He’s popped the question & you have the sparkle on your finger…sigh…happiest moment. Finding The One – check. A huge congratulations on your engagement! It is such an exciting & special time in one’s life! Now, how does one go about finding the Other One – your wedding dress?

Finding your dream wedding dress is a topic one can elaborate on for hours, however, I will try keeping it simple for now. Let me put it this way, generally, for this season in one’s life, one’s wedding (and wedding dress) tends to feature as the second big love of one’s life.

I know the array of choice out there can seem daunting, even somewhat scary. Finding a starting point can also feel confusing. But I am going to let in on a (hard earned & hard learned) secret –  there is no perfect place to start. One just have to start somewhere – be it picking up a bridal magazine, visiting a bridal store or two, having a look at fabrics & laces available, finding a couple of wedding blogs that appeals to you, starting a pin board on Pinterest (one of my favourite cyber hang-out spots!) – anywhere is a start. Once you start somewhere, you should eventually find your way to your dream wedding dress.

Be guided by your heart & instincts (where possible, avoid being guided by other people’s opinions and ideas – or the ‘what-are-people-going-to-say’ ones we can so easily cook up in our own minds).

Be guided by your vision for your wedding day. Use details such as the your venue of choice, time & date and ‘theme’ for your wedding as guide rather than a rule. Find yourself in your wedding dress.

Get a feel for your likes & dislikes – what are you drawn to…

Colours? Textures? Atmosphere? Flowers? Detail? Understated? Bold? Soft? Dramatic?

Most brides I meet have some form of wedding folder / scrapbook / Pinterest pin board from which they draw inspiration or gather ideas into. Have a look at the picture you collect: can spot a theme running through the styles you are drawn to? What do they have in common?…

Silhouette:

Soft? Structured? Edgy? Traditional? Romantic? Ballgowns? Trumpet style? Fit & flare style? Flowing silhouettes? Structured designs? Ruched detail?

Have a look at fabrics that appeal to you:

Lace? Tulle? Satin? Silk? Organza? Chiffon?

Certain details that you are drawn to:

Bows? Flowers? Crystals? Diamante? Pearls? Sparkle? Delicate bead work? Bold detail? Subtle nuances?

Spotting a theme:

Romantic? Dramatic? Classic? Natural? If you have answered all of these, it is very likely to be Vintage.

Most of all, I advise brides to be their beautiful selves & to regularly take a moment to stop & smell the wedding roses along the way on this most exciting & beautiful journey they are on.

If you would like to have a peek at what inspires me (personally) wedding dress wise, feel free to visit my board ‘Weddings…dresses…galore & more’ on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/maryke700/wedding-dresses-galore-more/