So you’ve been to every bridal shop in town, consulted dozens of bridal magazines, had a few consultations with designers…but still can’t find the perfect wedding dress. What should you do?

Many brides-to-be have great difficulty finding the right wedding dress. It seems there are too many choices and too many designs to choose from, making it too hard to make a decision. Should you buy it off the rack? Or should you have it made? If you decide to have it made, you have a whole new set of decisions to make. Should you have the gown made at a bridal salon? Or should you employ the services of a designer / couturier? How do you choose fabrics? And that all-important design – where do you start?

The way to tackle this important task is very simple – planning. Just as you plan every other aspect of your wedding, you must also plan for your wedding dress. “Just hitting the stores” is often the long way to go about looking for the dress of your dreams. If you have a plan of action, however, you will not only make the task less daunting, but turn it into a fun and enjoyable experience. I have outlined a possible plan of action, to help you with the search of the wedding dress that is perfect for you.

Determine your budget:
I feel this is the first factor you need to consider, before even looking at any dresses. If you are willing to spend around $4,000 – $5,000 then you can afford the services of a couture bridal salon. Of course not all dresses in bridal salons are in that price range, but generally speaking, their dresses are sold for higher prices. You need to bear in mind also, that couture salons often have high overheads to cover, and thus a proportion of your gown’s cost is overheads.

If you know that your limit is $3,000 perhaps you should consider the services of a dress designer / couturier. The difference between dress designers is like night and day, and a whole article has been written on this topic alone (see my article “In search of the perfect dress designer”). But for the purposes of this article, I will keep it brief. There is a huge misconception in our society today that getting a dress made is a cheaper alternative to buying it off the rack. Well, in my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth.

If you are looking for a reputable designer / dressmaker who is capable of designing the dress, making the pattern, and sewing it to perfection, you shouldn’t expect this to be a cheap service. Labour rates vary greatly between dress designers, but a benchmark rate is $25-$40 per hour. On average, wedding dresses takes from 40-60 hours to produce, thus you could expect the labour price to be from $1,000 to $2,000, depending on the design of the dress and the fabrics you have chosen. Thus if you add up the cost of the fabrics, trims and of course labour, getting your wedding dress made should cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000. A general rule of thumb with designer / dressmakers is to check their work. Go to their studio and inspect some of their dresses. Photos are good too. Finally, don’t choose a particular dressmaker because she is the cheapest. There is often a reason for this – her work is not up to scratch.

Consult bridal magazines:
Go through several bridal magazines, and cut out the dresses that you like. Make a file and take this with you when you go to visit the stores. Notice details like necklines, sleeves, design lines; fabrics such as laces, brocades, satins and silks; trims such as piping and embroidery. Decide what you like and don’t like, and then visit the stores that stock the styles you like.

Visit several shops:
Go to the bridal shops that stock the styles you liked. You may have to make appointments to do this with some couture bridal salons, so phone before you go. While you are there, try on several dresses that appeal to you, to help you decide which styles look flattering on your figure. Remember that the size 8 model in the magazine will look great in anything, so some styles that you liked in the magazines may not suit your figure type. You will quickly decide which shops you liked by the dresses they have and the service you receive while you are there. Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions to the staff member serving you. If it’s a couture salon, find out how far in advance you need to place your order, how many fittings will be required, and how payments can be made.

Get quotes:
If you’ve decided on a design by now, get a firm quote for the dress. Find out what that quote includes, for example, some salons charge extra for fittings, petticoats, and alterations. Be sure to know everything before you place your order, to avoid any nasty surprises. I heard of a case where the bride-to-be ordered her gown, which was coming all the way from Italy, and when it arrived, major alterations were needed, increasing the cost by $400!

Off the rack or made to measure:
By now, you should have decided whether you have found the gown of your dreams ready made, or need to have it made. Increasingly, brides are choosing the option of made to measure, as opposed to buying it off-the-rack. I am a little biased here, as in my opinion, nothing beats a well-made, unique wedding dress made specifically for the bride. But this is a decision you must make for yourself. If you do choose made to measure, the next step is to find the right designer or dressmaker for you. (See my article, “In search of the perfect dress designer” for help with this.)

Finally, remember that your wedding gown is the most important gown you will ever wear. It is the gown in which you will say “I do” to the man of your dreams. It is the gown in which you will be remembered long after the wedding. You may even see your daughter wearing it on her wedding day. Most of all, you should have a lot of fun shopping for the perfect wedding gown.

What do you do when you’ve tried on many wedding dresses, but can’t seem to find “The One”? If you’re tall and slim, well you could wear just about anything, and look great. It’s not so easy though when you’re a bit shorter, hourglass shaped, or even pear shaped. Not to mention being over a size 16, now that’s a challenge.

