One of the most important things that will help you find your perfect dress is knowing what you want. Of course, included in knowing what you want is knowing what would look best on your body shape. Here are the four basic wedding dress silhouettes and what body types look best with them:
Ball Gown
This style of wedding dress includes a fitted bodice and a very full skirt. It is perfect for brides with the following body types:
- Full figure
- Pear shape
- Thin
Empire
This wedding dress silhouettes features a slim skirt with a waist right below the bust. Body types ideal for this style include:
Princess
This bridal gown has vertical seams and a flared skirt, perfect for brides with the following body types:
- Hourglass
- Full figure
- Petite
Sheath
Our last bridal gown style is a very slim, form-fitting dress. This gown may be right for you if you have one of these 3 builds:
Create a Wedding Dress ”Like’s & Dislike’s” List
Once you have figured out what silhouette you want (based on what would look best), you will want to decide on other parts of the dress as well. Not only will you want to make a list of styles you do like, you will also need to make a list of styles you don’t like. For example:
- likes: empire waist, flared sleeves, sheer overlay
- dislikes: big skirts, lots of beading, long trains
Your lists can be as long or as short as you want, but remember, the longer the like list, the harder to find the perfect dress and the shorter the dislikes list, the harder to narrow down the search.
Researching Wedding Dresses
As soon as you have your list, look at resources online, or bridal magazines to find wedding dresses that match your criteria. The more research you do before you go shopping, the better. Try to only focus on two or three of your likes when picking out dresses so that the people at the bridal salon have something to work with (instead of set criteria that are unwavering).
Shopping for the Dress
When you finally do go shopping for the dress, make sure you bring your sample pictures and a trusted friend with you. The best thing to do is call around to a couple stores and make appointments (if necessary) and make sure you look at lots of different dresses before making a final decision. The consultants at the bridal salon may suggest different gown styles that may look good on you. Unless these styles are in your ”dislikes” list, try them on- you never know what you may fall in love with.
Just as with most purchases, brides usually do not buy the first dress they try on. Most brides try on between 5 and 25 wedding dresses before finding the one they really love. If you are not completely satisfied with the way a dress looks on you, keep looking - it is not worth the disappointment of thinking you look anything besides fabulous on your wedding day.
