Honeymoons and Venues
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Welcome to our Beauty Direct Guide to Wedding Dresses
Which Wedding Dress is right for you? That isn’t a question that can be given one answer. What feels right will be dictated by several factors one of which will be the overall style of the wedding you want. Will it be a tropical beach wedding, a grand civil ceremony in a Northumberland stately home, a traditional church wedding or a modern quirky occasion? (see our section on Honeymoons and Wedding Venues) This may help guide you in the right direction but remember it doesn’t limit you! If you’re having a low key intimate occasion there’s still no reason why you can’t have the full on dress you’ve always dreamed of. Or if the stately home is for you then simple and chic could be the answer. Ask your friends and family (and fiancé) for their views. But remember it’s your day and your wedding dress so the final choice is yours and not theirs! Choose something that makes you feel great when you slip it on and that will keep you smiling from the moment you buy it. Probably the best answer to ‘Which Dress is right for you?’ is the one you feel most comfortable in taking all your other arrangements into consideration. That may mean a lot of research and legwork. Even if you find a wedding dress you adore right from the start keep looking a little more just to confirm your choice as the ultimate for your dream day. The advice of a professional can always help as they will be able to tell you what’s most fashionable and guide you towards the manufacturers nearest to what you may be looking for. The likes of large department stores have wedding planners who will assist and have access to large ranges of wedding dresses. Well worth considering as it could save a huge amount of that research and legwork – let them do the work for you giving you time to concentrate on the other arrangements. If you are planning a wedding in the tropics or other worldwide destination then the guidance and top tips of online travel agents will be useful. However, your venue will have access to local suppliers and boutiques which will do wedding dress hire if you don’t want to take your own. Just be sure you’ll be happy with what you will get – it will be too late when you’ve flown out! See our section on Honeymoons and Wedding Venues for more ideas if that’s your plan.
What style should I choose? Again, this can be influenced by many factors so here a few to consider before we get onto the main subject of shapes. Are there any aspects of your body you feel don't do you justice. If not then you might want to consider a wedding gown that conceals or disguises. What kind of neckline would you consider? Your bust, face, neck and shoulders can all be highlighted or played down by the shape of the upper part of the dress. What would you normally choose for a top when going out – do you often wear halter, round or V-necked outfits? Wedding gowns with low round or scooped necks will suit most brides as will square necklines which come straight across between the straps. Wedding gowns with asymmetric necklines, where the dress has a single strap or irregular shaping are currently fashionable and popular. Wedding outfits may be straight across at the bust or may have a sweetheart shape. Strapless gowns suit most brides but may not be suitable if you are uncomfortable showing too much of your upper chest or arms. Great shoulders will suit a halter neck, but may not suit a large bust. Dresses with heart-shaped Queen Anne, or sweetheart necklines at the bust are god for displaying cleavage. Small busts can benefit from high round necks or slash-neck dresses. This style is also good if a bride doesn't want to display too much of her chest upper body or chest. A V-neck can draw attention from a large bust as it guides the eye inwards and down the midline of the dress Dress Shape There are no hard and fast rules here but different dress styles will flatter different body shapes. You should aim to try on an example of each shape to get an idea of what you like and what seems to suit you best. Your perfect dress will disguise or draw attention from your least favourite parts and highlight all the best bits. Like any other type of clothing, wedding dresses are subject to fashion, but you need to ensure that the dress you choose is the right one for you. What’s fashionable now may not be a few years in the future so consider if you want your photo’s to stand the test of time too! The shape of your skirt will have a strong influence on the whole look of your outfit on the day. Should you go for a traditional full-skirted ball gown shape or a modern sleek column dress. Whatever you choose should make you feel gorgeous but ideally comfortable as well. The ball gown shape is very full and usually includes a fitted bodice. The fabric from which a wedding gown is made will affect the style of the skirt which we mentioned above; it may be a full tulle skirt in a ballerina style, or a heavy or structured fabric. This kind of skirt suits many figures and can disguise a pear shape, but be aware that on a fuller-figured woman this style of dress can emphasise the bride's size rather