You’ve Got Your Wedding Dress, Now Do This

Without a doubt, finding the perfect wedding gown ranks high on every bride’s to do list. Finding the gown is only the first step; then it is time to find bridesmaid dresses and your accessories. Once your wedding dress is ordered, this is what to do next.

Hit the ground running by starting the hunt for your bridesmaid dresses right away. Some brides like for their bridesmaids to wear dresses which have very similar details to the gown, like a sweetheart strapless neckline, for instance. Of course, your bridemaid dresses do not have to be so similar to the wedding gown, as long as they all flow together. Either way, the sooner you start shopping, the better. Because you have to please so many different people, it can take forever to find a bridesmaid dress that everyone can live with!

The next step is to find your wedding shoes. Don’t show up to your initial dress fitting appointment without shoes, because then they can’t hem the dress. See if you can get a fabric sample from your gown for color matching. Wedding shoes do not have to be white – brides often choose fun colors like magenta, cobalt, or even bright red. If you choose colorful shoes, it would be great to pick out some other accessories in the same hue, like red crystal heart earrings to match scarlet shoes.

This would be a good time to go shopping for the lingerie to wear with your gown. Brides often do not realize that the appropriate undergarments can do a lot for how their bridal gown looks overall. Not only do improper undergarments often make the gown look bumpy, sometimes they make the bustline fit improperly. Do not make the mistake of buying white underpinnings; nude or flesh tone will be more invisible under your gown. You can wear a lacy bustier if your dress has enough texture to hide the bumpiness underneath it. If your gown is made of a lightweight material, you will have to be very careful to find lingerie that is totally smooth.

Now comes the part every bride loves: shopping for bridal jewelry! A bride usually has a pendant or strand, coordinating earrings, possibly a bracelet, and something pretty to wear in her hair. Having selected your bridal gown already will make it much easier to find jewelry to match. If your gown is covered with glittering crystals, a pair of Swarovski crystal heart earrings would be gorgeous. A lacy wedding gown looks elegant with a classic pearl bridal jewelry set. It usually works best to choose your necklace and earrrings before your hair jewelry. Your headpiece and wedding jewelry should make a nice set, with no one piece fighting with another. You can always choose hair jewelry that gets tucked into your bun or updo so you don’t have to worry about it competing with a dramatic necklace. Plan to order your veil now, if you did not do so when your ordered your bridal gown.

Last but not least, be certain to book your wedding gown fitting appointments! Your bridal salon may have a seamstress on staff or you may need to go elsewhere. To get the best appointment times, it pays to book them as soon as your dress is ordered. Most brides will need about three gown fittings, and the last one should be very close to the wedding date. Try on all of your wedding accessories with your dress at the final fitting to make sure that the total package is just as you envisioned. Then you will be all set to walk down the aisle looking amazing!