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Wedding Dresses 2024
Your wedding is one of the most important occasions that you’ll dress-shop for. For many people, this event (and the dress that comes with it) is something that they’ve thought about since they were little, but shopping for it can still be daunting.
Whether you’ve been eyeballing Cinderella’s dress for your big day since age six or you’re not sure where to start, we’ll walk you through finding the perfect wedding dress.
How to Find Your Perfect Wedding Dress
Breaking down the wedding dress hunt into smaller steps and questions to consider can make the process easier, especially when you have the rest of the event to think about.
Try not to ask yourself all of these questions back-to-back, if you can, to avoid decision fatigue. Because this dress is such an integral piece to the puzzle, you’ll want to give yourself as much time as possible to search.
Step 1: What Makes You Feel Confident?
Many people think about their wedding day as they grow up and develop their taste, and some people even have a picture-perfect idea of what they want their wedding dress to look like. If you already have a dress in mind, you’re ahead of the curve, but do think about being open to other possibilities if you can’t find the exact dress you see in your head.
If you’re not sure where to start, think about silhouettes that make you feel confident – you can think about other dresses (and outfits) you have and do some reflection. Along with thinking about what you love, if there are cuts and silhouettes you don’t like, you can immediately rule them out. If you’re not sure what kind of cut suits you, you can explore our guide to finding a dress that embraces your natural shape.
Remember that while most wedding dresses will be floor-length gowns, you don’t need to be bound to that concept if you don’t like it. Short wedding dresses and alternatives like 2-piece sets are also options that will look incredible. Put your taste and the looks that you love on yourself above other people’s ideas of what you should be wearing.
Step 2: What’s Your Budget Like?
This is going to be one of the most important deciding factors when it comes to wedding dress shopping. Before you start looking at dresses, make sure you know roughly how much you’ll be able to spend. The last thing you want is to fall in love with a dress only to find that you can’t have it.
Once you have your budget, you’ll be able to filter accordingly. Remember that you’re probably going to want new shoes, jewelry, and other accessories to go with your dress, so definitely budget for those, too.
Step 3: Which Fabrics Are Best Suited for Your Special Day?
The biggest factor in this consideration is the time of year your wedding takes place, especially if you’re planning an outdoor wedding. Many weddings take place in June, and you certainly don’t want to be somewhere humid in a heavy velvet gown.
If your wedding is indoors, you have a little more wiggle room when it comes to fabric choice, as the temperature can be controlled.
For both indoor and outdoor weddings, also think about how long you plan on wearing your dress when considering your material. A big, show-stopping dress is always glamorous, but if you’re not planning on a different look for the reception, it may be too much to dance in.
Step 4: Do You Like Glamorous Accents?
Tons of wedding dresses incorporate accents, like lace, sequins, and rhinestones, so keep these things in mind when you’re shopping. If you find a dress that you love that’s a little more understated than you normally like, accents like sequins can be put on later by a professional.
If your personal style is simple and elegant, and you want to maintain that for the big day, don’t be afraid to keep it subtle.
Step 5: Ready to Start Shortlisting?
Once you’ve thought about these questions, you likely have a pretty good idea of what you’re looking for – and what to leave on the rack! Now’s the time to make a wishlist of the dresses that have caught your eye – try to keep this relatively short to not overwhelm yourself as you process.
If you still have a ton of time before your wedding, it may be a good idea to take a week or two off from the dress search and return with fresh eyes. This is especially true if you’ve quickly gone through the steps for creating your shortlist without much of a break. It’s a great time to immerse yourself in your wedding’s other aesthetic choices so you have them fresh in your mind.
When it’s time to start narrowing your shortlist, think about the vision you have for your wedding, but also consider your personal style and which dress you’re most excited to wear. It’s important to remember that this isn’t like a cocktail dress you’ll be able to wear to another event if it doesn’t feel right for your wedding, so you definitely want to love it! If you’re true to yourself, it will all fall into place.
Step 6: How Are You Going to Accessorize?
Once you’ve made the very exciting decision of which dress you’re donning for the big day, you’ll be able to relax a little more, and turn your attention to shoes and accessories!
You’ll want to figure out your shoes as soon as possible, especially if you’re planning on having a fitting (or multiple fittings) before your wedding. Having the right shoes will ensure that the length of your dress hangs correctly and you won’t trip over it down the aisle.
The next most important pieces are your undergarments – try on your dress with your planned undergarments and adjust as needed. You definitely don’t want lines or visible bra straps in your wedding pictures! Try to work this out as soon as you can so you don’t have to worry about it later—you’ll have enough going on!
