Having worked in the business of photographing weddings for over six years now, our studio knows a thing or two about wedding dresses, where to find them, and how to pick the best fit for you–being a photographer often times comes with being a consultant to people who have never ‘done this before.’ It also helps our studio manager/creative director worked in fashion before working for us…she has often said that if she could wear a wedding dress every day, she would! We offered to make that happen…although, we may have gotten ourselves into something we can’t get out of now!
That being said, we recently had one of our second shooters come by the studio to tell us he was getting married!!! He had just proposed to his fiance only the day before, and they wanted all kinds of advice on what to do/where to go next. So it got us thinking…we should let other people know our insights on this field we love so much! Thus, without further ado… here are our tips for finding the “right” wedding dress for you, and a huge haul of eye candy dresses for you to drool over:
#1. Knowing the location and time of year: Locking down these two aspects of your wedding first is exceptionally crucial, in general. Bryan made an excellent point the other day when telling our second shooter to get these done EARLY; he said, “getting your location and time of year out of the way allows for you to get that time and spot before someone else does, along with this, doing so allows for a smooth transition to other wedding selections and for other vendors.” He’s right! Your location vendor will be happy that you planned in advance, and so will all your other vendors. But all that aside, knowing your location and time of year you wish to get married helps you to decide what style of dress you will want to wear. If you are getting married in the middle of the woods, you probably aren’t going to want a large princess type of dress with tons of tulle. Same goes for weddings on the beach during early summer…let’s face it, you’ll be hot, and not in a good way. Try to be mindful of your location and the time of year and the way the dress will look in that setting–different places call for different dresses.
#2. START EARLY!!! We can’t stress this enough. We all know the saying “the early bird gets the worm;” well, the worm, in this case, is your perfect dress. So get to it! Starting early allows you to have TIME to find that perfect dress, and, furthermore, allows you to broaden your search. If you need to take a trip out of town to try on dresses at a boutique, or even at big department stores like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, or Bloomingdales, having enough time early on will allow you to do so. You’d be surprised how many gorgeous dresses these places have, as well as carry designer names.
#3. Do your research: this ties in with the former tip, in that you should look at numerous options if you have the ability. We live in a digital world,now, which means you can search the entire globe for your perfect dress, and for all of your inspirational ideas moving forward. Instagram has become quite the hub for wedding inspiration (you can find all of these designers we have shown on Instagram), and, as always, Pinterest (follow us, we always post tons of inspiration) has a plethora of drool-worthy ideas. But, with that, you also find out all of the dress styles and cuts available, and what those look like on various body types.
#4. Keep an open mind: this may seem as something obvious, but you’d be surprised how many brides want “THAT” specific dress–insert whatever “that dress” is. They will settle for nothing else, and while we aren’t asking anyone to settle–it’s your big day, after all–it’s a good idea to be open to trying on other dresses…who knows, you may fall in love with something totally unexpected. Don’t put yourself in a box…no one likes that!
“Now that there are so many options, a bride can select a dress that fits her personal style. Brides can experiment with color; pale pink or blush can be quite enchanting for tose looking for something non-traditional. Long sleeves, once considered as conservative, are now an opportunity to showcase a bride’s aesthetic. Shorter hemlines are also great for the more casual, outgoing person.”- Monique Lhuillier, Designer and Creative Director, Monique Lhuillier
#5. Focus on fit not size: this is similar to the above point. We know that it is hard to not be overly concerned with your weight on your special day, but worrying less about how much weight you NEED to lose in order to get that PERFECT wedding dress and, instead, concentrating on what fit suits you best, you’ll find yourself not only happier, but a lot more stress free. Plus, taking in a dress is not too difficult, so if you lose weight, you can always bring it in!
#6. Get creative: we love this point because we are no longer tied to the idea that a wedding must consist of a bride in all white. The options, today, are endless. If you want to wear a purple dress, trust…there are GORGEOUS purple gowns screaming your name. Want a print? There is an endless array of prints available for your wedding dress, and there are designers that specialize in making incredibly unique gowns for your big day. So have fun!
“There are so many options! Narrow down the silhouette you feel most beautiful in, and from there, find the dress that makes you happy. I believe finding a wedding dress is like finding a true friend; you should be able to trust it, you should never regret it, and when you see it…it should always make you smile.” -Sareh Nouri, Designer, Sareh Nouri
#7. Suit your style: This is the true NUMBER ONE tip that we would want anyone to take away from this. If you could only choose one of these tips, we’d suggest choosing this one. Your wedding is one of the biggest days of your life, and while it is certainly about other things than just yourself, it’s your day to really be “you.” In doing so, it is important to remember that trends and fads are just that. They fade away, so don’t get caught up on getting a dress that is only “hot right now.” Make sure you pick something that represents you, your beauty, and your personality.
” The biggest challenge is allowing yourself to dream and explore. your wedding gown should reflect the magic and elegance of the moment. It’s important to be daring and adventurous in order to be sure that you have found a dress that expresses you completely” -Reem Acra, Founder and CEO, Reem Acra
All designers in this post: Berta Bridal, Lazaro Bridal, Paolo Sebastian, Mak Tumang, Monique Lhuillier, Naeem Khan, Reem Acra, Sareh Nouri, Tony Ward, Zuhair Murad