The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your Wedding Dress: From Purchase to Fittings

Choosing your wedding dress can be both an exciting and daunting task. With countless options and styles to choose from, where do you even begin? Fear not, I'm here to guide you on this magical journey to finding 'The One' - and no, I'm not talking about your partner, but the dress!

 

1. Start the Search Early

 

Most bridal shops recommend purchasing your wedding dress at least nine months before your big day. This gives you ample time for fittings and alterations, not to mention the time it takes to create and ship the dress if you're ordering a custom-made piece or one made to order.

 

 

 

2. Don't Feel Overcrowded

 

Trying on a dress is a very personal experience. You won't want to be alone when you make one of the most important decisions for your wedding, but too many voices and opinions can cloud your judgement and turn what should be a lovely experience into something stressful. Bring a maximum of three people whose opinion you completely trust. You want open, honest feedback if the dress you're trying on isn't right for you.

 

 

 

3. Styles & Wildcard Options

 

You may already have a style in mind for your wedding dress, or maybe a particular cut that you know suits you. With so many options to choose from, my advice is to try on as many as you can to get a true understanding of what dress shape is best for your figure and personality. Also, I always recommend trying on a wildcard option - one that you wouldn't dream of wearing in a million years. Worst case scenario it's a bit of a laugh and will reaffirm your choice, best case it'll make you think about other possibilities.

 

Some of the main styles are the classic A-line, a figure-hugging fishtail or mermaid style, a princess style ballgown and strapless. There's a whole wealth of variations of these styles, including necklines like scoop, square and sweetheart. Not every type of dress will suit every figure and that's totally okay.