GETTING the right wedding dress is essential!
If you get your look right you will forever be remembered as a princess on your big day. However, if you get it wrong then you could end up being likened to a toilet dolly.
Buying my wedding dress was the easiest part of planning my wedding. I knew exactly what I wanted- it had to be simple, elegant but it had to have some serious bling on it, and that's exactly what I got.
I believe when you try on the dress that you will walk down the aisle in you just know it's meant to be. I tried on eight different gowns and each one was very pretty, but I didn't just want a 'very pretty' dress, I wanted one that was stunning.
I took my mum shopping with me and when I walked out of the dressing room wearing it she got very emotional and said: "You look like a princess." That was the exact reaction I was looking for.
My wedding dress was the very first item I bought as our wedding planning got into gear. I think if you get your dress ASAP then the rest of the wedding planning will slot into place.
When buying a wedding dress there are 10 things you need to think about:
Set a budget:
As I mentioned before, when planning a wedding you really do have to set a budget and that includes working out how much you are willing to spend on a wedding dress. On the high street prices can range between £300-£3000. If you have loads of money and you are willing to spend £3000 then by all means go for it. I personally don't think you should spend any more than £2000 on a dress- I even think that is too much.
My gorgeous wedding dress was by the designer Mori Lee and it cost £650. It was simply beautiful and I couldn't believe it when the bridal shop owner told me the dress cost under £1000. When I set out shopping that day I knew I couldn't afford anything more than £1500, and I was over the moon when my gorgeous gown came under budget.
Research different designs:
There are so many different wedding dress designers out there that when I went online to have a look it all felt a bit overwhelming.
At one point I actually felt like crying because I was swamped with websites and designers I'd never heard of before because I'm not a fashionista.
So to save you the trouble here are a few of my favourite wedding dress designers you can Google to get an idea of the style of gown you want to wear on your big day.
Their prices range from £650- £4500:
Mori Lee
Victoria Jane
Ronald Joyce
Lou Lou
Donna Salado
Hayley Paige
Pronovias
Rosa Clara
Nicole Spose
Lusan Mandongus
Make several appointments
Different bridal salons specialise in different wedding dress designers so it's important to make appointments at several different shops to give you a taste of what is out there.
Go to a bridal store that is run on an appointment basis rather than you being allowed to just drop by. The reason being is that if you go to a shop that has you down as an appointment then they are more likely to take better care of your needs, and they won't rush you in order to see the next customer.
Usually appointment slots last 2 hours as it takes time to try on dresses and discuss with your wedding entourage what you all think.
Decide who will go with you:
When you are going to look at wedding dresses then it's important to take someone with you who will tell you the truth. Because let's face it, you don't want to look ridiculous on your big day so you need someone who has your best interests at heart.
That means if your sister or best friend can sometimes have a green-eyed monster consume them, then don't let them go with you.
You have to be able to trust someone's judgement, that's why I took my mum with me.
My mum says what she sees and is not backward in coming forward with her opinions. Sometimes what she says can sting a bit, so I knew she was the right person to come dress shopping with me as she always tells me the truth, whether I like it or not.
There is no way she would kiss my arse and tell me I look beautiful in every single dress I tried on, because I didn't.
Try different styles:
You may have it in your head that your body shape suits a particular style of dress. You may be completely right but please just allow yourself to go with the flow and try different cuts of dress on.
The bridal salon owner or the assistant are the experts, so take their advice on board and try on different looks as you may be in for a very pleasant surprise.
I originally wanted a halter neck dress- instead I opted for a beautiful Grecian style dress.
It wasn't the style I thought would be best for me, but I went with the expert's advice and in the end it was the best style for me.
Not is all it seems:
The wedding dress I wore on my big day was not the one I had picked out online. In fact, I had seen the dress I wore several times on various bridal websites but I ruled it out as it looked a bit plain in the pictures. However, when I saw it for real I was blown away by it.
When looking for a wedding dress it is really important to keep an open mind as many girls fantasise about a dress they have seen in a brochure or online but when they have come face-to-face with it they are left disappointed as it is not what it seemed in the pictures.
After speaking to a few bridal shop owners it seems this happens a lot. So when you are on the look out for a wedding dress please choose a few.
It's best to have at least a couple of ideas as to what you like, just in case one doesn't look right, or the style of dress doesn't suit your figure.
Buy a dress size that you are just now:
NEVER buy yourself a wedding dress in a size that is smaller than you are at that moment in the shop. In fact, some bridal shop owners will just refuse to sell you a dress a size less than your current frame.
All brides say they will lose weight for their big day. They will have a perfect size in mind, but sometimes it doesn't work out like that. I lost weight for my wedding but it wasn't as much as I had hoped. My dress still fit me perfectly as I got it in the size I was when I handed the money over.
You can always alter a dress and make it smaller, but you are screwed if you are bigger than your dress will allow.
Tiara or veil?
For many brides a veil symbolises a wedding and that is why they choose one. In picking out a wedding veil make sure that it will suit your wedding gown and the theme of your wedding. Traditional veils are very formal and usually measure around three and a half yards long. Veils nowadays come in various lengths. There is even a shoulder length flyaway type that is preferred by many modern brides.
For me though, I wanted to look like a princess and I love anything that sparkles so I just had to have a tiara. I got mine from a bridal store and it cost me £80, but you can get them online cheaper. Or you can ask one of your friends if you can use theirs- that could be your 'something borrowed'.
There are lots of different tiaras to choose from though, please make sure you get one which suits your dress, head size and the kind of hairstyle you are thinking about.
Get a good seamstress:
Once you have bought your dream wedding dress now it is time to find yourself a good seamstress to make your gown fit your body perfectly.
More often than not, the bridal salon where you get your dress will recommend someone, if not then get on Facebook and ask your friends for suggestions.
As soon as you have your dress then call the seamstress and book in your dress fitting appointments. It all depends on how much work is required on the dress as to how many times you will have to visit your seamstress.
My dress was fairly simple so I only had to see her twice before I picked up my completed dress.
However, be warned that the alteration of your dress will cost you a few hundred pounds. My dress cost £300 to alter which I was quite shocked about as I hadn't budgeted for that cost.
Be patient!
At one point I got really disheartened when I left the seamstress as my gown was all pinned and it just didn't look right on me.
You just have to be patient as they are the experts in wedding dress fitting. However, when I went back for the final fitting appointment I was over the moon as my dress fitted me perfectly and it was just what I had imagined.
It is just the same when you go to view a house you are wanting to buy and the décor is awful- you just have to imagine how it will look once you decorate it the way you want, and what it will look like when you have your furniture in it.
You really have to trust your seamstress as it will all come together and your dress will look amazing.
