Style Advice: Picking The Dream Wedding Dress

Lovely blogger and fellow high school alum Dummeow recently got engaged--congratulations! Since she's been following this blog for a while, when she announced her engagement she also messaged me asking for an advice post on wedding dresses. Wedding dress shopping is so personal and I didn't want to impose my own tastes on someone else, so I asked her for further details about the ceremony and the overall look she wanted to achieve, and suggested that she pick out several dresses she liked. Dummeow kindly obliged and posted her top picks; now I'm going to go through these dresses and offer my thoughts on each selection.

The classic A-line silhouette, lace pattern, and ribbon sash make this gown sweet and feminine. However, when paired with the updo and elbow-length gloves Dummeow wants to wear, the overall look might be a little too precious. Instead, I suggest bare arms, a good manicure, and a hairstyle that's not overly fussy to keep the look a little more modern, a little less Disney princess.


The scalloped neckline is quite pretty. Judging from the fit across the waist/hip area, this is not a dress for the tummy-conscious. Spanx might be a good idea for the big day. The lace train looks beautiful in the picture but could be a pain in real life. Picture tripping over it when you stand in the park for pictures, having to hold it up so it doesn't trail on the ground...but that's what bridesmaids are for, right? ;-)


This number is a lot more modern and sleek than the first two. Like dress #2, I'm concerned with the hassle posed by the train. The empire waist detailing highlights the body at its smallest point (just above the natural waistline) and the inverted V panel in the front elongates the body, making a petite girl look taller and slimmer.


Quite honestly, this is lace overkill for me, and again, for the tummy-conscious this number may not be the most flattering. But if this sort of dress is your cup of tea, I recommend keeping accessories to a minimum and wearing simple hair and makeup like the bride pictured here.


Of this dress, Dummeow said, "Something simple. I like looking at it but not for a wedding." The simplicity and elegant draping provide the perfect blank canvas for more dramatic accessories and hairstyles. Instead of buying a one-piece dress, though, I'd try to achieve a similar look with a two-piece ensemble composed of a ballgown skirt and a bustier. After the wedding, both pieces can be re-worn in other outfits.


Love the creative pleating on this gown! This is probably my hands-down favourite of the bunch.


The pleating around the chest has the potential to be unflattering.


Bordering on too puffy, plus with all the rhinestones on the bodice AND the gloves AND the updo we're treading on Disney princess territory once again.


Dummeow says, "Love the scrunch effect although a little too much considering there will be a bouquet." Agreed.


Instead of defining the body and drawing the eye to the narrowest part of the torso, the high stance of the "skinny" empire waist belt on this gown adds volume. I don't recommend this gown for petite girls or for anyone with a large chest or a curvy figure as it will make you look a lot bigger than you actually are. It might work on someone who's tall and willowy.


Which one of Dummeow's picks is your favourite? When you envision your dream wedding dress, what does it look like? If you're a married reader, what sort of dress did you wear for the ceremony?

33 comments

  1. hi lisa,
    thanks for sharing with me a completely realistic and practical view of all the dresses. i'm glad to see it from a more practical pov cause sometimes it's easy to just want a dress or outfit based on how pretty it looks and not consider how it might look on your body. maaaan.. so true about the last dress. i'd look.. so tiny in that. : )

    hope you didn't have to spend too much time analyzing each dress - great critiques, truly an eye-opener!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, coming from someone who got married fairly recently (last Sept), I can totally relate to how overwhelming finding a wedding gown must be. I think it's great to have ideas in advance, but to be honest, the bride-to-be is just going to have to try on as many as possible. Most things look good on paper, but dresses you thought would be perfect might not really suit you. I initially wanted something similar to #2, but it just didn't suit me... too much lace and it was a bit too girly. I ended up going with a dress really similar to #6: the only detail the dress had was the pleating. Once I had it on, I knew it was the one.

    I agree with all of your comments Lisa. Some of these will be flattering or unflattering depending on the bride's body. I think once you go to a wedding boutique, a good advisor will listen to what you have in mind, then pull out a selection based on that and what she thinks will look good on you (and also take into consideration wedding theme, flowers and any other details).

    p.s. I think Desigual is available in Mexico but only in other stores/department stores. I don't think they have a standalone store there yet.

    ReplyDelete
  3. your site is amzing i would like o see more pix of you

    JINX

    FASHIONJINX.BLOGSPOT.COM
    FASHIONJINX.BLOGSPOT.COM
    FASHIONJINX.BLOGSPOT.COM
    FASHIONJINX.BLOGSPOT.COM
    FASHIONJINX.BLOGSPOT.COM
    FASHIONJINX.BLOGSPOT.COM

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was married four years ago(!) in my grandmother's wedding dress from 1951. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, a tight lace bodice, and full tulle skirt. I wanted something vintage-y and the dress fit me perfectly with no alterations, no less!

    My favorite part of the dress was its tea length. Every time I go to a wedding and see a bride struggle with her train and that whole bustling business, I thank God for my Grandmother's petite-ness and foresight to save her wedding dress!

    The length also enabled me to wear some fabulous shoes that everyone would see. I went for very modern, nude birdcage-style peeptoes with clear sequins. I kept my makeup and updo very simple
    with just a touch of a retro cat-eye to keep my look from being too much of a novelty.

    I'm afraid I can't help with the whole bridal-salon experience but I would encourage you to try on a short dress!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love your suggestion about the separate top (bustier) and bottom -- if it was white, i'm guessing that it wouldn't be too difficult to re-dye.

