Wedding Gowns & Bridal Gowns

Carolina Herrera’s Spring 2010 wedding collection is out, and I am speechless at how exquisite each dress is. You can tell that so much attention was paid to every tuck, ruffle, and hem. But more importantly, there’s a wedding dress style for all sorts of brides – romantic, modern, casual, retro, and extravagant. I can’t imagine a single setting where one of these dresses would be considered inappropriate! Check out the cut to see my picks from Carolina Herrera’s spring 2010 wedding collection.

I love how the floral prints of this wedding dress pops out and the delicious contrast made by the bouquet of red roses.

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Typically, brides buy two different dresses for their wedding day: a formal one for the ceremony, and a trendier, more informal dress for the reception. Some brides wear one dress, but they get rid of the veil and the train so these don’t get in the way when she moves about between tables to greet guests. But because more and more brides want two different looks for the price of one, designers are starting to offer interchangeable wedding gown ensembles in their collection. Interchangeable wedding gowns are basically formal wedding dresses with layers and layers of organza or tulle, except the layers of skirt are fastened to a belt or secured with hooks and Velcro. The skirt, or layers of it, can be easily unhooked after the ceremony. What you’re left with is a sheath looks something like a cocktail dress!

Some designers that offer interchangeable wedding gowns are Oscar de la Renta and Jesús Peiró. But if you can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars on a designer wedding dress, visit your local bridal salon and ask if they know other designers who carry interchangeable wedding dresses in their collection. Another option you might consider is to get your dress custom-made. Ask your couturier for suggestions or look for a reception dress that you like, and a wedding gown style that might go with it. Sketch the combination, or bring the two photos to your couturier. Just keep looking at different wedding gown styles; the more you look, the more your interchangeable wedding dress design will evolve in your head.

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Shopping for the perfect wedding dress can be a lot of fun, but not all brides-to-be enjoy the experience. In fact, some brides dread wedding dress shopping because of all the time and effort involved in visiting different bridal salons and trying out all sorts of dresses. If that sounds like you, here are some tips you can follow so you can find your dream wedding dress as quickly as possible

Measure yourself at home and write them down.

When you enter a bridal salon or dress shop, the first thing you’ll be asked for is your size. The problem is, a size 6 pair of jeans doesn’t translate to a size 6 dress. Usually, your dress size is larger than your jeans size. Another problem with not knowing your measurements is that not all couturiers use the American measuring system. Even though most bridal shops have sales reps who will take your measurements, you’ll save a lot of time doing this yourself. Before leaving to go dress shopping, measure your bust, waist, and hips, and hand them over to the sales rep helping you out. If you don’t have a measuring tape at home, get measured at the first bridal shop you visit and write these down in a notebook or your cellphone.

Ask for assistance right away.

When a sales rep offers her assistance, say yes immediately! She knows where everything is in the store, what styles they have in stock, as well as the price range and any special offers they might have. In short, she’ll be able to find what you need faster than you can find it yourself. Good sales reps usually pick out a rack similar dresses as soon as you try on your first dress, saving you a lot of time and effort.

Don’t bring your whole wedding entourage with you.

Some brides like to go dress hunting with their entire entourage in tow, but too many people trying to help you decide on a dress will take twice as long and will lead nowhere. Everyone will have a different opinion on what you should wear, and hearing all these conflicting perspectives will confuse you and make you end up choosing nothing at all. Stick to bringing one or two trusted people, like your maid of honor and your mom, and follow your gut feel and taste when choosing a dress.

Remember to have fun when you shop for your wedding dress! Don’t be afraid to try on dresses that look too plain and simple on the hangers – you just might be surprised.

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I’m not the biggest fan of the hit TV series Sex and the City, but women who fell in love with the Carrie Bradshaw’s Vivenne Westwood wedding dress from the Sex and the City movie will be happy to know that you can now buy one for yourself online. Well, that is, if you can manage to snag one for yourself!

Due to the fashionista success of the movie, Vivienne Westwood made several more copies of Carrie Bradshaw’s champagne silk wedding dress, also known as the Vivienne Westwood Gold Label lily wedding gown. The wedding gown features a peaked sweetheart neckline, a built-in corset, a poufy skirt with an asymmetrical hem, and an underskirt made of silk faille. The reproductions can be bought at net-a-porter.com for a whopping $9875 each.

The bad news is that even if you have all that money to spend on your wedding dress, they’re all sold out at the moment. Net-a-Porter refused to say exactly how many pieces were sold, but I’m pretty sure it was a substantial amount. The good news is that they’re planning to create more dresses for the fans who were unable to get their hands on Carrie Bradshaw’s wedding dress! So keep checking the website, as they’re sure to restock at a later date.

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What bride doesn’t to look beautiful and unique during her wedding day? For a wedding dress that’s ultimately romantic and at the same time uncommon, consider buying a vintage wedding dress instead of a dress off the racks. Nothing screams “everlasting love” other than a classic, lacy white number that has stood the test of time. You can find a vintage wedding dress at your local vintage or antique store, and if you don’t want to trek that far there’s always eBay. I highly suggest that you get a dress from an actual store so you can try it on yourself and see if the cut flatters your figure or if it will require alterations.

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