Types of Wedding Dresses

WEDDING DRESS TYPES

There are so many things you need to take care when you start your wedding planning. To name a few, you need to decide on bridal accessories, bridal headpieces, bridal flowers, bridal shoes, bridal favors, wedding hairstyle, bridal veils, wedding bouquet. Actually these are much more than a few. But, you all know that the wedding dress is of prime importance. First you decide upon the wedding dress and then decide other accessories accordingly. To help you start finalizing on your wedding dress, lets take a look at the various types of wedding dresses and which dress goes which which type of body shape. This will help you shortlist the dress easily. Ok, here we go:


Ball Bridal Gowns or Full Skirt Gowns
This classic and elegant style has a fitted bodice with the traditional full skirt. The bodice is often embellished with beaded Lace motifs and the skirt is frequently layered with airy fabrics such as crushed Organza ruffles. Ball gown type dresses are recommended for the following body types: Full figured, pear shaped, and thin.his style may also be considered for some people who are petite or have a hour glass figure.





A-Line/Princess Wedding Gowns
An A-line dress is another very classic silhouette. This type of dress, as implied by the name, resembles the letter "A." An A-line dress typically has a tapered top, sloped waist and flared skirt. A-line dresses tend to flatter women who have figures that are heavier in the hips and waist. The classic A-line style will flatter and slender almost any figure and is characterized by the fitted bodice with no waist but gently flares at or near the natural waistline. There are beautiful A-line wedding dresses which come in a variety of styles many with delicate lace trim and intricate beading and embroidery designs. Some also include chapel length train. A-line gowns are recommended for the most body types except for women who do not have a defined waistline. While neither the A-line nor Princess has a defined waistline, the Princess style does have noticeable vertical panels.




Mermaid Wedding Dresses
Mermaid dresses are dresses that mimic the shape of a mermaid. They are typically very fitted on top and then widen out at the knees. Fishtail dresses are the same shape but often have a trailing train. This type of dress is a good idea if you have a small bust and small waist. They can also make petite women look taller by focusing the eye on their overall line. This curvacious bridal gown style exudes grace and elegance with it's fitted waist and hips and a gentle flaring at the knees. Bell sleeves and a sweetheart neckline provide beautiful accents and a stunning slender look that will evoke many admiring glances from your guests. Mermaid style gowns are recommended for woman with a figure that they want to show off. This style is not recommended for women who are petite, having thick or short waist, or have an inverted pear shaped body type.



Sheath Bridal Dresses
Sheath dresses are generally very closely fitted dresses with hems that traditionally end just above the knee. Sheaths are usually made of very simple materials. The shape is intended to show off a woman's figure without extraneous detail. A sheath is a very good choice for a bride who wishes to accentuate her long legs or slim hips. These wedding gowns are very fitted and almost tube-like in appearance. Sheath style gown are recommended for thin figured or petite framed women. They may also be considered for some women with a hour glass figure shaped body. This style is not recommended for women who are thick or short waisted, full figured, or have a pear shaped body type.





Empire Waist
An empire-waist dress is a dress tightly fitted around the bust line. The rest of the bodice falls straight. Empire-waist dresses have been a popular choice for centuries. This dress is a good choice for a bride with a smaller bust. The dividing line in the fabric creates the illusion of a larger chest. Empire-waist dresses are also fine choices for brides with less than perfect hips. The straight line makes one's figure appear thinner. These gowns are recommended for women who are petite or do not have a defined waistline. They may also be considered for women with an inverted pear shaped body. This style is not recommended for women with hour glass figures



Hope this would give you some idea about various types and styles of wedding dresses/gowns. In next topics, we would cover types of necklines, waists, bodice styles, colors and fabrics. Stay tuned.

Getting started - Shopping for wedding dress

Most brides have been thinking or envisioning about their wedding dress for a long time. Shopping for your wedding dress can be one of the most important part of wedding planning since this will be the centerpiece of the wedding and everyone notices it. I am sure most of the brides seem lost and have lots of questions about wedding dress, when should it be bought, where should you go and what to expect while shopping for it. This article will provide some guidance and hopefully answer most of these questions. So, let’s start:

When to begin shopping for wedding dress:

A very simple answer - START EARLY. Ideally you should start looking for your wedding dresses as early as nine to twelve months before wedding date. Unless you plan to buy a ready-to-wear dress, you should have this much time in your hands since most wedding dresses are custom made and a lot of iterations may be required for alterations and doing final touch-ups.


