I read an article recently, it was called, “What brides should NOT do when buying a dress”… or something to that effect. It was an article that gave 5 points on what brides should not do when deciding on their dress. It actually gave some excellent points with a lot of detail, but I will only quote the five points:
1. Do Not Believe Everything You See on T.V.
2. Do Not Be in a Hurry
3. Do Not Just Stand There
4. Do Not Forget the Photographs
5. Do Not Forget Your Fiancé
Half way through the article, I realized that although it was a very informative, and well written, it actually told brides of what they SHOULD do when they’re trying to decide on the best wedding dress.
If you are anything like how I was with regards to my dress, (i.e. Absolutely Clueless to what exactly I want) I would like to share an idea here; a little tip on what you should do to help you decide on the best wedding dress, without the stress.
Of all the things that you have to decide and plan for your wedding, your dress is among the top 3 (if not 1st) on the list of “Most Important”. Hence, it is something that you will probably begin to think of the day you put the Engagement Ring on your finger! Here’s when you will most likely start researching your options. Don’t worry about having “too many choices” and then not being able to decide. These are the steps I follow when I have too many good options and I can only (cruelly) have ONE!
1. Of the 1000 dresses you WILL come across, keep saving, tagging, scrap-booking, pinning, the ones you like the most instantly. You would need to have a confirmation on the dress a minimum of 2-3 months before the wedding, so stop tagging the dress options by the 3rd or 4th month before your wedding date. By this time that scrap book may hold over 100 dress photo’s, but you’ve already narrowed them down from a 1000.
2. NO one knows your body better than YOU. You know your own flaws and what you flaunt. Be it, curvy hips, bootylicious derriere, small waist line, ample bosom, slender neck… You know what it is about your body that you & your man love or people envy. Now un-tag the dresses that don’t work well with your assets! That would probably remove anywhere from 10% to 50% or more of all that you have chosen so far.
3. By now you have filtered down to a good 50 to 70 dresses (hopefully less) in your scrap book. Now it’s time for VOTES!! You handle this 2 ways; either choose the best yourself 1st, or last. I always spend the most time deciding here. I prefer to put my votes and choices 1st and then circulate these choices to others whose input I would want. Take a good 2 or 3 hours, alone, with no distractions, look through the dresses and picture yourself in them. Literally close your eyes, and envision yourself walking down the aisle in each dress. I can’t explain it, but you will JUST KNOW IT when you prefer one dress over another and another over another. Keep a self limit to your votes, say 10 or 15. So of the 50 dresses, you chose the top 10 that you ABSOLUTELY LOVE and can’t decide which you like better, even it mean hell came over for a day!!
4. Now take your FINAL 10 best, go to people who you love and trust and want the best for you. Maybe your Mom, Your sisters, Brothers, MoH etc (if you’re not superstitious your hubby-to-be can also be given a vote). At least 5 other people, and ask them to choose the best 3 that they like. Remember, these are ALL your choices, so whatever they chose, will look amazing on you; just this way, you know what everyone else’s opinion is about the best wedding dress.
5. Next, only take the dresses with the most votes (top 3 or max 5). What I like to do is quickly ask my friends / family why they chose what they did. It helps me reconfirm my choice, see things I didn’t consider or drop ideas that I thought were good but turns out are better left on the shelf. This should bring down your list to a mere 3 or 5. If you know where you can go and try out these 3 or 5, RUN THERE, NOW! You’re almost done!!
6. Take photos during your try outs and then make the big decision. Chose the Wedding Dress that makes you the happiest when you see yourself in it.
Getting back to the article, here’s where I think points 3 & 4 would play. I love the way the author say’s “Sit, squat, do the “Dougie” whatever you need to do to make sure you are nothing but comfortable on your wedding day”. Now let’s face it, no wedding dresses have ‘jammy-like’ comfort levels or even close, but it doesn’t have to be a body-shaped torture chamber either. Basically, just make sure your dress does not hinder you from having a good time on your Big Day.
A quick small tip on Shoes: If you’re into stilettos, feel free to get a gorgeous pair that you can use for the ceremony, the reception entrance, the 1st dance, the Father Daughter dance, the photo shoot and the Bridal exit. But be sure to also pack a sweet little pair of flats that will go with the dress for the rest of day, dancing, walking around, meeting and greeting… will take a toll on your feet, be prepared to help them relax.
For further free tips on planning your wedding, contact me by visiting my website or reading my blog.
All the best and have a fabulous wedding!