The way to tackle this is by first establishing the best silhouette for your figure. I will outline the best design options for different figure shapes, with the aim of helping brides who are not a standard size (in my opinion, that’s about 90% of us!)
Hourglass shape:
This is where the bust and hips are in proportion, and there is a defined waistline. Typically a girl who is hourglass shaped is a size 14 or over, with a full bust and shapely hips. Contrary to popular opinion, girls of this shape are very often paranoid of their bust and would love to reduce its size! Also of concern are the shapely hips. Girls, I have great news for you! The majority of styles look great on hourglass figures, provided you stick to a few basic rules.
DO wear strapless gowns, they look fantastic on shapely girls! You will obviously need extra support in the bust area, but it is worth the effort. The best look is strapless at the neckline, with an A-line skirt. Also a straight-through gown is best, as opposed to a two-piece gown. The two-piece will tend to cut you in half, which can accentuate the hourglass shape.
If you’re not keen on strapless, a V-neckline is extremely flattering on a full bust. The V-shape should be fairly low (as low as you’re comfortable with), as a higher neckline actually makes the bust appear even bigger. A particularly flattering look is an off-the-shoulder V-neckline. A scooped, off-the-shoulder neckline is also very appealing.
The best silhouette for the skirt of the dress is A-line, and can be quite full. As for whether you should have a train at the back or not, that is a matter of choice.
The current styles which have lots of draping or ruching on them, are an excellent choice for an hourglass-shaped bride. Despite what many may think, draping is very good at disguising the not-so-good bits, which we all want to hide.
DON’T go for straight or bias-cut designs! They are strictly for the tall, slim, or generally size 10 girls. The only case in which these designs would work on an hourglass figure is if the girl is reasonably tall. I recently made a bias-cut cowl neck wedding dress for a size 14 girl, who was about 5 ‘ 11” tall, and the style worked really well on her. But on the whole, bias cuts are a no-no for shapely girls. They are too clingy and will only accentuate the parts that you would rather hide.
Also, avoid gathered or pleated skirts, as they add bulk around the hips.
Pear-shaped figure: Similar rules apply as the hourglass shape. The idea here is to balance the top half with the bottom half of the body.
DO wear strapless and A-line gowns, as they are an excellent choice for a pear-shaped girl. The off-the-shoulder scooped or V-neckline is also a very good choice, with an A-line skirt, as it helps to balance the figure. Two-piece gowns are a good choice for this figure shape, as the bust is smaller than the hips. You can have quite an elaborate corset bodice with an A-line skirt, and it creates the illusion that the figure is in proportion. I know this sounds odd, but it really works!
As with the hourglass figure shape, pear-shaped girls can certainly wear gowns with draping and ruching, provided it is with an A-line skirt silhouette. The best draping option here is diagonal draping as it is the most flattering. Go for detailing in the bodice, as it will serve as the focus of the dress.
DON’T choose straight or bias-cut designs. They look awful on a pear-shaped girl, no exceptions! Even tall pear-shaped girls should steer clear of bias-cuts and straight designs, as they simply cannot hide your hips.
Also, stay away from halter-neck gowns as this design actually gives the appearance of even bigger hips. Steer clear of full gathered or pleated skirts as well, as this look adds bulk to the hips.

The short, petite bride:
If you’re shorter than 5’5”, and quite petite as well, you have a different set of challenges to deal with. Most people may think you can look good in just about anything, and you probably could. Your challenge is to choose the design silhouette that will look most flattering, given that you are small-framed.
DO wear off-the-shoulder gowns, scooped necklines, shoestring straps, and A-line skirt shapes. The best skirt shape is, in fact, a slight A-line, not too full. If the skirt is very full, you can almost look lost in the dress. The exception to this is the Cinderella gown, which is extremely full and can look very romantic and stunning on some girls. But this look isn’t for every petite bride. Being petite does mean you may need some padding in the bodice of the dress, to fill you out a bit. You do have many design options that would suit you, but beware of the ones that don’t work.
DON’T choose slim, straight gowns as you will disappear in them. If you prefer a straighter look, a good option is the mermaid skirt, which is fitted to the mid-thigh, then flares out.
Bias-cuts may fit you OK, but could have the effect of being too minimal as a wedding dress. One option is to have a full cathedral length veil, which acts as an addition to the dress. This can serve to make you look more like a bride! I find that many girls who are petite and want a slim styled dress don’t want a veil, but once they try one on, they fall in love with the look it creates.
The larger bride, over size 16:
Girls who are a size 16 or over will probably struggle to find the perfect gown for them. To be quite frank, most designers put such girls in the “too hard” basket, and thus avoid making gowns in larger sizes as much as possible. It is a bit more challenging to find the right style for you, but with the right guidelines, you can truly look fabulous. You do need to be realistic about what will work for you, and realise that the size 10 model in the magazine will look good in anything. So just picking out a dress from a magazine that you love is most likely not going to work for you.

