Most bridal dress trends are quite often influenced by elegant and lovely gowns worn by famous celebrities. The wedding gown worn by the classical beauty Grace Kelly or the ethereal gown worn by Princess Diana on her wedding day will be always in the mind of any bride who is soon getting married.
If you are to study the styles and designs of wedding gowns, one thing you realize is that it should look beautiful both during the ceremony and during the reception. Once the ceremony is over, the bride would love to move around freely and dance which would only be possible if the gown has a detachable train. But some brides do not want a detachable train and in that case, bustling the gown or train is the perfect solution.
Gowns are usually bustled either on the top of the gown or underneath the skirts. Bustling on the best is finished with string eyes carefully placed in the mid-section of the skirt and after that secured around on the back-opening buttons. These buttons and hooks can be hidden with embellishments. If the bustle is from underneath, ribbons are connected at suitable places in the midriff of the skirt and another set of ribbons attached near the waist and afterward secured from the bustle.
Bustling gowns can be a tricky affair and the main object is to make the gown look as graceful and elegant when bustled as it is at full length. There are no hard and fast rules as to how you can do it and actually, experimentation is the key to success.
Back openings using buttons or zipper
The back of the gown is equally important because it acts a major part of the ceremony facing the crowd. So usually there is often a design or ornamentation used in the back. So, when choosing between buttons and zipper always keep in mind the design of the dress. Zippers can be undetectable but sometimes the beauty of the gown lies in the dozens of buttons placed strategically on the gown. But if you trying to camouflage the zipper by making use of buttons then you may end up with the gown looking bulky in the back. Well if the zipper is the problem, you could actually fix the zipper to the side seam and then it will be completely unnoticeable.
Ornamenting the veil
Adding ornamentation to the veil is indeed a wonderful way to make it look beautiful. You can edge the veil with a row of beads or bright colored stones. You can use a lace edging from the leftover lace motifs from the gown. In that way, both the veil and gown would be similar and look as one piece. You could make use of silk flowers, sequins and tiny beads, embroidery and feathers or bits of fur or even silk ribbons to make your veil pretty. There are so many options to choose from.
Choosing the fabric for the gown
You can opt for natural fibers or man-made fibers to make your gown. Cotton, wool, silk, and linen are natural fibers. Polyester, nylon, rayon, and satin are some man-made fibers. You cannot exactly say one is better than the other. The difference lies in the shine and looks of the fabric. Some materials are hard to handle but silk chiffon is a wonderful material to work with. The biggest difference will be the price per meter of the material. The prices may vary a lot depending on the material chosen. So, it is entirely left to the discretion of the bride to choose the material according to her budget.
The color of the gown
Choose a color that will flatter your complexion. There are many shades of white, and off-white to choose from. A stark white is sometimes too overpowering and so it is better to go for different shades of white. Some whites have a tinge of blue in them while others may have yellow or pink bases. You can also go for light pastel colors. A very, very light pink or yellow might take a bride look to another extent altogether. Egg Shell is another color which is very popular. Such a gown with the suitable combination of lace and other ornamentation may not look too pink or yellow. You can opt for lovely shades of champagne which look very elegant and sophisticated.
Make sure the gown fits well
It is always the best thing to go for a test gown before you start working with the real gown. It may sound tedious, but it is definitely the best thing to do. By doing so you can see if the gown and the cut, and style fit the bride to be. On the mock dress you can easily change the pattern, the neckline and other style lines. Once you know the patterns suit the bride well, then sewing the gown can delight any tailor.
Using a family wedding gown
Some brides may choose to wear a gown of a family member or a dear friend. It is a lovely thought but there are some problems. If the gown is a perfect fit, then you can bring a bit of change to it by adding some ornamentation. If the gown is way too big, then it has to be altered or remade and this may pose a problem. Then there is the problem of the gown being too small for you. Then you can make use of the lace and the ornamentation used in the old gown and that means destroying the old gown completely. Though it may be a bit of a hassle it will be worth all the trouble for the gown will still have that special value and meaning.
Choosing the best style
If you are not sure about the gown that will look most flattering on you, then do a bit of searching around for your dream gown. Visit bridal shops and try out lots of different types of gowns. While doing so pay good attention to the style lines of the gowns as well as to the color and embellishments used on the gown. If you try out the bridal gowns it will give you an idea of the kind of necklines and style lines that will look most flattering on you.
Getting a wedding gown stitched can be one of the most thrilling projects you can ever undertake, whether the gown is for yourself or for your daughter or for a friend. So let your imagination help you design a dream come true wedding gown.