Congratulations on your engagement! This is a really exciting time in your life. It’s also probably going to be a bit stressful.
During this next year, I want to walk through this process with you. I’ll give you a 12 Month Guide to planning your wedding and explain things along the way. You can start from the beginning here (click). Come back to this blog each week for the next installment.
Week Seven – Wedding Dresses
Hope you were able to select somebody to officiate your wedding and that the marriage preparation has become as important as the wedding preparation (’cause the marriage is going to last longer than the wedding). 🙂
This week we’ll start the super fun (and sometimes overwhelming) process of finding a wedding dress. Let the squealing begin…eeeek!
First things first, there are many styles in neckline, skirt, waist, length, etc. Not everything will look good on everybody (I know, big shocker there…wink). I’ve made the following graphic to help point out some of the most common styles. There are also some helpful pointers on which dress goes best with which body type.
Those are some of the basics. You may find a few other styles or tips online or in bridal stores. There are a few other things to mention:
Waist
Basque is a low U or V shape (think princess).
Dropped Waist hits between mid hip and the natural waisteline.
Empire waists sit just below the bust.
Natural Waist will come in at the natural small part between the hip and rib cage.
Trains
Brush is the shortest trains and just brushes the floor.
Court has a train that starts and the floor and goes between a light brush to one foot behind you.
Chapel trains stretch about three feet behind you. It’s a good length for drama and practicality.
Cathedral length trains flow up to six feet behind the bride. Some styles are detachable or bustle.
Royal trains are about 10 feet long.
Watteau trains start at the shoulders instead of the waist.
Fabric
There are many fabrics to choose from, but I’ll talk about some of the most common that are used on wedding dresses.
Chiffon is a light, sheer fabric that is often layered over another fabric.
Organza is also almost transparent, but the tight weave makes it more crisp.
Satin is a tradition wedding fabric that is very smooth, shiny and heavier than others.
Taffeta is smooth, but it has a slight stiffness that makes the fabric rustle when you move.
Tulle is a netting that adds volume to dresses and is used in veils.
Silk can be smooth and shiny or raw with a slight sheen.
I remember shopping for my wedding dress. I wanted something almost Grecian, simple and flowy. I found one that fit the description, but was horrified by how bad it looked on me. I still love the dresses in magazines, but now I know it’s not my best look. With the help of my mom and future mother-in-love, we found two great dresses (more on that in a bit). One was A-line and the other had a Trumpet skirt. Both had crystals and other embellishments. I say all this to warn you that you may go in with one dress in mind, and you may come out with something totally different. Several friends have said they had the same experience. Don’t give up if the dress you dreamed of doesn’t turn out to be right for you. There are other dresses that will make you feel amazing.
[Tweet “You may go in with one dress in mind, and you may come out with something totally different.”]
Now for the expense. Dresses can be really expensive. Remember that budget I had you work on? Get it out. Don’t spend more on the dress than what you had budgeted. It’ll be really tempting, but don’t try on anything that is out of your price range. If you start pushing the budget this early in the game, you won’t be happy with the end results. Maybe your wedding dress budget is low (maybe a few hundred dollars). There are ways to get a gorgeous gown for not so much money. I said I’d come back to my two wedding dresses. I didn’t need two dresses I simply couldn’t decide, it was closing time and I lived more than three hours away. I got both, and it was because I only spent $100 on each. They were from a sample sale. A sample sale is made of wedding dresses from previous years that were tried on by brides before they ordered the correct size. While people tried them on, there is often only a minimal amount of work that needs to be done to have these dresses looking pristine. One of the best parts for me was purchasing and taking home two dresses for less than another customer spent on a belt that she had to order. I knew where I wanted to focus my budget and it didn’t leave much room for the dress (though I still came under budget on it).
Have fun dress shopping! Take people with you for an experience (I shopped with my parents, my mother-in-love, and some of my bridesmaids)! Feel free to share your experience with us.
Next week we’ll discuss something close to my heart, photographers and videographers!
Katelyn is a certified wedding planner. She is available for consultations.
She will even meet with you on Skype to help you work through part of your wedding planning.
Click here for more information.