DRESSES

Modern day wedding dresses are a reflection on your personality and individual style helping you to feel your best for the most special of days

My recommendations;

If opting for a bridal boutique and wanting to have the whole ‘Say Yes To The Dress’ experience, you should start your shopping as soon as possible. It takes a surprisingly long time to order a bridal designer gown from shop to supplier. (Not to mention, coordinating your bride-tribes availability for the mutually agreeable date for shopping and allowing time for alterations)

1. Bridal Boutiques. You need to find your bridal boutique. I would recommend going to more than one place. These might be local shops to you or further afield in larger cities and require a whole days itinerary.
   • Bridal shops often stock different wedding dress designers with different dress styles and price ranges. Have a quick research on their website or through their windows to check their styles and price points before committing to an appointment.
2. Budget – keeping to your allocated budget is so important. Don’t be afraid to ask for things within your price range and don’t overstretch yourself if it will impact your other wedding plans, relationships or future finances.
   • Remember to budget for any additional bridal items you might be wanting to purchase; Shoes, Jewellery, Veil, Lingerie. You can use our budget planner to help keep track of your finances
3. Style – It might take a while for you to find the perfect gown so I’d recommend trying on a whole range of styles. You might have been dreaming of your perfect dress since you were a child and it’s a case of trying to find your childhood vision. You might not have a clue about the dress style you want or that suits your body shape. By trying things on you can narrow down your likes and dislikes.
   • Try on everything! You might be pleasantly surprised by the difference of something on the hanger to fitted on your body.
   • Befriend the sales person – they might be able to suggest dress styles based on your likes/dislikes or throw in a wild card option for you to try. They are the experts and should be committed to making your shopping experience special, memorable and helpful. They will also have recommendations for other items and contacts (ie alterations)
4. Bride- Tribe. Who are you bringing to your appointment? Whilst it’s great to have your mother, sisters, in-laws, best friends and bridesmaids at your appointment, it’s good to check with your boutique how many guests are permitted before inviting everyone. Also make sure that whilst it’s great to have second opinions, your feelings and decision are the most important and you want to have the people that support your final choices.
5. Take photos. Documenting your favourite style is an obvious must to compare between dress styles, boutiques and to assist in making your final decision. Get every angle as it will be documented in all your wedding photos!
   • If you’re struggling to choose between a certain few final dresses, look back at photos and observe your body language. I found that my final decision was a dress I was relaxed in and the photos were more playful.
6. Sizing. Remember that anything you are ordering will need bespoke alterations. Because of this, sizing is variable in bridal dress shopping and often come in brackets that cover a few sizes.
   • Order larger rather than smaller. You can always make something smaller but you can’t make it bigger. You might have the best intended plans for a mega wedding diet but ordering a dress two sizes too small is only a recipe for disaster. (On a personal note, I don’t think the stress of a mega wedding diet is worth it!)
7. Time line.
   • Ordering from supplier to shop (ideally one year before your wedding. 6 months minimum)
   • Alterations (ideally four weeks before wedding)
8. Daytime to Evening Dress. When searching and spending so much time on one outfit, its hard to think that some brides want more than one! You could look into designs with removable skirts, sleeves and belts that can quickly change up your daytime look to evening. Some brides decide to put on a different dress altogether. Just something to think about in your planning and budgeting.
9. High Street/ Online retailers. Often a cheaper option than onsite bridal shops, there are so many great online bridal boutiques with a range of styles to suit all budgets. You can still set-up a day to get your bride-tribe over and try on all your purchased items and you can often still get items altered to make them bespoke.
   • Check the returns policy prior to purchasing so that you have the option of buying more than one style to try on and then return.
   • Be cautious when buying online. The pictures don’t always look like the item you receive!
10. Purchasing. I recommend buying your bridal items on a credit card. You have better protection against fraud and for returns. Check for 0% interest options with a reputable bank and if you have the finances to pay off immediately – great! If not you can make monthly manageable payments.

Frequent Questions

Colour variations – Ivory, White, Champagne, Red, Black, Pink,

Style variations – Lace, Beaded, Classic, Victorian, Silk, Tulle, Boho, Grecian, Bardot, Fishtail, Sleeved,