Wedding

Your wedding is one of those days you never forget, so making your fantasies come true is the only right decision when planning that special occasion. Whether you are dreaming of a fairy tale wedding, a simple beach ceremony or a haut couture wedding, you can make it work just the way you always imagined.

It’s all about timing

From the moment he stands on one knee and asks you to marry him, it’s all about timing. You start planning the wedding, slowly but surely approaching the day when everyone will see you in that perfect wedding dress. However, before that happens, many steps need to be taken.

It’s generally recommended to start looking for a dress about a year in advance (7-8 months may be enough if you are lucky, but you don’t want to be too late here, do you?). Having found the right dress, you will need to attend several fittings and start shopping for accessories (make sure you take a swatch of fabric from your future dress for a perfect match). Since picking out the accessories may take a long time, depending on the dress and availability of free time, it’s best to start  about 3-5 months before The Day.

You will need the following basic accessories: underwear, headpiece, jewelry, handbag, garter, veil, petticoat, hosiery, gloves and a few others depending on the weather and your individual preferences. It’s best to pick up your dress in advance, at least a week before the ceremony, to try it on and make sure it looks and fits perfect.

Getting ready for the marathon

Before even setting your foot in a bridal shop, start by subscribing to one of the bridal magazines, registering with a wedding website that provides guidance and tips, and talking to your married friends who can share their experience and answer any questions you have at that point.

You always want to make sure you have many options available, so it’s a good idea to make a scrapbook and include the models you particularly liked. That kind of visual help will be useful when you come to a boutique and start looking for the dress.

When considering dress styles, think about the season of your wedding and its setting. Imagine yourself a bride walking down the aisle: this may give you the right idea of the dress you would love.  At this point, you do not need to worry about your budget: no matter how expensive the dress you came across in a magazine is, you can always find something that looks very much the same and costs a lot less.

The options you have

The cost of a wedding dress may be up to a tenth of your wedding budget, but it’s totally worth it. Whether you are on a tight budget or can afford pretty much anything you feel like, here are the options you have when considering where to get your wedding dress:

- Have your dress specially made by a famous/not-so-famous-but-talented designer. This is something very few people can afford. On the bright side – you will be the only person in the world with a dress like that.

- Buy a dress in a bridal shop and have it altered to your figure. This is a standard solution most brides go for; there is also the option of picking a dress from the catalogue.

- Get a discount wedding dress from last year’s collection. You will still be getting a stunning outfit from an upscale store, but at just a fraction of the cost.

- Obtain your dress from a sample sale. Bridal shops and designer boutiques usually have those between November and April.

- Have your seamstress recreate a certain style you came across in a bridal magazine. Another sure way to save money and have a unique outfit made specially for you.

- Borrow the dress. There are many women cherishing their wedding dresses as a hand-me-down for their daughters.

- Buy a bridesmaid’s dress and add the glitz to it yourself. Perfect if you have creative ideas to make that dress look stylish and unique.

- Buy it from an auction site or local consignment shop. There are many brides that overspend and sell their dresses later at half the price, having worn them just once.

- Rent a dress. Local boutiques can have this convenient and affordable option for anyone not interested in cherishing the expensive outfit for the rest of their lives.

Choosing the dress

In the bridal shop, you will be offered a wide variety of options, so take advantage of that opportunity and try on at least several dresses before making up your mind. What looks good in the picture may not look as great on you, while a dress you didn’t even notice may be the one that will make you look spectacular. Most dresses look completely different on the bride than on the hanger. The wedding specialist in the bridal shop using its expert knowledge will be able to provide assistance with the type of fabric, color and style in case you are not sure about those.

Bring a friend or a close relative you trust, undergarments you will feel comfortable wearing and revealing while trying the dresses out, and shoes that resemble the ones you are going to wear. Don’t forget your scrapbook or notebook to write down any details or ideas you particularly liked when talking to the wedding specialist. Depending on the policy of each particular bridal shop, you may even take a few pictures to take a fresh look at the different dresses you tried.

Remember: you are the one making the final decision, but you also want to have as many options as possible. Try on all the dresses the shop assistant brings, even if they are slightly different from your image of perfect. After all, they are the experts, and one of those dresses can fit better than you could imagine!