Now that you’re engaged, it’s time to find the perfect wedding dress. Yay! Seriously, tell me you haven’t thought about it at least once (or a thousand times) already.

Buying your wedding dress is an amazingly fun process and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But it can also be overwhelming if you don’t do a bit of prep work in advance.

There are 3 keys to a wedding dress search that’s exciting and not the least bit stressful.

1. Decide Your Wedding Style

Are you planning a black tie ballroom affair or an intimate garden event? Both are amazing, but require a different style of dress. A grand evening event might call for a dramatic Kenneth Pool or Ines di Santo ballgown and an intimate garden affair might just be perfect for a flowing Christos or romantic Jim Hjelm.  An 11 am ceremony calls for a very different dress than one that starts at 7:30 pm. Bottom line, don’t even think about buying a gown until you know your venue and ceremony time.  

2. Determine Your “Dress Personality”

Are you classic or cutting edge? Flirty or demure? Every woman has her own unique sense of style and a wedding dress is a great way to showcase that style to the world.

There are thousands of wedding dress styles, from simple to sophisticated, timeless to right on trend and there’s definitely one that’s exactly perfect for you.

To determine your style, find celebrities whose look you admire. Then think about your every day outfits and see what choices you tend to make. Lastly, flip through bridal magazines or look online to see what dresses make your heart beat a little faster. Chances are, when you review all three, you’ll see a definite preference towards a specific wedding dress style – yours. Keep that in mind when you look at gowns and it will help guide you to your dream dress.

3. Know What Looks Best On You

So many brides say they were convinced they wanted a certain style of gown-  until they tried it on. Then they knew it just wasn’t right. Every woman has her favorite features and a wedding dress is a great time to accentuate yours.

Consider your body shape. Are you an apple, pear, rectangle or hourglass? Once you’ve determined that, find the gown styles that look best on your figure. For example, empire waists are great for apple shaped figures because the waistline is at the narrowest part.  Hourglass brides look stunning in mermaid gowns because they highlight their curves.  You can find style tips for each body type here.

Now that you’re prepared, head out to the salon.  Enjoy the experience and find the dress that you know is “THE ONE.”

BDST: 1528 HRS, Aug-29, 2013
SIS/Jck