So in Part One I covered the basics, Part Two I covered the Venue, Part 3 was the registrar, music and readings.
Following the list of my must haves I gave you all in the first post, this one is going to be abou
THE DRESS!!!
Above anything else my biggest tip for finding the right dress is to have FUN!! you are only supposed to do this once so when you go to try on dresses have fun.
Top Tips:
Do your research. I keep saying it but you are spending a lot of money on this one day so you need to do the research and planning to get the best day for you.
Know your body shape. Look at dresses you already own what sort of shapes have suited you in the past? look online at bridal sites, Pornovias, Maggie Sottero and Agnes Bridal have loads of different shapes and styles you can look at to see if anything inspires you. They also list stockists so if you like a particular dress then you can see if a local shop has it.
Make sure you try on all sorts of different styles as what looks nice on a hanger or model might look awful on you and vice versa.
Tell the shop assistant you are not sure why style you suit. Even if you know what you think you want if you say you don't then you can try anything on and ask what they think will suit you. These women have been doing this a long time and have seen all the dresses on so they might have a hidden gem that you would overlook.
Make sure it is you! the last thing you want to do is look back in 10 years and think OMG what on earth was I thinking. Some styles of dress will age that is inevitable but so long as the dress is you and when you look back you think yes it suited me then who cares.
Take appropriate underwear! best choice would probably be a nice strapless nude bra that way it will not interfere with any style of bodice you try on.
Take appropriate shoes! if you dont have yours take some form of heel height that might be similar to what you are planning to wear. Not all shops might have your size you could borrow. We hold our bodies different when we have heels on and it makes for a more complete experience.
Now the fun part:
Silhouette
Neckline
Sleeve
Bodice
Train
Fabric
Silhouette:
Your main contenders are: Ballgown, A line, slim/modified A line, trumpet, mermaid, sheath, tea length and mini.
Ballgown is your typical fillet bodice then a skirt that flares from the hip dramatically. This is a big style so can be overwhelming and really would suit a big venue. This is your princess dress ... make sure you try at least one of these on even just to give you and the girls a laugh.
A line again fitted bodice but this slopes away in an A shape from the hip more naturally then a ballgown. There is a lot less volume on the skirt its really more of a gentle slope then the flare of a ballgown. Beautiful style that will suit a majority of body shapes.
Modified/slim A line: as above its a gentle slope out but this style would be from more mid thigh its somewhere between a A line and a trumpet/mermaid. This will suit a lot of body types but be careful if you don't like your bum. This would give more balance to a girl who is not very busty then a mermaid.
Trumpet: fitted bodice then fits over the hip and thigh to just above the knee. From there it flares out to the floor with an underskirt. As above be careful if you dont like your bum or your a pear shape, because of the flare you need to balance bust and hips.
Mermaid: this is the extreme version of the mermaid usually very fitted all the way from bodice to just blow the knee then flares out. Very tricky style to pull off due to the tight fit, make sure you get on the squats to make that bum look fab. I tried this and its not good if you have a small chest as it will definitely emphasise the hips. Try one of the above if your not well endowed in the chest dept.
Sheath: very difficult to pull off as there is no structure under the dress. This is your typical grecian style that drops straight to the floor from the empire line. Probably best on your straight up and down girls, I found this style often came in light flowy fabrics like satin or chiffon. This is a very unforgiving style as you cannot hide anything under it. Although it can look stunning Bella Swan from Twilights dress was this sort of style and looking fab on Kirsten Stewart.
Tea Length: this is also known as prom dress style. Generally this is fitted bodice that flares out from the natural waist with a net underskirt. This is a lovely quirky style though obviously you need a good set of pins and no train.
Mini: Im not a big fan of this style its generally a short dress where the hem ends above the knee, less flared than the above and definitely not your typical wedding dress. I didnt see many of this style if any in the shops I went to.
Neckline.
You obviously have straps and strapless then its your normal neckline styles. This depends on how covered up you want to be and what sort of bust size you have. Most of the above silhouettes come with all of your general necklines it just depends on what shop of designer you are looking at.
