The Best Clothes for the Bride – Ideas for Wedding

The Best Clothes for the Bride – Bride Clothes
Your dress will be an important focal point of the day whether you have a church or civil wedding, and you will want to feel confident and radiant. A formal, long dress is equally suitable for a church or civil ceremony, although many brides prefer to wear a suit or short dress for a civil wedding. Allow yourself plenty of time to make decisions and for the dress to be completely ready for the wedding day.

Refer to Checklist 16 ‘Clothes for the Bride’
□ Set a provisional budget
□ Discuss your plans with the groom to ensure color and style co-ordination between yourselves and your respective attendants
□ Choose the color scheme for your dress and your attendants’ outfits
□ Decide whether you will buy, hire or have your dress made
□ Choose the style, taking into account your personality, proportions, height and figure (accentuate your good points and minimize the rest)
• modern
• formal
• period, e.g. Victorian, Edwardian, Twenties
• length and shape of dress
• sleeves (depending on the time of year)
• trimmings and decoration
• train (it is advisable to have a detachable train so it can be removed for the reception and any dancing, unless you intend to change into a different outfit after the ceremony)
• fabric (depending on the time of year)

Having Your Dress Made
□ Identify a reputable dressmaker
• personal experience
• recommendation
• advertisement
• website
□ Arrange a meeting to discuss your ideas
□ Decide whether to buy a pattern or have a pattern made from a sketch or picture
□ Agree a provisional timetable for fittings and completion
□ Discuss the estimated total cost
□ Purchase the fabric and any trimmings

Buying or Hiring Your Dress
□ Allow plenty of time and avoid peak shopping hours
□ Take someone with you whose opinions and judgment you trust
□ Try on lots of different styles and look at yourself in the mirror from all angles, particularly the back, which will be most visible to the congregation during the ceremony
□ Check whether there is a Charge for cleaning and alterations

Headdress
□ Decide whether to wear it on its own or with a veil
□ Choose an appropriate style to complement your dress and any decorative features, and to suit your proposed hairstyle for the wedding day
• tiara
• head-hugging Juliet cap
• circlet of fresh or silk flowers
• a single bloom • cluster of flowers
• ribbons trimmed with flowers
• hat (some styles of dresses, e.g. Edwardian, may look better with a hat, perhaps trimmed with
flowers or feathers)

Veil
□ Consider how it will be fixed and how well it will stay in place
□ Color
□ Choose a length to suit your dress

The more formal your dress, the longer the veil
□ Choose a style to complement your dress
• plain • patterned • plain or decorative edging

Accessories
□ Shoes
Color to match or tone with your dress. It is possible to have plain white satin shoes dyed. Comfortable, non-slip, with size of heel to complement the style of dress and your height
□ Underwear
• bra
Well-fitting, cream, flesh pink or peach color, and in a plain style to avoid color and trimmings showing through your dress
• pants
Comfortable and ultrasmooth, especially if dress is tight- fitting
• petticoat
□ Stockings or tights
Stockings are cool and glamorous; tights are warmer and more comfortable. Take into account the fit of your dress. Plain or patterned with bows or hearts. Have a spare pair available
□ Gloves
□ Jewelry
□ Parasol • fan • white prayer book • bible • pomander You could consider holding one of the above instead of a bouquet
Something old Something new Something borrowed Something blue

Going-away Outfit
□ Discuss with the groom what he intends to wear for going- away
□ Choose an outfit that you can wear on other occasions
□ Choose style and fabric for the time of year and also taking into account the location and climate of your next destination
□ Purchase appropriate accessories
• hat
• shoes
• handbag
• gloves
• tights