than flatter her best features. Ball gown styles often have a seam at the waistline where the skirt becomes fuller. Very petite brides may feel a bit overwhelmed by this style. A less full look can be achieved with an A-line skirt. This where the skirt is A-shaped and flares out from a natural or dropped waist. A-line dresses usually have vertical seams that run from the top of the dress all the way to the bottom, with no seams coming across the dress at the waistline. This style is flattering to most brides, particularly those that are pear-shaped or fuller-figured. A hooped petticoat is often worn underneath a wide A-line skirt to hold it away from the bride's legs to give the skirt a full look. A sleeker look may be achieved with a narrower A-line without a hoop. An empire line dress is usually straighter than the A-line styles without being too figure hugging. It usually suits smaller-busted, slim women. This style has a seam just underneath the bust and then falls away to the floor. Slimmer brides and those that are tall will suit a column dress which has a figure hugging, sleek look. Petite brides might prefer this look to the fuller styles. A mermaid dress will emphasise a bride's curves, and is quite figure-hugging like a column dress but will flare out at the knee. A fishtail dress is similar to a mermaid style but flares at the back and sides. Should I have trains, wedding veils and headdresses? Trains come in varying lengths and styles. The shortest and easiest to manage is a sweep or duster train, these extend no more than 50cm from the hem of the dress. A puddle train makes it appear that the bride is standing in a 'puddle' of the fabric. It is often found with a fishtail or column dress in a lighter fabric. It is round in shape and begins at the sides of the skirt. A chapel length train is usually around a metre in length and cathedral length can stretch out for two metres or more. When choosing a train it is important to think about how you will manage it on the day. It is the job of your bridesmaid to arrange the train when you have walked down the aisle and for the photographs but the longer and heavier it is the more difficult it will be to cope with. You may want to sacrifice looks a little to keep it simple with less to worry about on the day. However, there are a number of ways to manage a long or heavy train, depending on the style of your dress. A detachable train is usually fastened to the skirt near the waist and can be removed altogether when you're ready. Another answer is to have a series of loops and laces on the inside of the skirt. When the laces are pulled it hooks or pulls the train up into a bustle shape at the back of the wedding dress. A loop can go over the bride's wrist or thumb so that she can hold the train out of the way. This last option can be a little awkward and tiring for the bride if she will be on her feet for any great length of time throughout the day. Other accessories may be an option such as a wedding veil, tiara, jewellery or flowers in your hair. Tiaras may have flowers woven into them or be covered with all manner of sequins, beads, or whatever most suits the style, colour or fabric of your dress. You may wish to make your own, buy one or have one made specially made by your dress maker. If you do choose flowers then talk to your florist about the best types to use or they will quickly wilt especially during summer heat. Wedding veils can be as simple or as ornate as you wish, again this will be dictated by the style of your dress to give an overall look. Wedding veils can be in one, two or more layers. They can be short, worn on the back of the head coming down no further than the shoulders or longer (as long as your train if you wish). A two section veil would be worn on the back of the head or further forward where a short section called a blusher comes down over the face. What colours and fabrics should I choose? Any colour appears to be possible today with few opting for pure white. Pure white can present problems unless you have the right colouring. Off white such as ivory or cream can be easier to wear although more women are choosing their favourite colour whatever that may be. Fashions change year by year and trends seem more ‘relaxed’ than they have been in past years. Some colours have superstitious meanings though so it would be best to check it out if you’re likely to be bothered by it. So, off white, ivory and creams are still very popular but don’t be afraid if you want to add some colour too! The choice of wedding dress fabrics today is huge from heavy brocades to light chiffons. This will be dictated somewhat by the style of the dress you want as some materials could not be used in certain styles – ask your planner or shop owner if you’ve seen a style you like but want it in a different fabric. See what they can do and don’t be afraid to ask – we’re not all expert dressmakers! The type of fabric will also be dictated by any beadwork, embroidery or patterns you would like or insist upon. Predicting the weather is impossible but consider the time of year. Will you be happy wearing heavy brocade in a hot July or a light chiffon in freezing, wet January? Will the fabric crease easily