Where to shop for wedding dress

The most popular choice for shopping wedding dresses is the bridal salon. It is popular because of wide selection of designs available form variety of designers and also for its very personalized service. You can also check out the various salons in urban shopping malls, strip malls and large departmental stores. You can also check out the internet under 'Bridal Shops' while doing a search. A local listing will give you various options within your area. Also, check with your friends and relatives. Word of mouth recommendations are very helpful. They can help you shortlist the salons to 2 to 3 based on service, variety etc.
While short listing, make sure that you consider salons which fit in your budget. You can save a lot of time and effort if you know what your budget it. There is no point in inquiring about a salon having starting range of $3000 when your budget is $1500. If you are on a tight budget, you can try your luck at bridal outlet. The designs may be a bit older, or the designers are not that well known or the dresses may not be super clean. You may have to go through a lot of dud dresses. Another option is to try a rental wedding dress. If you are not very sentimental about your wedding dress, this can be a much cheaper option. You can check the local listings under 'Clothing Rentals' and also check online. The only negative here is that you may not find a wide selection and maybe the design are not as per current trends.

What should you expect while shopping?

Shopping for wedding dress can be confusing if you don’t understand the language about wedding dresses. Before you go to a salon, you should read about the lingo used while shopping. Get yourself familiarized with terms and parts of gown like fabric, finishes, neckline, waistline, sleeve style etc.
Before you start shopping, you should have a picture of yourself in mind in the wedding dress. The design of your dress should be a reflection of the formality of your ceremony.

When you reach the salon, most probably you will be assigned a specific salesperson. This is the person with whom you are going to interact with till you receive your wedding dress. She would usually ask you about your wedding, the timelines, the formality or wedding, what time of the year etc. She would also ask you if you have anything particular in mind for your wedding dress. She will analyze your body shape and may suggest you what kind of dress would suit you best. A good salesperson will never force you into buying anything.

If you have done a bit of homework and understand the wedding dress, the salesperson will know about it and she would know that she is talking to an informed customer. While interacting with her, try to get ideas from her. She is the one who knows about wedding dresses the most since this is what she does.

When you enter into dressing room, keep your mind open. You should try all dresses which salesperson brings for you. There maybe cases when you don't like it in first glance but trust your salesperson. Try all types of dresses and then decide in which dress you feel most comfortable and like the shape. Most of the gowns can be customized as per your liking. You can take body of one and skirt of another. You can ask for embellishments like beads and bows. But remember, all these customizations will add to the cost of your wedding dress.

Don’t hurry to finalize your wedding gown. After finalizing it yourself, take review comments from your good friends and immediate family members. Since most salons have no-return policy on custom made gowns, you have to be pretty sure that this is the one for you. Go with your instincts and visualize yourself wearing that dress on your wedding day. If you feel nice about it, you should probably go for it.

Wedding Dresses - an introduction

In a wedding ceremony, the bride wears a specially designed gown or dress. This dress is known as a wedding dress or a bridal dress. This wedding dress is plays an important role in one’s wedding ceremony. The wedding dress is given special importance and care is taken to make sure that the bride looks like an angel in her wedding gown. As they say, “dressed up” suits perfectly for a bride when she is in her wedding dress.

The wedding dress is chosen carefully based on a lot of parameters like religion, customs, formality of wedding, wedding theme, time of the year etc. Basically, the background of the wedding governs the nature of wedding attire. In earlier days, wedding dress could be of any color except black or red. White has come to be known as the customary color of a wedding dress. This trend was started with the marriage of Queen Victoria to her cousin, Albert of SaxeCoburg in 1840. Her marriage is said to have had more influence on weddings than any other.

The term bridal gown came from the word al which means “party” combined with bride equals bridal party gown or wedding party gown. In the middle ages, wedding parties were simply known as Brid-als. A bridal train is the word used for the part of the wedding dress that trails behind the bride. The term came from similar trains worn by kings and queens which are derived from peacocks that were known as royal birds.

White is the most popular choice of brides since white is associated with purity, chastity and peace. But now a days, gowns are made of different variations of white like ivory, eggshell, diamond white, candle white, champagne etc. In China, the red is the most preferred color for a wedding dress since red is considered to be a lucky color there. Similar is the case in India. Indians consider red as a good omen. India brides wear a red saree which is bright and colorful with a lot of embroidery. Red color is usually avoided in western countries.

Veils are clothing worn exclusively by women to cover some part of her head or face. A Western woman normally wears a veil on her wedding day if she chooses an all white wedding motif. Brides used to wear their hair long, flowing down their back during their wedding to symbolize virginity. Nowadays, the white veil is often used to represent virginity. Bridal dresses are incomplete without a headpiece. A bride could choose to wear a tiara, a short headpiece, a veil covering her face or a flowing headpiece.

Wedding dress is one of the most important purchases for a bride. The gown and headpiece should match the occasion and her personality perfectly. It is important to shop for a gown that is stylish and just right for the bride.

Welcome to Wedding Dresses Guide

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