Consider These 3 Rules When Buying Your Gown...

Thought you may find this helpful...If you are a bride looking for the perfect dress..Or a planner who feels this might help one of your brides out! It was posted on the Examiner.com 2 days ago! Enjoy!! Comfort, Look and Style are the three big things to consider when choosing a wedding gown, says celebrity wedding planner, Samantha Goldberg (www.samanthagoldberg.com). Whether you wear your mother's gown or buy a new designer frock, make sure you're not wearing it because you think it's something you should be wearing. "Wear it because you love the way you look and feel in the dress," says Goldberg. "You should love the way you look in your dress." Goldberg also advises brides don't buy anything trendy unless it's flattering, otherwise, you may look silly in your wedding photos twenty years from now. The most important thing to consider is your shape. On you on the plus size? Do you have an hourglass figure, or are you more of a pear or an apple? Are you large-boned, or stick straight without a curve in sight? You need to look for a dress that will enhance your better features and hide the "flaws" that you associate with your body type. "Color," adds Goldberg, "is often an issue with plus size brides. Certain colors don't look good on women with more curves and larger hips. In the bridal family," she notes, "sometimes champagne and pink is a better color for someone with a larger frame. That also depends on skin tone—an olive complexioned bride might go with a light pink, peach or champagne." Beware of "tricks" to slim a waist that may actually work against you. "If you have a small waist but large hips, a sash will bring more attention to the hips, not the waist. Though it may make a waist look smaller, it will make the hips look incredibly large." Goldberg also says to use a light hand when considering enhancements on the dress. "Anytime you go with something that's too much, it's not a good idea. It's also very, very important for brides to measure themselves for a dress—and have a professional do it so you don't wind up spending additional money on alterations. If you try to save money by purchasing a dress online, which is fine, if you're measurements aren't correct, there's no guarantee it will fit. And you can't return those gowns. Hence, it's really important go to a bridal salon and have them take the measurements for you; they'll be precise and you'll get a better fit." Don't forget the rear view, says Goldberg. "Consider the back of the dress, not just for photos, but for your guests who are going to be looking at the back of your gown as much as the front of your gown—when you're dancing and walking down the aisle, etc. The design in back should be as flattering as in the front." Goldberg says that many brides get hung up on looking good and never consider how they feel in the dress. "You want to look good," she reiterates, "but then you forget how long you'll be in the gown—at least 8 to 10 hours. You want to go with a gown that feels comfortable all the time. When you're trying it on you should walk in it, bend over, sit down, and even dance in it to make sure everything is easy and you're not struggling." If you have a long train, yes, you can bustle it. But remember, it will be twice as heavy. "And with more fabric around the waist, your hips will look larger than they are. And again," she warns, "people will be seeing you from the back, so if the bustle goes up, the backside looks bigger." If you have large breasts, adds Goldberg, don't go strapless and lose the beads. "The biggest mistake I see with strapless gowns is brides that wear a heavy necklace with it because they feel like their neck is bare. Better to go with small pearls, etc., to fill the blank space that won't be distracting. Same with gloves. A chic or A-line dress will look very dramatic with gloves that are the proper length (just above the elbows). If you're larger, a short glove gives too much attention to the upper arms. If you don't work out, you don't want to focus on that area." If you do decide to go strapless, make sure you have a good good tailor as they will put things in place that will keep the dress on. If you live—or are getting married—in a hot climate, you will "expand" a bit at the wedding so you need to compensate for that (don't make the dress too tight). "If it's a humid day," cautions Goldberg, "you may retain water around the neck, waist and stomach, and that would be a very costly mistake to learn the day of your wedding." Goldberg admits the tiara is popular as are all types of combs. "Try them on with the dress, not separately. Even the most beautiful gown will look horrible without the proper accessories (and remember, less is more). A tiara should always face forward, parallel to the floor. You're not supposed to look like Miss America; you're supposed to look more like a princess." One last tip, says Goldberg, is never get your dress dry cleaned before your wedding—never. "Even the best dry cleaners can melt the faux pearls and other beading. If the gown doesn't have any embellishments on it, then you can. Otherwise, if need be, spot clean the dress. Finally," concludes Goldberg, "focus on you as a person, not the gown."