Top Tips...Tweaked.
I read an article in the latest issues of Destination Weddings and Honeymoons (Feb 2011 issues) titled "Dress Quest" that inspired this post. The article were top tips from the editors on finding the perfect dress...so I'm tweaking them :)
1a. Consider your location. The article suggests that if you're getting married on a beach you should opt for tea length or short gown. I completely disagree. Just because you're getting married on a beach doesn't mean you have to limit yourselves. If you've always dreamed of a princess gown...wear one. If you dreamed of a flowy chiffon dress...wear one. I wore a big ol gown and I have no regrets. I do have half the beach stuck in the hem of my dress but that is neither here nor there. And the hem situation was mainly caused by the early morning trash the dress session (more on that fabulous experience later...).
1b. Veils...If you're getting married in a location where beautiful ocean breezes could cause your veil to whip around and smack your husband across the face (not beautiful)...you may wish to forgo the veil and choose a hair flower or real flowers for your hair. I completely agree - it was so windy on my wedding day a veil would never have worked. I opted for white orchids in my hair (actually, my hairdresser gave me those, total bonus)
2. Mind the temperature. Agreed, this is very important. If you're standing in front of the mirror at an air condintioned dress shop and you're starting to feel a little hot maybe even a little sweaty...this would not be a good dress for a beach wedding in Mexico. If you're getting married in a cooler climate you can totally pull off heavier materials like silk satin. If you're getting married like me in 95 degree heat on the beach go for a lighter weight fabric like taffeta or chiffon. My dress was Taffeta and it was quite lightweight...I did not melt :) And ladies please don't forget about your bridesmaids...no one wants a sweaty hot mess of a bridesmaid and plenty of designers offer many options for materials.
3. Time it right. SUPER IMPORTANT! When it comes to alterations...give your seamstress the date you :LEAVE for your wedding, not your actual wedding date. Many seamstresses will even hold your dress in their shop and wait until the very last minute to steam it so you can pick it up the day before you leave and it doesn't have to spend too long stuffed in a bag. You'll have enough stresses the few days before your wedding...you don't want your alterations to be one of them.
4. Fight Wrinkles...I didn't follow this rule, I am a bad example... I admit it, taffeta wrinkles super easy...BUT many resorts offer a pressing service as part of their wedding package. If you suffer from separation anxiety and refuse to let the hotel remove your dress from your room (like me) then I suggest the following:
- bring a travel steamer and steam your dress the night before your wedding
- pack your dress in it's garment bag with tissue paper
- pick a dress with lots of texture so any wrinkles you miss with the steamer aren't noticeable (this was my tactic)
5. Trust your gut. Everyone reacts differently when they find "the one"...most important...make sure you listen to yourself over everyone else. You're the only one who will really know which dress is "The Dress". Most importantly, don't limit yourself. A ball gown, a chiffon empire dress, a tea length party dress...any one will be beautiful as long as you feel beautiful in it.
And just to prove that you don't have to limit your dress selection if you're getting married in the sand...I'm posting some pictures of REAL beach brides having a blast in their dresses:
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| Yep that's me! |
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