Wedding Dress Planning

As the bride, you are the central character in the wedding day show, and all the other players’ costumes revolve around your choice of attire.  There are three things you need to think about when dress hunting:

• When:  What season are you getting married?  What time of day will you be wearing your dress?  It goes without saying that heavy fabrics such as velvets and satins are best suited to autumn and winter weddings, while an off the shoulder or spaghetti-strap satin dress works best in summer.  A Scarlett O’Hara inspired ball gown is not appropriate for a casual beach wedding, while a pink sundress will look out of place at a black-tie wedding reception.
• Where:  Consider where you are getting married.  If you are getting married in a church, it may be inappropriate to wear a mini skirt or bare shoulders.  Think about where you will take your vows and where your reception will be held.  A floor length dress with six-inch heels may not be appropriate if your reception is being staged in a garden marquee.
• Price:  Establish a budget up front.  How much are you willing to spend?  What happens if you see your dream dress but it’s outside your budget?  Be realistic with salespeople – and with yourself.  By sticking with your budget you’ll still find a beautiful dress, but you’ll save yourself the agony of falling in love with a dress you can’t possibly afford.