if you’re sitting for some time? How will it look after that for photo’s? Where do I buy my wedding dress? You will need to set a budget at an early stage. (see our section on Wedding Extra's for ideas for Wedding Finance). If other family members are contributing then make sure you know what it’s going to be. You could pay anything from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for haute couture. That’s why it’s important to set off with a firm budget in mind so you don’t fall in love with something completely out of your price range. Don’t forget, no-one will know how much you paid for your wedding dress unless you tell them. Money and how much you spend is not what it’s all about! Where to look? If you’re reading this then you’ll already be familiar with the fact the internet offers endless opportunities. Direct from the manufacturer? Via an online supplier? Auction sites? Charity or second hand shops? All offer great possibilities. The main problem with auction sites would be that you’re buying without trying. Risks could be high if measurements aren’t exact but great bargains could be had for a designer label. Some charity shops have outlets dedicated to bridal fashion. If you have one of these near you then again you could grab a great bargain with a designer label. Another option would be a vintage wedding dress specialist. Vintage wedding dresses are lovingly cared for and restored to their former glory and could offer exceptional value and uniqueness when compared to a modern fashion trend. Vintage wedding dress suppliers are easily found on the internet. Some shops have a range of dresses available for sizing which are then ordered in from abroad to cut down on UK prices. Local boutiques found online or from local ads and Yellow Pages should be able to give a wide choice with sound advice. One of the most popular searches for wedding dresses at the time of writing is for Vera Wang wedding dresses. Vera Wang wedding dresses and other similarly high fashion names will drive what’s fashionable so it’s well worth a look at their ranges even if some are out of your price range. You can even find websites from abroad offering to make your dress from sizes supplied to them by you. If you know of a dress maker (even better if in the family or as a friend) then wedding dress patterns are available on the internet and wedding dress patterns are another highly searched term. This could give the option of effectively having a ‘one off’ wedding dress especially made only for you. Wedding dress patterns would allow you to choose fabrics, styles, designs unique to your tastes. A good dress maker should be able to show examples of their work If all this still sounds a bit daunting why not try one of the excellent ‘in house’ wedding services provided by the big Department stores. Their planners will advise, guide and take a lot of the work and worry out of it. They’ll have a huge range and availability and you’ll have peace of mind. They offer a range of wedding services including gift lists for guests, stationery, etc so this may be the way you wish to go. It’s always worth contacting them to see what they have to offer you. What could be easier than having all your plans under one roof! Any visit for fittings will normally be by appointment so you can have the dedicated services of an assistant. Make sure you wear underwear that you can try on with different dress styles and that you don’t mind the assistant seeing you in! Wedding dress sizes differ from high street sizes so don’t be put off if you’re not expecting the size that fits! Also remember that a dress may be too large in one place but not another therefore the larger size would have to be bought and taken in later. Once you’ve found your dream dress you will need to pay a deposit which is often about 50% with the remainder being due when the dress arrives or after the fittings are complete. With such a high deposit paid up front you need to ensure your supplier will still be around later! Especially if your using a boutique that you're not familiar with. It’s perhaps a little harsh or gloomy to consider that but it’s your money and you’ll be needing that dress! Wedding insurance could be an option you haven't thought of. See our section on Wedding Extra's for advice on Wedding Finance and Wedding insurance. And finally...................... Makeup. You may have some great ideas about what you want your look to be on the day. Always, always have a trial one or two weeks beforehand to make sure your ideas actually transform into what you want. Leave it too late and you'll be panicking! It's always a good idea to have advice from an expert (if you're in the Newcastle upon Tyne region of North East England then check out www.beautydirect.biz for expert advice at very competitive prices!). A trial should always be done no more than a couple of weeks before the wedding as skin tones and types can change which affects the look. Lighting is important too. What looks great during a trial at 7pm at night in artificial lighting will look different to daylight at 11am when you get married. GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY!
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