Jewelry should also be tried on with your dress to ensure it complements the look and doesn’t distract from it. When planning your jewelry, also consider how you’d like your hair to look and whether there will be head accessories, like a veil or tiara.
Wedding Dress Colors
The color of your wedding dress will be the first thing everyone sees when you walk down the aisle and in your wedding photos. Whether you’re considering a traditional wedding look, an alternative to white, or you’re not sure about accessorizing your shade of choice, we’ve broken down some of the most popular wedding dress colors and how to style them below.
White Wedding Dresses
When you think of a wedding dress, white is likely the first color that pops into your mind, and for good reason. White wedding dresses are the epitome of tradition, and as a bonus, your wedding is one of the only occasions you can go all-out in a white gown, so why not dazzle in pure white?
The silhouette you choose determines how you accessorize a white wedding dress. A more minimal gown will have more room for accessories, whereas a dramatic dress may compete with statement jewelry.
Ivory Wedding Dresses
Ivory is a softer shade of white that brings a bit of warmth to your wedding look that pure white won’t have. An ivory wedding dress often has a bit of a vintage feel, but shades of ivory can be close to pure white, giving a modern twist on tradition. Ivory is the second most popular choice for wedding dress colors due to being complementary to nearly all skin and hair undertones.
Wedding dresses in ivory are particularly perfect for brides with cool undertones who feel that pure white doesn’t bring out their features. It’s your special day, so of course, you want to choose a color that makes you feel confident! Styling these is very similar to accessorizing a white dress; you’ll want to let the silhouette and overall vibe be your guide.
Pink Wedding Dresses
For a touch of fun and playfulness, a pink wedding dress nods to the traditional white dress concept while still standing out from the crowd. A light pink wedding dress is perfect for the bride who wants to marry (pun intended) modernity with tradition. Pink wedding dresses that are more saturated in hue exude creativity and femininity, which is perfect for this new chapter of your life!
If you’re choosing a light pink wedding dress, you may want to be careful with shoes or accessories in white. Depending on the shade of pink, white may compete with your gown instead of completing your look; instead, silver, gold, black, or pastel accessories may be better options.
Black Wedding Dresses
Black wedding dresses are the ultimate in drama for the bold bride who isn’t afraid to totally reinvent the rule book. A black wedding dress gives an air of mystery, power, and dark romance. This is an especially romantic choice for a wedding on or near Halloween, but black wedding dresses will dazzle and turn heads at any time of year.
Black wedding dresses can be accessorized in just about any color, as it’s just as neutral and versatile as white.
3 Other Dresses to Think About for the Big Day
When you’re envisioning your wedding, you may also be thinking about the aesthetic flow of the event itself, including what everyone else is wearing. This tends to be relevant for pictures and for a generally cohesive vibe. Here’s how to approach the other important wedding dresses.
Bridesmaids Dresses
These are dresses that you can be strict about when it comes to color, cut, etc. since they’re in your wedding party. Think about what color (or colors) you’d like your bridesmaids to be wearing, and if the Maid of Honor dress is going to be different or similar to your bridesmaids’.
Many brides prefer to have their bridesmaids all wearing the same dress, typically in a solid, event-relevant color, for maximum cohesion. If you plan on doing this, keep your and your wedding party’s budgets in mind.
Another very popular option is to select a color and let your bridesmaids get their own matching dresses. This can be a good method if your wedding party has style and neckline comfort levels that vary. Just make sure all of your bridesmaids’ dresses will complement each other before anyone puts in any orders.
Mother of the Bride Dresses
Brides don’t typically pick out mother of the bride dresses, but they are often consulted about them, so the dress meshes well with your vision for the big day.
You (and your mom) don’t want this dress to be exactly like yours, but you do want it to be complementary. When you’re being consulted about this dress, whether you’ve gone shopping with your mom or she’s sending you ideas, think about the vibe you want for your wedding. For instance, if you’re going with a summer beach event, you won’t want her in something too stiff.
Wedding Guest Dresses
When it comes to wedding guest dresses, you’ll want to make your dress code very clear – especially if your wedding is in an offbeat location or on a date around a holiday. If you have a Halloween wedding and want people showing up in costume (or you don’t!), you must let them know on their invitations and on your wedding website.
Dress codes are usually white tie (which is extremely formal), black tie (think tuxedos), formal, semi-formal, or casual. If your wedding is tropical or festive (like Halloween), note this with your dress code.
If there are certain colors you’d like your guests to avoid wearing, you’ll also want to let them know in advance. This information should also be on wedding invitations alongside the dress code, as well as on your website.
Getting Ready for the Big Day!
Wedding dress shopping doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you break the process down into steps, you’ll find your perfect wedding dress in no time!