January 22, 2014 at 1:40 p.m.
Weddings made it easy: How to find the perfect dress
Weddings made it easy: How to find the perfect dress
By Kayla Thomason-
Finding the Perfect Style
Take one or two people along when trying on dresses and browse around expos, advised Mary Taylor, owner of Lund &Taylor Bridal Gallerie in Rhinelander.
Find a dress that complements the bride's body and one that accentuates her best features. Bustier women can chose dresses with straps or halters for support and making the bust look smaller. V-neck dresses also do the same thing. Dresses with a straight cut across the chest or ruching tend to make busts look bigger. On the other hand ruching across the belly is figure flattering and works wonders for camouflaging any flaws.
Curvy women, or women with the Marilyn Monroe figure, look good in a mermaid dress as it accentuates their shape while a woman who is more "straight up and down" may not pull it off as well. If the woman is thicker through the middle she should stay away from fabric that gathers there because it poofs and doesn't flatter.
Tall women can wear almost anything and can pull off a dress that has layers, as it segments the bride, making her appear shorter. Brides who are shorter are not recommended to wear a dress of that design, but an empire cut works nicely for them. An empire dress starts to flow over the bride's body starting just under the bodice.
"A short girl should not really have a drop waist and then a cut [mid-thigh] and fit and flair because that will just cut her and make her look shorter. A tall girl can do all those different cuts in a dress because it makes her look shorter," Taylor said. Fit and flair and mermaid dresses look good on a tall woman. Short women do well in dresses with a short waist.
"Right now we are really, really big on the lace A-lines. [They] are really popular right now, fit and flare. Big and poofy doesn't seem to be as popular right now," Taylor said. A-line dresses are form-fitting over the bodice and torso then flow gently over the hips. A-line and ball gown dresses work well for all body types, although petite women will get lost in a big ball gown dress. For example, Cinderella dresses, where the gown takes up a lot of space, would be considered big, while a dress with a little poof and body is still OK.
Also note what type of fabric and the season when the wedding will be held. Flowy chiffon is great for summer while in winter a heavy satin is nice.
If the bride will be doing a lot of moving and dancing a mermaid dress may not be the best choice due to the fact that it is constricting around the thighs.
White or Ivory? That is the Question
Many brides imagine themselves walking down the isle in a white wedding dress, but white may not complement their skin tone. If someone is very fair-skinned, white tends to make them look washed out while ivory is a softer color. A white dress is a good match for a pink complexion, olive skin or darker. Ivory is better with fair skin or skin that has yellow undertones Taylor advised.
"Ivories are nice for the fall because they go with the fall colors a little better," Taylor said.
Warning!
Some dresses look stunning in print or on the Internet, but once they are seen in person and tried on, what the bride sees in the mirror isn't always what she imagined. The dress might be too tight or loose, the bosom might not fit as well as it should or the bride doesn't feel as gorgeous as she had hoped. Some dresses can be altered, but it isn't cheap. It would be nicer to the wallet and the bride's stress levels if she makes an appointment to try on the dresses that are in the gallery. It is the magical day, the one many women have dreamed of since they were young, so why not make finding a dress fun and have a mini-fashion show for the people you bring along?
Helpful Tips
Another tip for reducing stress is to start planning a year prior to the wedding date, that way there will be some leeway if things don't run smoothly.
"Plan ahead. That's the number one thing. I would say plan as much as possible as you can, try to be done a good two weeks to a month out just so that they have time to enjoy it and relax the week of the wedding," said Chris Ridlon, floral event coordinator and part-time wedding planner.
The bride doesn't have to do everything, she can hire a wedding planner to book a venue, make sure the florists, photographer, caterer etc. are there so the bride and groom can enjoy the day, Ridlon pointed out.
"I think the key is staying organized. And the key I think to is being a little bit flexible. Things happen, weather is a big factor with outdoor events so it may rain an hour before the wedding but sometimes Mother Nature works in wonderful ways and she'll open up the sky and let the sunshine in and let the event happen. So I think if you're well prepared then you're not apt to react so harshly to some of the wrenches that might be thrown your way," she said.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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