When deciding on a wedding dress it can be a little overwhelming to try and decide what style you are interested in or what you are looking for. It’s a good idea to have an idea of what you are looking for and what you want to spend when heading into your wedding dress appointments.

Overall Wedding Style

Use your venue and overall wedding style to guide you to a wedding dress style. If you are having a traditional wedding, consider a traditional ball gown. If you are having something with a vintage theme, go with something with lace. Same thing goes for venue, if you are getting married in a hotel ballroom in the city, consider a trumpet gown. If you are getting married in a barn, consider something a little more casual. 

Pictures

Use Pinterest, magazines and other places (like our Real Weddings!) for inspiration. From the traditional ballgown to the fashion forward mermaid gown, and everything in between. From lace to bejeweled, and illusion necklines t button detailing. Have an idea of what you like style wise in a dress but go into dress shopping with an open mind. Let the stylist guide you into styles you may not have previously considered – you never know!

Budget

Then, there’s the dreaded “B” word to consider with dresses. Unfortunately, you have to consider your budget when dress shopping. Set a budget for yourself and try to stick to it. Before you start pulling dresses to try in the shop, tell your stylist the budget you are working with. There’s nothing worse than falling in love with a dress that is out of budget.

Customization

If there’s something about a dress you don't love, find out how customizable it is. If you love the skirt on this dress but the top on this dress, can those be combined? Were you set on a dress with sleeves but found one you love that’s strapless? See if they can add sleeves on. You’d be surprised what can be done. But like we mentioned, make sure you consider your budget and that any customization you may want to do still stays within budget. 

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Photo Credit: Alyssa Frost Photography