How To Find The Perfect Wedding Dress?

Wedding Dress

You want the perfect wedding dress, so you have made it a major focus of your pre-wedding planning. There are some things you need to find from the bridal shop, before you even look at your first gown. Do you need to make an appointment to visit the shop? Does the store carry dresses you can afford Can you browse the whole collection, or do you only get to see the dresses the sales person chooses for you? If this shop doesn't carry the dress you love, can it be ordered?

You want the perfect wedding dress, so you have made it a major focus of your pre-wedding planning. There are some things you need to find from the bridal shop, before you even look at your first gown. Do you need to make an appointment to visit the shop? Does the store carry dresses you can afford? Can you browse the whole collection?

Once these questions have been answered and you find a dress or two that you like, there are still more questions you need to ask.

1. Can a particular dress be ordered with different sleeves, or neckline?
2. What alterations can be done and what will that cost?
3. Can you get a written estimate on the alterations?
4. If we order the bridesmaids dresses here, can we get a discount or free alterations?
5. Do you have headpieces and or veils that will go with my dress?
6. How much is the deposit and when is the balance due?
7. What are the cancellation and refund policies?
8. Can we get a Rush on this dress if necessary?

The Dress

Your Wedding Gown is probably the most important dress you will ever wear and you will find that everyone has an idea about what makes the perfect wedding dress. Don't be bullied by other peoples opinions: this is the one day when you can be as demure or as outrageous as you wish. Everyone will be on your side on the day anyway; just as everyone loves a new born, they will coo and simper at whatever you choose! So, put your hang-ups away and stop listening to other people's ideas of what constitutes a beautiful dress, ignore disparaging comments about Meringues, Bo-Peep and Ice Queens, and consider what you like and see if it will suit you. You will know when you find it - it will just feel fabulous.

As you go on your quest for the perfect dress, prepare by asking yourself a few questions:

* What do you want to emphasise, and what do you want to hide?
* Which tones suit your colouring? Think about your current wardrobe - do you feel great in white, or do you prefer creamier colours?
* Do you want to look shorter or taller?
* Do you want a plain and unadorned look, or an elaborately decorated look, or somewhere in between?
* Would you prefer a Contemporary look, a Vintage look (e.g. 1960s) or a Medieval look?

Picking a colour

Think about colours: Diamond White does not suit everyone, and there are many tones to soften the look from Ivory through to Buttermilk; there are tones of colour from pink blush, through apricot, lilac and blue. What colour jewellery do you wear, cool silver or warm gold? Will you be wearing pearls? Think about the dress decoration and make sure that you stick to a theme. Tie in colours and styles to the time of year that the wedding will be taking place; consider the venue and whether it will be indoors or outdoors.

Will you need a warm covering, if the weather is cool? If so, you can consider using a long jacket or a fur stole to go on top of the dress, and remove it when you're in the warm. Alternatively, will you need a lightweight dress for those hot days?

Selection:

Start shopping as soon as you set your date. Most designer wedding dresses need to be special ordered. It could take 3 to 6 months for special order or designer wedding dresses to arrive. Order at least six months prior to your reception. This will allow time for fittings, alterations, and coordination. If you decide to have your gown custom made, allow about 6 months since selection of style, fabric and details along with fittings takes time.

Shopping:

To make your day a pleasant and rewarding one, try not to visit too many bridal shops in the same day. When you are fresh, full of energy and enthusiasm, you will be able to make sound judgments. On the other hand, if you come to the store exhausted and unprepared, after trying a few styles you may be confused and find that all the gowns begin to look the same and you may come home toting one of the cheap wedding dresses simply because you were tired! Bring along pictures of wedding gowns you like and be open to discuss your plan and idea with a bridal consultant. It could happen that the gown you like in a picture doesn't look good on you. The bridal consultant will study your figure type and personality to help select the styles that flatter you and suit your budget. Try on all of the dresses the consultant shows you, even if it may not seem like "your style" of dress as most wedding dresses look much better, and different, on you than on the racks. You may want to bring a family member or friend along for a second opinion ..

Purchase

It seems there are now as many WAYS to purchase a bridal gown as there are bridal gowns! Full service salons, internet discounters, warehouses and more are all competing for your business. Regardless of where and how you order a gown, some- things are the same. A sales contract will be required, you will need to select your size, and more...

Overall tips:

Scout local thrift shops for excellent buys. Bridal gowns have been worn only once, so providing they've been professionally cleaned, there's no problem. Designer castoffs cost more, but you could find a real steal for under $100.