Wedding Advice: The Dress

Planning timeline

I would buy this 9 months to a year in advance. Consider factors such as the time of year your wedding is - as a June bride I definitely needed to buy early! It also depends on if the dress has to be made or if it is off the rack. Buying a dress early is important for alterations, as most brides have 2-3 alteration appointments! I bought my dress in August 2010, they handcrafted it over 4 months and then it was ready in December 2010. I had my first alterations appointment in December 2010 (sweetheart neckline and 1--point bustle, my second appointment in March 2011 (taken in 1 1/2 inches), and my third appointment in May 2011 (5-point bustle added, some rouches pinned flat). My dress was then steamed and pressed before I came to pick it up -- if you leave it at the salon generally you pick it up 2-3 days in advance. With a wild wolfdog you bet I left it there!

Suggestions

-Set a budget for this and try your best to stay in it! Warning: this is difficult! Consultants will try to put you in a more expensive gown and the fact is... you'll probably want it! This is one area where I went over my initial budget. The best way to avoid this though is to NOT try on the dresses outside your budget or it will be too tempting. Looking back on this, I don't regret getting the dress I did, but then again this is pretty much a one-time wear item (well, I'll be doing one more shoot!) so don't blow your entire budget on it!

-Try on dresses with a few different people. I went 3 times before purchasing, once with my mom, then with a few bridesmaids and the GBF (gay best friend), and then the mother in-law. By the end of each visit they all decided the dress was the dress, despite some worthy contenders.

-Take pictures!! This is so so important because you'll want to look at them later and see how you look in the dresses from different angles. Imagine yourself at the venue... does it fit in with the big picture? Also, something I found interesting - note your expressions in the pictures. I looked so much happier in the dress, it was undeniable. Some salons - particularly boutiques that sell a lot of dresses - will not let you take pictures (at least one of the brands probably does not allow it). I refused to get a dress from there, it reeeally helps to see the pictures later or you might get dress regret!

-Color? What do you mean, color - isn't there only white? Guess what -- my dress is not white! Ha, it's ivory. If you are getting married outdoors I highly recommend ivory, in intense sunlight or flash white will GLOW (not in a good way). This still happened to me a little but not as much as if my had been white. When I say glow I mean everything looks so white you lose details in your pictures. No bueno. I also like ivory because it is a little softer and sweeter. I also tried on a pink dress (very cool but I had to go a little bit traditional) and now beige is becoming pretty trendy. Too scared to do a different color? Try a colored sash. Vera Wang makes some awesome dresses with black sashes (think the bride in The Hangover).

-Lastly, try on all different shapes & styles! I bought a fit-to-flare, but if you had asked me before I went I never though I would have gotten this type dress, I thought it was better for curvier girls - turned out it gave me curves and made me look more womanly (the sweetheart neckline helped with this too). I drowned in A-line styles though... I looked 12! And with everything on grass a mermaid style was too difficult to maneuver in. See what is most comfortable and flattering on you.

Trying on the dress in Summer 2010

First fitting in December 2010 - wearing a dress (my dress!) that fits!



This was actually a group favorite, it had little textured polka dots on it.

But definitely not funky enough for me! However, a little more slimming/tight on the body.