5 Ways to Avoid Wedding Dress Regret

If you’re a newly-engaged bride starting to think about your wedding dress, you may be putting pressure on yourself to find the perfect gown which won’t just look spectacular on the day, but you’ll look back fondly at in decades to come.

According to jeweller Vashi Dominguez, a study of 1,000 married women found that 32% of them cringed when looking back at their dress in pictures*. Your dress is a big expense and a highly anticipated feature of the day, but lots of brides are still prioritising the wrong things when they begin the search.

Here are 5 tips on how to find the dress that will be a treasured part of the day.

1. When to Start Looking for your Wedding Dress

The best time to start looking for your dress is right after you book your venue. This way, you know the time of year you’re getting married, you can guess what the weather will be like, and you’ll know the vibe of the setting and how your day will look. If your dress matches the tone and atmosphere of the venue, then you’re looking at a much more coherent look, which won’t be out of place (think a bohemian dress in a meadow, or a ball gown in a castle).

It’s also a good idea to book your wedding dress a year before the big day to avoid any last minute stress with lead times and alterations.

2. Trend or Taste?

You want to make sure the choices you’re making are to your taste, rather than a fleeting trend which will look tacky and dated in a couple of years.

A great way to do this is look back at dresses which you think have stood the test of time. Look to  iconic styles like the 70’s exaggerated sleeve, or a 20’s flapper style dress with bead detailing and fringe to create lots of movement.

If you know you look and feel great in a certain colour, then maybe your wedding day isn’t the best time to try head to toe white. Research the traditions that are being laid on you and decide if they truly reflect you.

Whilst you’ll probably want to take your friends and families opinions into consideration, it’s important to remember that it’s your dress and your wedding, so you should ultimately be picking what you love.

I work with brides in such a way that by the end of it, they feel empowered to step into their inner queen. All their loved ones adore seeing them radiate confidence and wouldn’t want to question that.

3. Shop Smart

Working with a bespoke dress designer means your dress is editable up to a certain point, so you’re not committing to a style a year ahead which you might end up regretting down the line. A bespoke dress is a work of art completely tailored to you – not just another product of fast fashion with no thought to your personality. The process is also tremendously special, as my brides and I always make lots of lovely memories along the way.  You are the only bride in my studio, there is no conveyor belt, there is no stress or rush here.

If you’re green-minded and like the thought of a preloved dress, I can also alter and personalise existing dresses!

4. Do Your Bridalwear Research

Even if you’ve had your dream dress in your head forever, it’s always a great idea to look around and see some of your options. Maybe this is seeing different dresses in person, flicking through some wedding magazines, or creating a Pinterest board for gowns that pique your interest. Familiarise yourself with different styles and silhouettes, which will help you clearly communicate what you do and don’t like at future appointments.

5. How much to spend?

Work out the maximum amount you are willing to spend on a wedding dress and stick to it and. Factor in alterations, accessories, and any additional costs.  My brides typically spend about £300-400 on having their wedding dresses altered and or customised. identifying your financial boundary will help you narrow down your options and stop the temptation of trying on an extravagant gown which goes way over your budget. Having this in place also means avoiding the future stress of scrimping on other parts of the day.  Avoid looking at dresses that come within £400 of your upper limit.  

However, what if you’ve accidentally tried on a more lavish bridal gown,  were momentarily transformed into a celestial goddess/ queen of the world (or similar), and can now not un-see that level of glory? 

If that one towers over your budget-friendly second choice, that’s nice enough, but not as stunning, I recommend you choose the one you feel truly amazing in, otherwise you won’t be able to stop thinking about it. It will pay dividends in your enjoyment of the day, in everyone’s memories and long beyond in the photos, which will live forever. one you feel truly amazing in, otherwise you won’t be able to stop thinking about it. It will pay dividends in your enjoyment of the day, in everyone’s memories and long beyond in the photos, which will live forever.

Hopefully now you’re well on your way to securing the dress that you’ll still love just as much in years to come.

If you’re thinking a bespoke dress is the route you’d like to take, you can contact me here for some more information and allow me to turn the dress of your dreams into reality!

