So Many Options, So Little Time!

Wedding Dress Styles:

Silhouette: A-line, ballgown, mermaid, sheath, trumpet
Bodice: Corset, empire, sash or banded, dropped waist, natural waist, asymmetrical
Sleeves: strapless, sleeveless, 3/4 length, long, cap, spaghetti, tank
Neckline: strapless, sweetheart, halter, ‘V’, scoop, jewel, off-the-shoulder

With the endless options available, how do you know which style of wedding dress is right for you? Start by envisioning your wedding day. Outside in a garden during the day? In a church at night? Your setting helps decide how formal or informal you would like the gown to be. Also, do you like lace, beads, or sparkle? Or do you like simpler designs and prefer better fabrics like silk?

Next, pick certain features that you would like to accentuate and certain features you would not.  Keep in mind your body structure. For example, great shoulders or a long neck would look great in a strapless neckline. Petite brides look great in A-line in an A-line or trumpet style.

When shopping for your gown, call ahead to see if you need an appointment. A full-service store will sit down and talk with you about your style preference. Bring pictures of what dresses you think you would like. This gives the consultant a better idea of what styles to show you. Keep an open mind if your consultant pulls gowns that you might not have thought of. And don’t be disappointed if the styles you thought you would like on you during your first look, don’t look as great as you thought they would.

And don’t forget about color. Many gowns today come in ivory, champagne, light gold, pearl, rum, and café. Most brides don’t wear the stark white, as they are finding out the ivory and champagne colors look better on their skin tones. Pale blondes and redheads tend to look better in the pearl or rum colors.