Components of a Wedding: BEFORE you go Gown shopping

Would you go into a retail store, try on 20 pairs of jeans, find the PERFECT fit and then walk out without purchasing them but hoping that in 4 months the jeans would still be there?

I don't think you would.

So why should it be any different for a wedding gown?

It baffles me when Brides expect a dress to stay for a year or even a month.  It's still retail ladies, and we all know how fast fashion changes.

Please don't take this to the extreme and think that because fashion changes so much you should wait till the last possible minute to buy your gown because something might come along that you like better... Most Wedding Gown Experts will tell you 6-9 months before your wedding is when you should start (and finish) wedding gown shopping.

So here is the point.  If you are going to go spend your time and the time of your friends and family trying on dozens of gowns why would you not be ready to purchase the one you fall in love with.  Or worst yet, why would you go gown shopping sans a crucial opinion (i.e., if you can't buy the dress without your mothers consent, why go unless she will be joining you)?

So make yourself a list of people whose opinions (or approval) mean the world to you. For the sake of everyone's sanity, I hope that list isn't more than 5 people, for most people its one or two names.  Those people should be with you when you try on gowns.

If someone from your "important people" list cant make it you need to ask yourself the following:
"If I find a dress I absolutely love and know that it has to be my wedding gown without any doubt, will I be ok buying it without this person? Or will I not be able to purchase the dress and risk coming back at a later date and not be able to get the dress AND have to start the process all over again?"

If those aren't things you are willing to do, you should probably not be going in to try on gowns.

Now I get that sometimes really important people live far away or someone is visiting and that's the only time they can come.  There are always going to be exceptions and extenuating circumstances.  What I am saying is that if you are going to try on gowns, be prepared to fall in love and buy it.  Don't go into it with a closed mind thinking its going to take 5 or 6 attempts. COMMIT!

Components of a Wedding: Undergarments for your Gown

Finding your Wedding Gown could arguably be the most important task for a Bride to accomplish.  Going into this task a Bride has no idea what to expect.  I've been doing some Wedding Gown consulting for a few months now, and I think these tips will help in your hunt for the perfect Gown (and accessories).

Before getting into any Gown, a Bride should wear a longline bra and a slip.  Here is why:

The Bra



Beyond the fact that a longline bra holds everything together and prevents bulges or rolls showing up on your Wedding Day (reason #1 a longline bra is important), there is another reason this kind of bra is a necessity.  A longline bra creates a foundation for a Wedding Gown (reason #3 a longline bra is important) and holds the dress up.  When you pair a longline bra with a properly altered Gown, it eliminates the "boob adjustment dance" so many women in a strapless anything do (reason #3 a longline bra is important).

The Slip (whatever poof you prefer)



Most Brides despise the idea of wearing a slip under their dress.  I've heard all the excuses you can think of. But the benefits from wearing the slip on your Wedding Day outweigh all of the whining.  Just like the longline bra (a good) slip will have some control to prevent the bulging and the rolls from showing up in photos (reason #1).  A slip gives the gown volume, if you so chose to have a poofy dress (reason #2).  A slip prevents the dress from becoming static city on your legs, butt and anything else you don't want it to cling to (like other people) (reason #3).  But the most important reason to wear a slip is because when you walk down the aisle, your dress creates a vacuum.  So you take a step forward and every inch of your dress gets sucked in and you can perfectly see the outline of your legs as you walk down the aisle.  But if you are wearing a slip, this will be prevented (reason #4).  I understand slips add extra layers and that they make your body temperature rise.  But wear it anyways, even if its just for the ceremony and pictures, it will be well worth it!

Every Bride should start with these basics when trying on Wedding Gowns.  The layers can always be removed if you end up in a backless Gown or a sheath skirt Gown.  Trust me, the Gown will look much better if you are wearing the proper undergarments.  And if you truly truly can't stand the though of wearing the undergarments try the dress on without it BEFORE you purchase it, you'll notice the difference!