Photo credits: SL Photo and Film

Venue: The Bedford Swan Hotel

Make- Up: Lorella Marella Makeup Artist 

Source * from  Glamour UK 

If you’re a newly-engaged bride starting to think about your wedding dress, you may be putting pressure on yourself to find the perfect gown which won’t just look spectacular on the day, but you’ll look back fondly at in decades to come.

According to jeweller Vashi Dominguez, a study of 1,000 married women found that 32% of them cringed when looking back at their dress in pictures. Your dress is a big expense and a highly anticipated feature of the day, but lots of brides are still prioritising the wrong things when they begin the search.

Here are 5 tips on how to find the dress that will be a treasured part of the day.

1. When to Start Looking for your Wedding Dress

The best time to start looking for your dress is right after you book your venue. This way, you know the time of year you’re getting married, you can guess what the weather will be like, and you’ll know the vibe of the setting and how your day will look. If your dress matches the tone and atmosphere of the venue, then you’re looking at a much more coherent look, which won’t be out of place (think a bohemian dress in a meadow, or a ball gown in a castle).

It’s also a good idea to book your wedding dress a year before the big day to avoid any last minute stress with lead times and alterations.

2. Trend or Taste?

You want to make sure the choices you’re making are to your taste, rather than a fleeting trend which will look tacky and dated in a couple of years.

A great way to do this is look back at dresses which you think have stood the test of time. Look to  iconic styles like the 70’s exaggerated sleeve, or a 20’s flapper style dress with bead detailing and fringe to create lots of movement.

If you know you look and feel great in a certain colour, then maybe your wedding day isn’t the best time to try head to toe white. Research the traditions that are being laid on you and decide if they truly reflect you.

Whilst you’ll probably want to take your friends and families opinions into consideration, it’s important to remember that it’s your dress and your wedding, so you should ultimately be picking what you love.

I work with brides in such a way that by the end of it, they feel empowered to step into their inner queen. All their loved ones adore seeing them radiate confidence and wouldn’t want to question that.

3. Shop Smart

Working with a bespoke dress designer means your dress is editable up to a certain point, so you’re not committing to a style a year ahead which you might end up regretting down the line. A bespoke dress is a work of art completely tailored to you – not just another product of fast fashion with no thought to your personality. The process is also tremendously special, as my brides and I always make lots of lovely memories along the way.  You are the only bride in my studio, there is no conveyor belt, there is no stress or rush here.

If you’re green-minded and like the thought of a preloved dress, I can also alter and personalise existing dresses!

4. Do Your Bridalwear Research

Even if you’ve had your dream dress in your head forever, it’s always a great idea to look around and see some of your options. Maybe this is seeing different dresses in person, flicking through some wedding magazines, or creating a Pinterest board for gowns that pique your interest. Familiarise yourself with different styles and silhouettes, which will help you clearly communicate what you do and don’t like at future appointments.

5. How much to spend?

Work out the maximum amount you are willing to spend on a wedding dress and stick to it and. Factor in alterations, accessories, and any additional costs.  My brides typically spend about £300-400 on having their wedding dresses altered and or customised. identifying your financial boundary will help you narrow down your options and stop the temptation of trying on an extravagant gown which goes way over your budget. Having this in place also means avoiding the future stress of scrimping on other parts of the day.  Avoid looking at dresses that come within £400 of your upper limit.  

However, what if you’ve accidentally tried on a more lavish bridal gown,  were momentarily transformed into a celestial goddess/ queen of the world (or similar), and can now not un-see that level of glory? 

If that one towers over your budget-friendly second choice, that’s nice enough, but not as stunning, I recommend you choose the one you feel truly amazing in, otherwise you won’t be able to stop thinking about it. It will pay dividends in your enjoyment of the day, in everyone’s memories and long beyond in the photos, which will live forever. one you feel truly amazing in, otherwise you won’t be able to stop thinking about it. It will pay dividends in your enjoyment of the day, in everyone’s memories and long beyond in the photos, which will live forever.

Hopefully now you’re well on your way to securing the dress that you’ll still love just as much in years to come.

If you’re thinking a bespoke dress is the route you’d like to take, you can contact me here for some more information and allow me to turn the dress of your dreams into reality!

Photo credits: SL Photo and Film

Venue: The Bedford Swan Hotel

Make- Up: Lorella Marella Makeup Artist 

Source * from  Glamour UK