If you don't know a lot of the answers to these questions don't worry. I will be guiding you and helping you decide so by the end of this post you will be able to know exactly what you want so when you find the perfect dress you will know and be able to say "yes to the dress".
1.) What is your budget?
Once you have decided on your budget make sure you stick to it. Is the budget for your dress including your accessories for jewelry, shoes, veil, other hair pieces etc.? Normally 12-15% of your overall wedding budget should go to the wedding dress.
2.) What style/shape of dress best suits your body type?
Petite- Strapless, empire waist, A-line, sheath
Tall- Sheath or A-lines with fitted bodice, halter, open neckline
Pear Shape- Strapless, A-line, ballroom
Hourglass- Fitted bodice, A-line, princess
Full-figured- A-line, princess
Thin- sheath, mermaid, slim A-line
Broad shoulders- halter, off the shoulder, neckline with narrow bodice
3.) What are some current popular dress tends?
Dropped waist, Empire Waist, Light fabrics, corsets, sweetheart neckline, ruched fabric, lace fabric, mermaid/trumpet silhouette
4.) Who are the best wedding dress designers?
Not everyone buys their wedding dress with a certain designer in mind but there definitely are some well-known good designers out there, that if your budget allows make high-quality dresses. The top 10 wedding dress designers are:
10. Vera Wang- Hopefully you have seen Bride Wars because not only is it hilarious but Kate Hudson (Liv) wears the prettiest Vera Wang dress. Vera Wang even has wedding dresses in black!
9. Angel Sanchez- Sanchez is known for his fashion forward perspective and edgy designs.
8. Carolina Herrera- Herrera is known for her traditional designs and has recently added pink and gray tints.
7. Hayley Paige- Paige provides a fresh and fun look of silhouettes and has recently introduced the short dress for the wedding march.
6. Jenny Packham- Not only has Jenny designed many dresses for celebrities, but you may have seen them on Sex and the city.
5. Reem Acra- Acra has an elegant bridal collection and is known for her signature beadwork.
4. Peter Langer- Langer has more than 70 stores in only three continents. He is known for his amazing craftsmanship and refined detailing.
3. Ines di Santo- Santo is one of the leading designers in bridal couture. Her gowns are known to highlight femininity and originality.
2. Pronovias- Pronovias has made several dresses for supermodels and made Wedding Dress of the year in 2010. The dresses are known for their cascading trains.
1. Marchesa- Marchesa has made dresses for almost every celebrity that has gotten married recently. Marchesa has a wide variety of styles to suit every bride.
5.) White, cream or ivory?
Many brides struggle to decide whether they want a traditional white wedding dress, cream, ivory or a totally different color. I know I did, but in the end went with the traditional white dress. Sometimes people decide what color of dress based off their skin tones and hair color which are good determining factors if you are struggling.
6.) Rent vs. buy?
Well this depends on your budget. Sometimes girls want their dress to keep to show their kids. My mom kept her dress but now is a yellow color and is somewhere in her closet. I look at it realistically, and think why would you want to spend so much money on a dress you are going to where once? So, I had a budget but always knew I wanted to rent my dress. It is becoming a more popular thing especially in Utah. They offer different skirts and tops to look like it's one dress and includes fitting fees, alterations and hairpieces (veil,flower etc.)
I will be talking more in depth about a few of these points at a later time, but I hope this gave you some guidance into finding your perfect dress. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
