There’s nothing more we LOVE than weddings! It’s what gives us our spring in our step, keeps a twinkle in our eye and ignites our passion for all things bridal. When you’re in the business of LOVE, seeing our brides-to-be pick their perfect gown and get their happily ever after is just THE BEST feeling!
It’s true that planning your wedding can be all kinds of wonderful. But, behind the rose-tinted glasses, bridal mags, and insta-perfect wedding pictures the truth is there’s lots (and lots) to think about. So we want to impart our top 10 wedding dress tips that are guaranteed to help you find a dress you’ll LOVE. It’s everything you need to know (and more) before you say ‘yes’ to the dress!
- Avoid Dress Fatigue and Do Your Research First
We know it’s all too easy to get excited and book dress appointments immediately. Our top tip here is to stop and take a moment to do your research first. Take time to look on Pinterest, Instagram or other online sites to see what dress styles and designers you’re most drawn to. This means you can then arrange appointments with boutiques that stock more of the styles and designers you love. You’ll have a better feel for what you’re looking for and your stylist can help navigate dress choices that are more YOU. Having a positive dress experience is an important part of your wedding journey so don’t skip the prep! We promise it’ll result in more wow-worthy moments and avoid any dress disappointments!
- Make Sure You Have Your Wedding Venue and Date Booked
Knowing where you’re getting married and what time of year (season) can massively influence your dress choice. You may decide against a long-sleeved gown if you’re getting married abroad in forty-degree heat or equally a winter wedding might lead you to consider a wedding dress with sleeves or a cover-up. A narrow aisle to walk down might also eliminate some of those ballgown styles you’ve been considering too. Ooh decisions, decisions!
To choose the dress of your wedding dreams, having your venue and date booked before you shop can help guide your dress style and accessories and means you will be able to clearly picture yourself in your venue, walking down that aisle in your chosen gown. We have intimate knowledge of a lot of local venues in and around Manchester and Cheshire, so can also guide you here, based on the experience of some of our past brides.
- Consider Your Wedding Vibe
If you’ve got a theme in mind for your big day, then this is likely to influence your choice of gown and possibly your final wedding look. From boho barn weddings with ethereal, floaty gowns to winter weddings with beautiful sleeved dresses or a hint of sparkle, the choices are endless. Colours, venues and seasons all play a part in creating your perfect look. The more you know before you pick your perfect dress, the easier your decision will be.
- Set Your Budget
Without a doubt it’s better to be upfront and realistic about your budget from the start. Keeping your budget close to your chest will simply mean you’ll either end up disappointed or disheartened. By being open about your preferred price range will mean that your stylist can direct you to gorgeous gowns which will work within your budget.
- Be Open Minded
Yes, do your style research, come with a wish list of dreamy dresses but also keep an open mind. Quite often we see brides falling in LOVE with dresses that are nothing like the dress they thought they’d pick, but similarly we do have brides who choose the gown they’ve been lusting after and screenshotting for months before they even try it on. Be open to suggestions, try not to judge the dress on the hanger and try a few alternative styles and from different designers. Don’t be tempted to put all your eggs in one designer basket! Who knows what beautiful bonus bridal looks you may encounter!
- Trust Your Bridal Stylist
HONESTLY, trust your bridal stylist. A good stylist lives and breathes bridal designs and can help you navigate the best designers and the perfect styles that will set your heart-a-flutter. Call it our superpower, but we spend oh-so much time with our dresses, we know them inside out. From steaming and pressing before and after every appointment to many years of styling them on a range of body shapes and personal tastes, we will be able to confidently guide you through our range. Like a particular style but want a different neckline? Prefer it in lace? Ask us. You might just be delighted with what we pick out for you.
- Nearest and Dearest
We will say it a little louder for those at the back. No-one knows what you like more than you!☺️
Dress shopping is a major milestone in the bridal diary. It’s exciting, emotional and sometimes overwhelming. We recommend that you only bring a couple of guests to your appointment. The people closest to you, whose opinions you really trust. When it comes to weddings, there’s a tendency for everyone to have an opinion. And the more people at your dress appointment the more opinions you’ll be given – eek. Instead, we’ve seen a growing trend (fuelled by polarizing opinions of well-meaning family members) of brides preferring to do a dress reveal on the big day or waiting until the dress they have chosen has arrived and is fitted – then inviting their nearest and dearest to get a sneak peek. Whoever you chose to accompany you dress shopping, remember when it comes to finding the perfect dress – the only opinion that really matters – is YOURS.
- Bring the Right Underwear
Wearing the right underwear for your dress appointment can make a HUGE difference in helping you decide about your dress choice. It will be so much easier to gauge the ‘look’ when your eyes are not drawn to black knickers showing through or bumpy lace distracting from a sleek fitted crepe gown.
For the best multi-functional undergarments for any dress fitting, think nude briefs and maybe even shapewear. Yes, it might not be the sexy vibe you had in mind, but when you don’t know what cut or style of dress you’re going to be trying on, these will do the job nicely. Plus, it’s likely that you will need to wear nude briefs on your wedding day especially if you’re opting for a figure-hugging dress style as white/ivory underwear can usually be seen through the fabric.
The majority of our dresses have cups built into them, have low front/back detail or built-in corsetry so don’t worry too much about a bra and therefore we would recommend trying on dresses without one, if you’re happy to do so of course and remembering that the complete boutique is yours for the entirety of your appointment so there’ll be no other bride tribes to parade in front of and absolutely no compromise to your modesty!
- Think About Your Hairstyle
If you already know you’ll be wearing your hair up at your wedding, then we suggest that you loosely fashion your hair in the same way for your dress appointment and fittings. It will help you create the overall aesthetic you’re going for. Alternatively, if you don’t know just yet, we’ve got plenty of tools to help you create your look during your appointment and we can recommend plenty of local and super talented hair stylists from our little black book!
- Be Organised
An organised bride is a happy bride! When dress shopping our top tip is to make sure you order your dress in plenty of time before the big day. You should be saying ‘yes’ to the dress ideally a minimum of 9-12 months before your wedding. This allows time for delivery but also fittings which typically start around 12 weeks before your big day or ‘fly date’ if you’re getting married abroad. Being organised means you can enjoy every moment rather than feeling rushed or stressed. Plus it also means you can enjoy one of our complimentary Styling Appointments in advance of your seamstress fittings where we can help you finalise your final wedding look thanks to our range of veils and designer accessories.
From designer gowns to drama-free wedding dress shopping, budgets to bustles, there’s nothing we LOVE more than helping our brides-to-be create their perfect wedding look.
Our boutique is bursting with beautiful gowns from top designers, including Sassi Holford, Made with Love, Savannah Miller and our newest designer Lola Varma. So, if you’re looking to find the wedding dress of your dreams, then why not make an appointment with us? Drop us an email at hello@lovebridalboutique.co.uk we can’t wait meet you!
Emma xxx