Hello! Today's post is one for the lovely brides-to-be!
I wanted to bring you some amazing tips to help you out when it comes to finding your dream wedding dress. As I've met and photographed plenty of beautiful brides and their gowns over the years, as well as experiencing the Bridal treatment myself too - I thought why not share some of the little tips I've picked up over time!
1. Comfort is Queen: First things first, let's talk comfort. This is what I believe to be the most important consideration when choosing your bridal gown - will I feel comfortable? Not just physically whether you can move around or sit down, but also is the dress something you are going to feel yourself and confident in? You want to feel like the best version of yourself, not like you're wearing a costume. Your wedding day is all about celebrating the beautiful connection you and your partner share, so don't stress about fitting into this idea of the 'perfect bride.' (which doesn't exist - a happy bride is a perfect bride in my eyes!) Be you, be comfortable, and radiate confidence. Trust me; it will make all the difference in those gorgeous photos I'm going to capture too!
2. Squad Goals: When it's time to hit the bridal boutiques, ofcourse you want your bridal party by your side. Choose the family and friends who will give you honest opinions without holding back, but who are also considerate and mindful of what will work best for you (you don't want someone pushing their dream dress onto you if that's a style you have ruled out from day one!) And here's a pro-tip: take the same people to all of your appointments. That way, they can help you compare dresses and give you valuable insights. You want a cohesive vibe, not a confusing mix of opinions.
3. Gather Inspo but go with an Open Mind: Pinterest and Instagram are overflowing with stunning bridal inspo, and it's tempting to fall down the rabbit hole thinking you have found the one. I know how easy it is to become mesmorised by one particular dress and not be able to take it out of your mind, but the truth is what looks amazing on someone else (especially the polished professional photographs taken at sunset in some exotic location) - may be perfect in your mind but in reality just not suit you and your body at all. So I think it's great to gather ideas of styles or design elements before you head off on your dress finding journey, but also go with an open mind and try on different styles while you are there too - you never know your dream dress may be something completely unexpected!
4. Move and Groove: Let's get practical for a second. This dress isn't just for standing; you're going to be sitting, eating, laughing, and most importantly cutting shapes on the dancefloor! So, when you're in the fitting room, don't just stand there looking pretty. Test that dress out – sit down, twirl around, pretend you're doing the cha-cha (seriously, go for it). If it passes the movement test, you've found a winner.
5. The 'Aha' Moment is Overrated: I'm sure we've all seen it in the movies and on shows like 'Say yes to the Dress' where the Bride puts on a dress and instantly tears up because they have found the one.. and as much as this is an incredible moment, it doesn't happen for everyone. So don't put too much pressure on yourself to experience this big 'I've found my perfect dress' moment, sometimes it can take a lot of searching before you even find something you feel comfortable in, and the added pressure of this big magical moment can sometimes ruin the whole experience and actually make it more stressful. So just embrace it for what it is - allow yourself to feel excited but if you see it as 'just a dress' that is absolutely fine too!!
So, there you have it – just a few little bits of advice to make your wedding dress shopping experience as enjoyable and worthwhile as it should be.
Happy dress hunting, beautiful brides!
Grace
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