The most important peice of advice that a bride to

Designer Wedding Dresses The Couture Details Every Bride Wants Author Brandon Kamins

There are three things that every bride-to-be should consider before she goes shopping for her wedding dress. The first is her budget, the second is the season, and the third is the wedding theme. In this article we will discuss a few simple tips that will help you select the right designer dress.

Where to Begin?

Believe it or not, one of the most difficult decisions every bride-to-be must make is where to shop for her new dress. Almost without exception, she will be besieged by suggestions from friends and family about where she should shop. There are bridal boutiques, online boutiques, designer showrooms, department stores and virtual auctions to choose from.

The fastidious bride-to-be can find the perfect dress at any of the aforementioned. However, it may not be a great idea to purchase a dress before seeing it in person, i.e., on the Internet. There are simply too many unknowns, and even if the price is right, alterations are almost always required when you buy a dress online.

Most women who have never shopped for a wedding dress before have no idea how expensive it is to hire a seamstress to make even minor alterations. So, that deal that looked so good on your computer screen might end up costing you lots of extra money.

What a good alternative? Department and discount stores often offer a nice selection, but they are not specialists. The business that can cover all of your wedding day needs is a bridal boutique. Also known as bridal salons, they are the closest thing to a one-stop option the industry has to offer. Not only do they sell a full range of designer wedding dresses, but they also offer dresses and accessories for the entire bridal party, including the bridesmaids, the flower girls and the mothers of the bride and groom.

Designer Wedding strapless bridesmaid dresses Dresses

Most women that want a more formal wedding order a designer dress. The cost of these gowns depends, of course, upon the reputation of the designer and the number alterations that must be made to the basic design. One reason that designer dresses are far more popular for formal weddings is because they take several months to complete. On average, it takes between four and nine months to deliver a designer wedding dress. That is why most shotgun and Vegas brides buy off the rack.

So, if you have always wanted a designer dress, you must plan ahead. Most recently engaged women begin by taking a trip to their local bridal store with a few of their friends/future bridesmaids. It may take several visits to finally decide on a design, especially if you don know what you want. Consider a few of these helpful suggestions.

Fabric

As you may be aware, most designer wedding dresses are quite heavy, even without a train. Now, this might be perfectly appropriate for a formal indoor wedding in the fall or the winter, but what if you have planned an outdoor wedding in the middle of August? Obviously, that heavy dress could begin to get a bit uncomfortable after a few hours.

Since summer is the most popular season for nuptials, it is often important to pay close attention to the fabric and materials. For a summer wedding, especially if it is being held outdoors, your best options include lighter, cooler fabrics like crepe and chiffon over velvet or satin.

Cut

As with any full gown, different body shapes and types are flattered by different cuts. Again, this is one of the main reasons bridal shops are preferable to a department or discount store. The experienced wedding consultants at these establishments will be able to tell you at first glance which cut will flatter your figure. Trying to do this on your own may result in a major fashion faux pas.

Motif or Theme

The motif or theme is almost always dictated by the setting, which is often dictated by the season. For example, if you have planned an outdoor wedding, then you will want a dress that is not too heavy or hot under the summer sun.

But the motif can affect more than just the fabric of your designer wedding dress. It may also influence the style. Sticking with the beach wedding example, a long flowing gown with a train would not work on sand, for obvious reasons. Therefore, the bride might opt for a much shorter hemline and maybe even a backless or strapless number.

Budget

The average designer dress costs between one and two thousand dollars, depending on the designer, of course. Another important consideration is the accessories. Many brides-to-be like to shine on their special day, and this may require special additions that must be hand-applied to the dress. Crystals, sequins and even pearls may be added to a designer wedding dress. As you might expect, this will also add a few hundred dollars to the final bill.

Finding the perfect dress for your wedding ceremony depends on many variables and any choice would be well served by plenty of diligent research.

Choosing Your Wedding Dress

Every girl dreams of finding the perfect dress for their wedding day and many have a vision in their mind of what they picture the dress to be like.

Before going shopping be sure to determine your budget so that you stick with the gowns that you know are in a realistic price range for you and also keep in mind the season and time of year that you are getting married in. You dont want a big heavy gown if youre getting married in the hottest part of the summer.

The most important peice of advice that a bride to be can be given before she sets out to shop for her dress is to be open minded about trying on many different styles of dresses! As it is common that the dresses that many brides to be have pictured in their minds is very different then the actual wedding dress they end up wearing on the day!

When you start looking at wedding gowns, have a chat to the attendants in the bridal dress shops and query them as to which style and colour of wedding dress they would reccommend. These people generally have an idea of what dress styles suit particular body shapes and which shades of white suit particular skin tones.

Many brdes to be go looking for their perfect white wedding dress, when in fact, an ivory or latte dress is more suited to their hair and skin colour. Below is a quick guide to the different shades of white and what skin and hair colours they are best suited to;

Champagne or oyster

This wedding dress white is an off-white with pink undertones and will flatter olive or darker skinned brides with dark hair.

Diamond white or natural white

This is a soft wedding dress white, common in the more expensive fabrics such as silk. This tone of white is well suited to fairer brides.

Latte

This shade of wedding dress white is slightly darker than the champagne and oyster shades. Latte is a popular choice today with brides and the tone is perfect for tanned or darker skinned brides.

Ivory

Wedding dresses in this shade of white have golden or yellow undertones. This shade of white suits fairer brides with honey coloured hair.

Stark white

Not suited to blonde or fair skinned girls. This shade of white is most unflattering if you are fair however looks amazing on dark skinned brides particularly hispanic brides.

Before you go shopping, get ideas from websites, magazines, and any other source that allows you to preview the various types of styles, lengths, and designs out there. Be sure to consider your body type as you make your selection for a wedding gown. You certainly want to go with a style that flatters your body type and doesnt make you feel self conscious.

Below is girls clothes stores a guide to which styles of wedding dresses will suit different body shapes;

Hourglass

Choose a wedding dress that accentuates your waist. Gowns with a full skirt and corseted bodices that flatter the bust line are great for this shape.

Pear shaped

A-line princess dresses which balance out the bottom half to the top half and disguise fuller hips and thighs suit the pear shape best.

Petite

Simpler desses without too much fabric will make the more petite bride appear taller. Big Ball gowns, gowns that are broken up, mermaid wedding dress shapes can overwhelm someone with a smaller figure.

Tall

Ball gowns, princess line and A- line wedding dresses suit this bride. Most can carry off straight bridal dresses and mermaid dresses also. Avoid empire line dresses.

Fuller Waisted

Princess-line and drop waist wedding dresses are most flattering.

Broader Shoulder

Broader shouldered brides should avoid halter and off-the-shoulder necklines which bring attention to the shoulders, and instead try strapless and scoop necklines.

Fuller Busted

Bridal corsets will provide shape and support for this body type. Scoop neck dresses and dresses with square necklines enhance bust lines.

Fuller Arms

Off the shoulder straps or sheer fabric is flattering to the arms. Three-quarter or long sleeve are also flattering on this shape and work to elongate the arm.

Shop around and try on a variety of different gowns so you will be satisfied that when you find "the one" you have considered many different alternatives and you can be happy you have not just settled on the first dress you tried on.

Finally, enjoy the process because trying on wedding gowns can be just as much fun as wearing it for your special day. Savor the journey and be sure to remember it by taking pictures of you in the various gowns you try on along the way.