    While I would probably never pull off anything quite so formal, I can appreciate the whole it's-my-day-and-i-want-an-amazing-dress thing. Though personally, I think I'd rather splurge one the shoes -- but that's just me :) Anyway, great comments as always, Lise.

    megan

    ReplyDelete
  6. i think it totally depends on the type of wedding you want to have. for example, i'm going to get married on the beach. done deal. so, as much as i love the gowns, they're not practical. so something more casual and lightweight is what i'd need to look for.

    also, are the gloves and up-do deal breakers? when is the wedding going to be? you don't want a summer wedding with gloves, that's sweaty. but you may want an up-do for that same reason. and conversely, gloves in winter and maybe hair down.

    i did the whole giant ball gown thing for grad and it was fabulous. there aren't many times in life where you get to wear a cinderella dress. but these days, wedding dresses are more sleek and fitted. and do you want modern or traditional?

    looking at pictures is great, gives you ideas of what you do and don't like. but nothing beats seeing them and trying them on in real life. the one you love in a picture may be really uncomfortable when you get it on.

    ReplyDelete
  7. An amazing array of options! My eye went right to your favorite pick, Lisa. Great minds, eh?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you for feeding my wedding fever with these wedding gown pics! I agree, number 6 is my favourite too. I also like number 9 if it didn't have that ruffly embellishment on the left hip (a flower?). I just got engaged a few weeks ago and I'll most like be dress shopping in September. I want strapless, sweetheart neckline, natural waist with some sort of band or beading across the waist, a happy medium between ballgown and A-line...and a modest train. Wow, I didn't realize I had all that so figured out until just now!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like them all personally. Looking at wedding dresses makes me want to get married, even though I don't want to and even if I did I wouldn't wear white. Black and blood red all the way :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I wore a Richard Tyler dress, very classic, non-poufy, and then changed into white leather halter and hip huggers late in the evening ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lisa, what great advice! Wedding dresses kind of scare me for some reason (the words commitment phobe might have something to do with it), but I love all of your suggestions/advice!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dummeow, it was my pleasure. :-)

    Erin, the wedding is slated for October. All the best to the happy couple!

    ReplyDelete
  13. that first dress is so stunning, love lace! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. This makes me want a Prince Charming! My dream dress has grecian draping. :)
    P.S. The deer was from Green Mansions.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I like the first three dresses best. It is a close call between the first and the third for the winner. They are all really pretty! I couldn't imagine looking at wedding dresses for myself wow crazy. Great post as always. Can't wait for your letter. Hope you've had a chance to read it!

    ReplyDelete
  16. The last 4 rock. Modeling wedding gowns was the hardest thing I have EVER had to model.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lisa! You are such a good friend:)
    I love your critical analysis of every dress...hehe...
    It's true though, picking a wedding dress is such a personal experience...I've always known the dress I wanted but since we are planning a wedding on the beach I have to compromise...hehe..I don't mind...it's just a dress:)

    Rome is beautiful! You are gonna love it there! We actually rented an apartment in Trastaverte area. But it depends with how many ppl you are traveling. I'd suggest for you to go on TripAdvisor and read reviews on the best bed and breakfasts. They are better than hotels in rome, and less expensive;)
    Keep me posted. I'd like to help with anything else;)

    Ciao

    ReplyDelete
  18. i have no idea what kind of dress would i wear, i dont even have a boyfriend haha

    but my cousin is getting married in november, it must be pretty exciting

    xx

    www.inspirations.co.nr

    ReplyDelete
  19. i love the 3rd one! my sis will get married this september, but she will just wear traditional costume.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am quite a ways from a wedding right now (;

    But I have already envisioned my dream wedding dress - and instead of white, I would love to go for the unconventional: cream, taupe, or a pastel yellow!

    bisous,
    La C.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I really like the tube dresses. The bodice very pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congrats to your friend! These are all fabulous, but I am particularly loving dress #3!

    xoxox,
    CC

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love the same dress that you said was your favorite - it is flattering and gorgeous without overkill.
    I always have pictured myself in something with a vintage type feel to it...we'll see :) I do like the first dress a LOT too, and completely agree with your comments.
    Lovely blog :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. my favorite the 4th :)!

    great critic!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Personally I am really sick of the strapless look. Why look like EVERYONE else???

    I'm getting maried in either a halter, spaghetti straps or a slight cap sleeve. I do suit strapless best, but like I said, it's been done to death everywhere and I think women should start branching out with their ideas!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I think I would choose the first as my favorite. I love all the lace and the ribbon-- it's very girly, but I don't think it's too overpowering (the lace detailing seemed a little more "out there" in the other lace dress later in this post). I would love to wear something like this with my hair down or just partially up-- it's very long and curly, so I don't think I would need or want to style it too much anyway. I like that it's a dress that could be worn very well with more minimal accessories. When the time comes for my wedding, though, I want something that has some kind of sleeves. I have a very large bust, and I don't want to spend the big day worrying about my strapless bra slipping around.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I really do love that pleated dress, and the last is gorgeous! I think wedding dresses really do need to take into account the body of the wearer - it's about finding out which styles suit you. I always feel that a timeless classic, something more simple, yet still interesting will often look the best :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. i cant wait to pick out my wedding dress! :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wow this is an awesome post! I love how you gave such great critiques of each of the dresses including the very practical aspects of wearing them such as consideration of the trail and possible use of spanx. My favs are the second one and the 5th one with the pleat detail... Funny thing is I've never ever thought much about wedding dresses! :p Somehow the idea of a wedding is so perfect I dread it because if one wrong thing happened I'd expect myself to be really disappointed...

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh my god, #9 just stole my heart, embellished hip flower and all. And I'm not even engaged! btw, great blog, fancy a link exchange with a fashion blogger from hong kong?

    http://hkfashiongeek.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I've had this post marked for weeks! It's just fab!

    Your advice is great. I just adore 1, 3, 5, and the last one. You have great wedding gown style :)

    ReplyDelete

Back to Top