A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Wedding Dress

You, my friend, are the star of the show on your wedding day.

Since all eyes will be on you, the importance of choosing the perfect wedding gown cannot be understated. This may be why the prospect of wading through seas of chiffon and learning new terms like ‘fit and flare’ and ‘sheath,’ feels daunting.

We get it… which is why we created this beginner’s guide to choosing the perfect wedding dress. 

Let us be your guide. We’ll walk you through each step of the way.

Set Your Budget

Here it is again, the ‘B’ Word. A word that seems to show up over and over when wedding planning. 

Don’t let that deter you! The amount you spend on a dress does NOT correlate to beauty. You’ll look stunning regardless.

When setting your dress budget, don’t forget to include your accessories and potential alteration costs in the overall budgeted amount.

Research Wedding Dress Styles

You may not know exactly what you want, but you should know what you DON’T want. 

Eliminating styles, silhouettes, and types of fabrics can help point you in the direction of your ideal gown.

Become familiar with some of the popular wedding gown styles; get to know them on a first-name basis. That way when you show up at the boutique for your fitting, you won’t end up wasting time fussing around with styles you’re not into.

There’s ONE exception to this rule: The lovely boutique staff is excellent at honing in on a gown that could look dashing on you—plus they know their collection well. 

If they have any dress ideas that work with your budget and wedding aesthetic, listen to them. Sometimes the gown you’d never consider or otherwise see ends up being the gown of your dreams.

Other Considerations

Aside from looking incredible, there are some other things to think about when searching for your gown. 

Here’s a rundown of additional considerations you should take into account when hunting for the perfect dress.

Your Body Shape

No matter what shape you are, there’s a dress style that will look flattering on you.

While it’s by no means a requirement, some brides let their body shape help them decide which style of wedding dress to choose.

You can use online guides to help inform your decision, or just try on different styles to determine the ones you like best.

Comfort

Your overall comfort should not be discounted. Be sure that the gown fits well (that’s what alterations are for) and that the fabric doesn’t irritate your skin.

You’ll want to take the weather into consideration, and your general comfort level when it comes to getting “fancy” and possibly showing a little skin.

Don’t forget that you’re going to be moving about as well, hugging people left, right, and center.

If you can’t decide, some brides have a clever way to compromise. They choose one dress to wear to the ceremony, and another less ornate gown to wear during the reception.

Timeline

Do not leave wedding dress shopping to the last minute! The sooner you begin your search, the more time you have to find the perfect one.

Exploring Your Shopping Options

There are so many places to find incredible dresses. 

You can buy vintage dresses with delicate intricate beading and pearl detail, gorgeous for a themed wedding or enchanted forest celebration.

You can rent wedding gowns, or even thrift them. You can have them custom made, and of course search for retailers online.

Then there are boutiques, which are excellent resources for you to visit in person and get an idea of how different dresses look on you, and how they make you feel when trying them on.

Wedding Dress Shopping Tips

When visiting boutiques looking for your dress, it’s important that you show up prepared.

Be sure to wear proper undergarments—you’ll be in various states of undress as you try on all the different options.

Bring a small group of trusted advisors, and have them take photos and video clips of you as you model top contenders.

Be open to other styles and options suggested.

If you find something you love that requires adjustments, make sure that altering it so that it fits you is a possibility. Depending on the style of the dress, certain alterations aren’t always possible.

Conclusion:

At the end of the day what it really comes down to is this: The perfect wedding dress is the dress that lights you up. 

It’s a “heck yeah!” 

A gown that makes you feel like a million bucks. 

It’s a gown worthy of wearing on your big day—the perfect garment for the first day of the rest of your life.