married in a religious setting, bear in mind that some churches and temples will not allow bear shoulders or even bear arms, so check this out in advance.
Another reason for covering up is the weather. If you’re having a winter wedding, give some thought to how you will keep warm as you go from the bridal car to the ceremony and from the ceremony to the reception. Some big churches are pretty chilly too. You have been warned!
Make sure the dress is actually wearable. Wedding receptions are getting longer and more elaborate, so it’s not unusual to be wearing your dress for 12 hours or more!