Your genreal necklines are:
V neck, square, sweetheart, halter, scoop, high neck, bateau, sheer (this is a panel of sheer material between the bust and shoulders), off the shoulder, strapless styles include straight and sweetheart.
Sleeve:
This is really up to you obviously to you, they come in your standard range of lengths cap, short, elbow, bracelet and full length. If you are not a fan of dresses with sleeves there is always the option to wear a jacket. I had a little bolero with cap sleeves in large over my dress as it was strapless and we felt it looked nicer for the ceremony with something over the shoulders. It originally had full sleeves but they were too old for me. Sleeves can come in any fabric on either the dress or a jacket. You can get thing chiffon/net sleeves that are nearly see through or lace ones even full fabric if thats what you want again it depends on the dresses and shops you are looking in.
Bodice:
This has two elements the general style and fastening. The main fastenings are buttons, zips and laced. I had a hidden zip with illusion buttons but my mum and sister went for lacing. Lacing is great if you are a big bigger in the body as you can tighten and loosen it off, also it allows you to great a more natural hourglass then a fixed zip. In short its a little more forgiving. I could have had a lace back but if you have a narrow back it probably wont have as much impact as it will be quite narrow.
General styles are fitted with a defined waist or fitted with a hidden waist. This is where the bodice merges into the skirt with no defined edge. The bodice tends to depend on your silhouette and fabric. If you want to be nipped in look for dresses with quite a bit of structure to the bodice so this will involve boning and a heavier fabric. Your bodice can be a simple or detailed as you like, some have draping, pleats, folds, applique's anything really. A structured bodice with some draping on an A line dress can mask a pouchy tummy. Or a flat bodice accentuated with a belt can draw the eye in to give an illusion hourglass on someone with a straight waist. Really this is up to the dress you like and what suits your body type.
Train:
You tend not to get these on ballgowns, mermaids or sheaths. They come in a variety of lengths and can also depend on your fabric, as in you can have a top layer of thin net or lace that flows out into a train when the heavier under skirt doesn't. Personally I think your train depends on your venue, if its a big venue with a long aisle you can get away with more train. Remember with a train you will have to think about bustling : this is where you hoist the fabric up so you can walk around and dance without it getting in the way.
Your style of train can also depend on what style of train you want. Some extend from the hem whilst others extend from the waist so are fuller through the back of the dress and along the floor. This will depend on your silhouette. I personally like a puddle train with a big of something in the back that falls into a puddle on the floor.
Your main lengths are:
Brush, this is where the back of the dress from the hem is slightly longer then the front and it brushes the floor behind you.
Court: This is a bit longer then the brush and will probably extend about 3 feet from the waist line.
Chapel: another waistline one that goes to a puddle but about 5 feet from the waist.
Cathedral: this is your full train anything over about 6 feet. This has a lot of impact but needs a long aisle and a good bustle so you don't trip people over at the reception.
Fabric:
Wedding dresses come in all sorts of different fabrics everything from light weight chiffon to a full weight heavy satin. Some are also multi layered, mine has a top layer of lace with 2 under skirts to add structure and weight. All of the silhouettes will come in most fabrics and it just depends on what you feel like. Your main fabrics will be: charmeuse, chiffon, lace, organza, rayon, silk, satin, taffeta and tulle. These obviously have different weights and textures so can be used in a variety of ways depending on the overall style of the dress.
You don't have to worry too much about this in advance, only things you need to think about is lace or no lace shiny or more matte. Once you get in a shop and get to feel the fabric, see how it drapes or hangs then you can will know if its for you. Only other thing to bear in mind is that some satin or taffeta fabrics can crease or wrinkle so if you are travelling by car then you might have some wrinkle in the back and across the hips where you have been sat.
That is really all there is to say about dresses as its a very personal decision and very dependant on what you try on. You might have your heart set on a brilliant white satin sheath and find actually you look amazing in an ivory tulle ballgown.
I will however close by repeating my top two tips of have FUN and do your research. Try on as many dresses as you need to, you will know the one when you see yourself in it.
Bit of a long wordy one this one ... oops.
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