5 Considerations When Wedding Dress shopping

If you’ve chosen to wear a dress for your wedding, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of having to choose an outfit that will be one of the most photographed and documented of your life. Your wedding dress should make you feel confident, attractive and comfortable during your big day. You may already have ideas about what you’d like your wedding dress to look like, colours you’d like to include or styles that you want to try on – but before committing to a dress consider these five things;

1. Your Budget

Wedding dresses can range drastically in price. Whether you’re choosing to spend a lot or a little of your budget on your dress, have a number in mind before browsing bridal stores, online or elsewhere so that you don’t go over budget. In the UK, on average, a bride may spend around £1300 on their dress – but you have to make a decision that suits you and what you can afford.

There are plenty of ways to be able to wear the gown of your dreams without breaking the bank; buying second hand dresses, perusing charity shops for donated dresses or asking family members if anyone would like to donate their dress to you are all great ways of saving a lot of money on your wedding outfit. If you do choose to browse in a bridal store or studio for a wedding dress, make sure the sales assistant knows what your budget is so they can make appropriate recommendations.

2. Consider Your Wedding Location

In general, you will wear your wedding dress for the whole day. Comfort should be a large consideration factor so that you’re not in pain for your big day. When it’s time to choose your dress, you should have a good idea (if not have already booked) your wedding venue. Your dress should be appropriate for the setting you’ve chosen.

If you’ve chosen to have a Summer, outside wedding – consider that it may be a hot day and a heavy gown with long sleeves may make you very uncomfortable. Equally, a winter wedding in a cooler location may mean you should consider a short jacket, shawl or cape to cover your arms and shoulders when you’re outside. There are plenty of ways wedding dresses can be adapted to suit your wedding location, do plenty of research as you could add sleeves to an existing dress or just pair it with accessories to suit the anticipated weather.

3. Consider Your Personal Style

Feeling attractive and looking good in photos are important factors of choosing your dress, but also it should be an outfit that represents you. Your day is about celebrating the love you have for your partner and your coming together as two individuals. When researching wedding dresses for the first time, make sure you look at lots of different styles, colours and materials so that you can get a feel for what’s available and what you think may suit you.

Wedding dresses very often look entirely different on a hanger than when you’re wearing it – make sure to try on any dress you find whether it be from a second hand shop or a bridal salon. Your dress should mirror your own style, even if it’s a lot more extravagant than you’d usually wear day to day. Experimenting with coloured dresses or accessories is another way of personalising your wedding outfit too.

4. Start Searching and Shopping Sooner Rather Than Later

Wedding dresses come in all shapes and sizes, and are often tailored to their wearer. A good seamstress can tailor any dress to fit you perfectly, but in order to ensure it’s ready for your big day, it’s always a good idea to start shopping for your wedding dress as soon as you’ve booked your venue. If you’re having your dress made for you, it’s even more imperative that you get your order in early so that you can try on your dress multiple times before the big day and have any adjustments made.

5. Have Fun

Shopping for your perfect wedding dress can easily seem overwhelming at times. It’s easy to become stressed with all of the many choices you have to make, especially with bridesmaids and family members also having opinions on what looks best. It’s important to remember that throughout this process, even though there will be difficult times, shopping for your wedding dress should be a nice experience that you can look forward to. Choose what you want more than anything else, and enjoy being the centre of attention during fittings!