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Wedding gowns come in many forms, and how you find the best wedding dress depends on the research you have made. Definitely, you must consider a couple of things. This wedding gown guide will highlight 13 critical factors you should consider when choosing a wedding dress. If you are a bride to be, we strongly recommend that you consider each factor in this blog very important.
Additionally, we have many other wedding gown guides that will help you in finding the best choice for your most important day. But without any further ado, let's jump right into the 13 factors that will help you find the best wedding dress for most important day.
1. Skin complexion.
If you are wondering where to start from while finding the right wedding dress for you, skin complexion is vital. Picking the right shade for your wedding garment is an essential but often overlooked activity. Your skin tone dictates many factors, from the dress you ought to be wearing and accessories to match right down to the footwear you will have on.
Whatever your coloring is, the idea is to balance your undertones with your wedding dress color. There exist three traditional skin undertones, and these are: Cool, Neutral, and Warm.
To figure out where you fall, go on skin undertones, where they dedicate a whole webpage to helping you understand the different undertones. Over the years, the wedding dress colors that have clashed the most are white and ivory (ivory because they have an eggshell color), and while white dresses may be the tradition, ivory dresses have steadily been on the rise.
White wedding dresses mostly complement pale/warm skin tones and look best on darker and yellow undertones, while ivory-colored dresses do not discriminate but look even better on lighter or cool skin tones.
2. Wedding Gown Silhouettes.
Many brides make choices of the wedding dresses they would prefer depending on how these dresses look on them. For example, you would want to choose a wedding dress silhouettes like the A-line, Sheath, Fit-and-Flare, and many others. We recently created a full list of the top 10 wedding silhouettes for any bride. In case you missed it, we strongly recommend you to go over it and find the best gown for your body shape.
While most wedding dress silhouettes will depend on your body shape, your designer, and you, certain dress silhouettes do not discriminate and look good on just about any body type. These include the V-neck/plunge and the Ball Gown.
3. Consider your body shape.
It is essential to know your body shape before picking out a dress for your big day. We, humans, are unique and different in so many aspects. But, in this instance, we want to talk about body shapes. So many body shapes include hourglass, athletic, petite, curvy, and apple shapes. Remember to add your height to the list.
All these should be kept in mind. This will help you choose the best wedding dress silhouette to complement your body type. Take, for instance, the hourglass shape that looks good in V-necks, fishtails, and many others, to mention but a few, accompanied by curvy bodies that look wonderful in trumpet, asymmetric, and sheath dresses.
Each body shape looks impressive in a particular dress. However, you need to know your body shape to choose the right dress.
4. Your body size is essential.
Have your body size in mind while finding a wedding dress so that you can choose a dress that complements your body and enhances its beauty.
Ensure that the bridal shops you’re visiting have a wide range of dresses in your size. Let the professional take your body measures, especially if your dress is custom-made.
It is also wise to go for larger sizes rather than smaller ones because larger sizes are more adjustable. Remember, your body is liable to change, and you may not be your current size by the time your wedding day is due. So get something that will give you no trouble adjusting.
5. Your budget.
We know it can get uncomfortable talking numbers, but this is when you need to get your finances in order and be clear on what you can and can’t afford, who is paying for your wedding dress, and if you still get your dream dress despite limited funds. Just find a perfect wedding dress that also fits in your budget.
If someone else is paying for the dress, be clear on how much they have to spare, and do not target a dress that goes beyond that budget unless you have a second alternative. The last thing you want at your wedding is feelings of guilt and trepidation.
6. The Wedding theme.
This is another essential factor to consider when choosing a wedding dress. Your wedding is going to have a theme. Most of them do. It wouldn’t be nice if your wedding dress clashed with your theme. Imagine walking into your gothic-themed wedding, looking like Professor Umbridge, while everyone spots a Wednesday Addams look. Awkward, right?
Consider your wedding theme, and get a dress to match. Choosing a wedding theme shouldn’t be hard, either. There is a variety of them: casual garden, classic, Bohemian, modern, rustic, and romantic affairs. Of course, you could explore many more, but the goal is to pick a wedding dress that syncs with whatever theme you choose.
7. Your Venue.
This is a no-brainer. Your wedding has got to be somewhere, right? Right. But it shouldn’t be just anywhere. You’ll have to sit down and think through this one, and once you have made your pick, choose a wedding dress on the same wavelength as your venue.
