A Designers Guide To Buying Your Wedding Dress

This entry is from our Expert Guest series where wedding and honeymoon professionals share their best tips on creating memories that last a lifetime.

With all the choices out there for brides-to-be in terms of gowns, designers, and styles, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Here are my tips from a bridal designer’s point of view to picking your wedding dress.

Designer’s Tips For Selecting Your Wedding Dress

1. Do Your Research

Decide on what you like and don’t like. It sounds simple enough but once you get into a store there will be literally hundreds of dresses to choose from and you’ll just feel overwhelmed by choice. My advice is to pick 3 or 4 designers you really like that are in your style and budget and do your research!

2. Budget

Decide on a budget and stick to it. This ties back into rule number 1. There are many brands at different price points, and you need to have an idea of what you are willing to spend. Don’t try on gowns that are out of your budget! You may fall madly in love with it and no other gown will live up to it, and you will be disappointed. It’s really important to be realistic.

3. Style

Honestly, I think the best advice I can give you is COME ALONE. This is your dress, and your day. Don’t let people project their opinions on your wedding, and what you want to wear, even if they know you well. Trust yourself! If you do want to bring friends, bring to your follow-up appointment when you have a clear idea of style and budget and they can help you with your top three choices.

4. Don’t Feel Pressured to Wear White

White is gorgeous, but it’s not for everyone. Yet, I feel a lot of women go for it because they feel that it makes them look like a bride. If you do like white, then amazing- go for it- but don’t feel that you have to wear it if it’s not a colour that speaks out to you. Instead, look at pale pinks, a nude, or a soft grey, or champagne. At & FOR LOVE we have an amazing dirty gold dress that really stands out in a crowd.

5. Don’t Think about Size

All designers size charts different. Don’t look at the number. Look at what fits you, and what makes you feel good, and remember that the dress will be altered anyway to get a perfect fit. No one is looking at the tag in your dress.

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Bio:  & FOR LOVE // BRIDAL AND CEREMONIAL WEAR FOR THE EFFORTLESSLY COOL BRIDE 

& FOR LOVE is a modern bridal and ceremonial brand inspired by real life and real love. We create gowns, separates, and jumpsuits for a new type of bride- a woman who believes it’s ok to break the rules, and knows that looking like a “bride” just means a killer outfit that looks and feels amazing.

We believe in style that’s authentic, effortless, and elegant. That’s our definition of cool, and that’s what bridal means to us.

Angel Spendlove, the designer and creative director of & FOR LOVE, grew up in Sydney, Australia, and graduated from the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, VIC. With her signature boho-meets-modern style, she is inspired by Kate Moss, Rooney Mara, Alexander McQueen, and vintage Balanchine costumes. Angel is the key eye behind & FOR LOVE’s aesthetic, and believes that bridal wear should be a celebration of your true style – and not an excuse to dress up like a 4-year-old‘s princess party.