Fashion
How to shop for a wedding dress
How to shop for a wedding dress Image by: Loversland
Fashion
How to shop for a wedding dress
Picking out this wear-once dress isn't easy. Here are some tips from the owners of the bridal boutique, Loversland, that will help.
Most women only shop for a wedding dress once. And most of them only wear the garment once too. Which makes it a pretty special outfit for a pretty special day. That’s a lot of pressure. In order to help alleviate some of that pressure, we asked Danielle Gulic and Yvonne Reidy, owners at Loversland, a bridal boutique in Toronto to share their wedding dress shopping advice.
Here are the things to keep in mind when shopping for your wedding dress.
Be realistic.
If you are super uncomfortable going braless, chances are a backless dress isn’t for you—no matter how much you like the look. If you know that in order to feel good about yourself you prefer to have your arms covered, or you like to wear wide straps, or you need something that nips you in the waist—now’s not the time to convince yourself of going with something completely new.
But, take risks and keep an open mind.
Reidy and Gulic hear so many say that they love something but that they just can’t pull it off. The “It’s cool, but I could never actually do that,” feeling. Guess what? You can do it. At the very least you can try it on. “Sometimes you see a picture of something you love, but when you try it on, it’s not exactly for you,” says Reidy, “and it destroys your whole image of your look.” Keep an open mind, try things on that aren’t exactly what you pictured and really evaluate how you feel in the dress.
When in doubt, try it on.
This goes hand-in-hand with trusting your consultant. “You really never know until you try it on,” says Gulic. So many women end up with a dress that they never thought they would go with, and it’s usually because the consultant is good at reading the bride—sometimes even better then the friends and family she brought—and can made suggestions accordingly.
Loversland
Consider the weather.
Especially in Canada, weather plays an important part in what you wear to your wedding. “If you’re getting married in July, look for a dress in the warmer months,” says Gulic. If you go out looking in the middle of winter, it’s going to feel weird. We’re not used to showing skin in the winter, and it usually takes some time to ease into our showy, summer favourites. The other point is, that often certain silhouettes feel more appropriate for summer versus winter. Long sleeves might not be your best bet for an outdoor wedding in July. Just as silky and slinky might feel weird in December.
Don’t rely so heavily on your crew.
“Don’t bring too many people to your fitting,” says Reidy. Even opt to go by yourself the first time you try dresses on. Then you have a good idea of what you like and what you want, without anyone else’s input. “It's a lot of pressure because you do get a lot of influence and input, even if you don’t ask for it,” says Gulic. The fewer people there, the better.
But if you want to include your fiancée, do it!
“When brides bring their fiancées, it’s my favourite,” says Gulic. “They are so genuine, and just in awe of what their partners are wearing.” If you and your partner do everything together, and if you value their opinion, it can be hard to exclude them from this big one-time purchase. But overall men are becoming more involved in wedding planning as a whole, so if you’re not superstitious, this is a great time to make another decision together. (If thismeans you get input on the suit, all the better!)
Finally, be confident.
Remember, you can pull off anything with confidence. Since you’re likely to be the centre of attention anyways, make sure you shine.
Recommended
Comments