You’ve probably been dreaming about your wedding and the all-important dress since you were a small girl. Now you’ve finally met ‘the one’ and you’re ready to walk down the aisle, how do you turn that childhood dream into a reality? Now is the time to decide what kind of bride you want to be – traditional, romantic, modern, or maybe bohemian.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of choice available to the 21st century bride, and then there’s the ‘wedding trends’ to consider if you want to keep à la mode.
For 2018, the big fashion trends are all pointing towards stunning illusion necklines, lace, soft sheer fabrics, layers and ruffles, beautiful blush pallets, soft shades of champagne mixed with ivory, capes, and a relaxed bohemian style. Choices. So many choices!
Here are a few tips from our wedding experts.
- Write down six adjectives that best describe how you want to look and feel on your wedding day. These could be such things as romantic, traditional, sexy, sophisticated, nature-inspired, themed, vintage or boho
- Set a budget – traditional bridal shops sell dresses at an average of £1500 but there are other ways to find your dream dress. Shop around, look on line, talk to married friends about their experiences. Remember that you also have to set aside part of the budget for shoes, accessories and bridesmaids dresses.
- Be true to yourself - know what you want and what suits you and what makes you beautiful and captures your individuality. A great source of inspiration is Pinterest as it’s jam packed with wedding dress ideas and often a good place to start if you really don’t have a clue.
- Co-ordinate with the groom – You may see yourself as Grace Kelly but your partner could be dreaming of a Hawaiian-themed wedding!
- Plan ahead - but not too far or you risk second guessing yourself and possibly changing your mind. Six months ahead of the wedding is a good benchmark to place your order by. That way it will give you enough time to have the dress made to order, and if it’s off the peg you’ll be able to incorporate alterations in the run up to the big day. You’ll also want to start booking appointments and trying on dresses before the 6 month mark- it can be time consuming and will give you plenty of time to make your decision.
- Be comfortable – you don’t want to spend your wedding day worrying about a wardrobe malfunction! It has to be a dress that fits perfectly and one that you love and that you’ll still love in the decades to come.
- Consider your venue – Whatever you have chosen, be it a formal candlelit ceremony, a laid-back bohemian style wedding, a traditional church wedding, a garden party or maybe a Caribbean beach, your attire should reflect the time and place of your nuptials. A formal ceremony is not the time for a bride to slip on a beach-style sundress!
- Make a day of it – take your bridesmaids or your mother dress shopping with you but limit the number to three people (as advised by most bridal shops) so as not to be overwhelmed with differing opinions. Why not also incorporate a champagne breakfast, a sophisticated afternoon tea or a trip to the nail bar? It’s all about you so make the most of it!
- Stop looking – When you’ve found your dream dress stop looking! Don’t waver, don’t be swayed. It’s the dress you love, remember that.
The most important thing about wedding dress shopping is that you have fun. Remember, when you find the perfect dress and slip it on it should make you feel beautiful, radiant and, above all, fulfil your childhood dreams.
For more information on weddings at Middle Temple, London's most historic wedding venue, visit www.middletemplevenue.org.uk or contact our dedicated events team on 020 7427 4820 or email events@middletemple.org.uk.