You could have your wedding on a beach, in the open country, in a religious setting, in a hotel, in a banquet hall, in a theatre, or a garden. While most weddings in religious settings are characterized by brides wearing decent clothing (nothing skimpy), a bride having her wedding in a hotel or the open country wouldn’t have to worry about being damned to hell.
Remember, too, that an outdoor affair (available country, beach, or garden) may be characterized by a bit of snow, sun, or wind, depending on the weather. So, it would be wiser to pick lighter fabric for a beach wedding that will be graced by the sun. While you think about your venue, consider a wedding dress to match.
8. Think about your comfort.
When you dress, you are supposed to aim to look at ease in your dress and feel at ease. Therefore, your comfort is paramount, and many factors must be considered to achieve your target comfort on your big day. Therefore, find a wedding dress that won't compromise on your comfort.
For example, the weather, your wedding theme, the proper undergarments and shoes, the suitable fabric, the fitting silhouette, and lastly, ask yourself how you feel about the dress. Anything short of comfortable should make you reconsider.
9. The weather.
Ah, yes. The weather. An everyday thing, but a factor to consider carefully while planning for your big day. You wouldn’t want your fancy outdoor wedding to get messed up by a downpour.
The weather, the venue, and your gown go hand-in-hand. So first, you need to consider the weather you’ll have on your big day, after which you choose a suitable venue closely followed by a wedding dress to match.
While it is impossible to predict the weather accurately, it wouldn’t hurt to consider the weather most common in that season. Only once you have worked this out should you be able to pick your venue. Will the day be characterized by rain, strong winds, or snow? Try an indoor venue, then, and do not forget to choose a fabric that will keep you warm.
10. Consider a custom-made gown.
Custom or tailor-made garments are those that are made specifically for someone. Well, humans all over the world come in different colors, shapes, sizes, and heights. So, if you want a dress that is all yours and is suitable for you, we encourage you to have your wedding dress custom-made. Yes, considering all the measurements that will be taken is tiring, but think about the benefits. They are:
As we mentioned, humans have differing physical appearances/aspects. When you’re having your dress custom-made, and all these are considered, you will get a dress in; a color that matches your undertones, a shape that complements your body, and a size that fits and enhances your body’s beauty.
You get to enjoy the luxury of comfort on your big day.
Uniqueness. Humans have different tastes. Each human is different from the next. While your best friend may have an obsession with classical styles, you may have an entirely different obsession, say, a love for bright colors. Having your dress custom-made gives you a chance to brighten your day with whichever shouting color you prefer.
Remember, anything to ensure you’re happy and satisfied with how your big day plays out.
11. The wedding dress fabric.
You must think this through and choose your fabric with the most care. Your fabric dictates how your dress fits and flows on your physique. Materials such as silk shantung, taffeta, and Mikado will smooth your figure and beautifully mold to your shape while flowing fabric like silk, lace, and chiffon will flow smoothly down and show all your curves.
Be sure to choose your fabric with whatever weather you’ll have on your wedding day. You do not want to go through your wedding day trembling like a leaf because it snowed, and you chose to wear a thin fabric.
Other fabrics you could choose include crepe, brocade, batiste, charmeuse, and damask. To learn more about these fabrics, feel free to visit wedding-dress-fabric-guide, where they go into full detail about them.
12. Choose the proper companions to shop with.
Something else to spare a thought for is the companions you will be shopping with. Wonder. Will they tell you if they do not think the dress is right? Do they have a good eye for fashion? Will they be blunt and call a spoon a spoon?
Be a shame if you choose people who are afraid of hurting your feelings and lie that you look good.
So, choose your shopping companions wisely. They will likely see something you may miss.
13. Be 100% sure before saying “yes”.
Lastly, while choosing a wedding dress, don’t let any amount of pressure force you to purchase a dress you are not sure about. It doesn’t matter if your husband and mother-in-law are on your neck. Instead, take your time, sample different dresses to ensure you pick what is right for you, and be true to yourself.
If you feel comfortable, it is time to revisit all your options and see where you went wrong. It could be the fabric, the venue, the theme, or the silhouette itself. The goal is to say “yes” to a dress you have no doubts about.
Conclusion.
While finding the perfect wedding dress for your big day sounds daunting, we believe a little guidance does not hurt, and we are here to give you just that… guidance. You deserve a one-of-a-kind wedding day, and we are here to show you how.
We hope this guide has helped you get an idea on how to choose a wedding dress. So, how else can you make your wedding day one to remember? Well, we share a bunch of tips about this on our website. Be sure to check them out!