How do you find the perfect wedding dress?
For a long time, the approach has been a fairly intuitive one… Try on a dress, if you like it and you can afford it, buy it! But with variations in styles, body types, materials, and suitability for different aspects of the occasion, I guess we can all agree it has become fairly complicated.
For a long time, the approach has been a fairly intuitive one… Try on a dress, if you like it and you can afford it, buy it! But with variations in styles, body types, materials, and suitability for different aspects of the occasion, I guess we can all agree it has become fairly complicated.
Those of us who can remember Princess Diana’s wedding gown would agree with the summary I’ve got above.
A regular internet search throws up some suggestions like
-
Research bridal dress styles before you go shopping
-
Decide on a budget and only try dresses within your limit
-
Try familiar cuts that flatter your body shape
-
Model your wedding dress choice after styles and cuts that you find flattering from your regular wardrobe
…and similar tips and tricks.
These are very useful but have ignored a very recent development in the wedding industry… the advent of bridal stylists!
They might sound avant-garde and possibly for only the most sophisticated of brides, but like with every other vendor category on the market (photography included), there are tiers of bridal stylists for different clients and budgets.
They might sound avant-garde and possibly for only the most sophisticated of brides, but like with every other vendor category on the market (photography included), there are tiers of bridal stylists for different clients and budgets.
Why do I think the bridal stylist is the most important in the arsenal of setting up your ideal look for the day? Because a good stylist has not just the flair, but also the training to guide you on matters of dress styles especially as it relates to your body shape and different cuts.
Does it really have to be this complicated? Can’t things be more simple?Maybe so… but don’t knock what you haven’t tried!
Having been a wedding photographer since 2011, I’ve come to find that some things are not as simple as they seem when it comes to the dress. My cousin had the perfect hourglass figure in pin-up proportions and so the consensus was straightforward. She decided (and most of us agreed) that she would walk down the aisle in a mermaid style dress…. until she came to the dress fitting!
Since I know nothing about styles, I can’t say what silhouette she settled for, but a trusted and more educated eye led to a better flattering choice for the day.
How do you find the perfect wedding dress?
Google and your friends can take you halfway to a few good choices. A bridal stylist, on the other hand, can seal the deal and make you spot on!
Google and your friends can take you halfway to a few good choices. A bridal stylist, on the other hand, can seal the deal and make you spot on!