The idea is to choose designs that flatter your good bits, and hide your not-so-good bits. Here are some suggestions.
DO choose designs with minimal detailing, the less fuss the better. For example, a scooped, off-the-shoulder neckline, fitted to the hips with a slightly A-line skirt with or without a train is an excellent choice for a larger girl. You could have a V-neckline, and sleeves if you prefer (I know larger girls prefer some sort of sleeve, a small cap sleeve is a nice look). Two-piece gowns are often a good choice as well. But beware of the style if choosing a two-piece.
The best option is to go for a fitted bodice with some detailing on it, for example, light beading, or a light all-over lace, and an A-line skirt. Draped styles also look good, provided the drapes are diagonal, not horizontal.
DON’T go for full gathered or pleated skirts as it adds bulk to a larger girl. Straight styles can look good on a larger girl, provided she is reasonably tall. A short size 18 girl would be best advised to avoid straight styles though. Also strapless gowns mostly don’t suit large girls as the shoulders are usually sloped. If you have square-ish shoulders though, you could select a strapless gown (I know that most larger girls would never even consider a strapless gown though!) The main consideration with a strapless gown is the support needed to keep it up, which generally means it needs to be quite tight-fitting.
The best advice for larger girls is to choose a fabric you love and go for a simple, uncomplicated design. Choose nice trims or features to enrich the gown without making it fussy. For example, light beading on the neckline and hem; piping trim on the neckline; buttons and loops at the back; perhaps a contrasting fabric (like lace or organza) on the train.
In conclusion, I believe that every bride can and should look her best on her wedding day. Many, many girls nowadays are having their wedding gowns made, simply because they cannot buy a dress off-the-rack to fit or even suit them. Having your wedding dress made is certainly the best way to go, if you are not a standard size. Using these guidelines, you can certainly make the most of your assets, to ensure you look your absolute best on the biggest day of your life, your wedding day.

So you’ve decided to have your wedding gown made, but you don’t know any dress designers? When it comes to your wedding gown, you deserve the very best you can afford. This does not mean to say that your parents mortgage their house for your wedding dress. It does mean though that simply making a few phone calls and then choosing the cheapest designer is NOT the way to go.

Many brides-to-be have great difficulty finding the right designer to design and make their wedding gown. Since it is the most important gown you will ever wear, you need to do some planning and researching before committing to a particular designer. I have attempted to make this task a little easier for you, having had several years of industry experience. I hope the following points are helpful in searching for the right designer for you.

Consult friends or relatives:
If your cousin who recently got married hired the services of a designer, ask her about it. Was she satisfied with the designer’s work? How did the designer handle problems, if any? Was the finished gown exactly what she ordered? How many fittings did she go to? If the answers to these questions satisfy you, perhaps you should get the designer’s contact details and make an appointment to see her. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising a designer can have, so a satisfied client will often refer her friends and relatives to her. Much like hairdressers and solicitors, dress designers often have a loyal client base, so chances are if your cousin was over the moon with the work of her designer, so will you.

What if you don’t know of any dress designers, how do you find a good one? If a designer is experienced and confident with her work, chances are she will advertise in some way. The Yellow Pages is a good place to look, under the Dressmakers section, as well as the Bridal and Eveningwear section. Also many dress designers advertise in bridal magazines. You will have to make a few phone calls and ask some basic questions in order to decide if a particular designer is worth visiting.

Make an appointment:
Once you have spoken to several dress designers on the phone, make an appointment with one or two of them. This way you can go to their studio and inspect their standard of work for yourself. A reputable designer should have a couple of sample dresses on hand for display. If only photos are available, look closely at details such as seams, points on collars, and the general appearance of the garments. If the photos are not very clear, and she has no samples to show you, I would be very skeptical. It’s possible she has something to hide. Things to look for include: a well-lit studio with ample space for consultations and fittings; sample garments of her work; clear photos which show the types of dresses she has made (if the dress looks bad in the photo, it probably looks worse in reality, but if a dress looks great in a photo, it would look even more fabulous in reality because photos often don’t show detailing very well);

A skilled designer should have lots of suggestions regarding design, fabrics and colours, and be able to design a gown that is perfect for you.During this time, you should also be able to decide whether or not you get along with this designer. This is very important, as you will see her several times by the time the dress is finished. I find that by the time I have completed the gown, the bride and I have become friends, and are no longer just client and dress designer. I will do my utmost to ensure she looks perfect on her wedding day, going to her house on the morning of the wedding to make sure the dress is put on right.

Determine your budget:
There is a huge misconception in our society today that getting a dress made is a cheaper alternative to buying it off the rack. In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. If you are looking for a reputable dress designer, who is capable of designing the dress, making the pattern, and sewing it to perfection, you shouldn’t expect this to be a cheap service. For more information about pricing, see my article “In search of the perfect wedding dress”.

Consult bridal magazines:
Go through several bridal magazines, and cut out the dresses that you like. Make a file and take this with you when you go to visit the designer. Notice details like necklines, sleeves, design lines; fabrics such as laces, brocades, satins and silks; trims such as piping and embroidery. A reputable designer should be able to advise you about which styles suit you and which don’t.

Get quotes:
If you’ve decided on a design by now, get a firm quote for the dress. Find out what that quote includes, for example, some designers charge extra for fittings, petticoats, and alterations. Be sure to know everything before you place your order to avoid any nasty surprises.

Finally, remember that your wedding gown is the most important gown you will ever wear. It is the gown in which you will say “I do” to the man of your dreams. It is the gown in which you will be remembered long after the wedding. You may even see your daughter wearing it on her wedding day. Most importantly, you should have a lot of fun when you have your wedding gown made. It should be a very pampering and enjoyable experience that you will remember fondly, long after the wedding day.