Say yes to the dress Find your perfect wedding gown
Whether you’re more inclined to the classics or prefer a modernday fit, every bride deserves a dress that will encapsulate her essence. Here, wedding dress designer Janita Toerien helps you find the perfect wedding gown.
b efore you walk into the sunset with your prince charming, you’ll have to pop into a bridal boutique. With so many gorgeous designs to choose from, one of the most exciting things about planning a wedding can also be the most overwhelming. If the traditional, white wedding gown resonates with who you are, that will be easier to find; but if you’re looking for something more eccentric, that might be trickier. Janita affirms this should be expected.
“The white wedding dress was made popular by Queen Victoria when she married Prince Albert. Before that, the dress of choice was anything brightly coloured, as it showed off freshly dyed fabrics. And since marriages were often a union between families, businesses and countries, it was essential that the bride showcased affluence. Victoria wanted to wear lace and thought that white would best showcase the lace that she loved.” Essentially, your wedding dress should be an outward visual representation of who you are.
TRUST YOUR GUT
If your family and friends think you look great in a lace, mermaid gown, but your gut doesn’t agree, trust it. Do what feels right. Don’t worry about whether your dress is too plain, either. If you like a minimalistic aesthetic, then go for it. If you feel comfortable wearing a classic ballgown because you don’t want to regret your choice of wedding dress, then wear it.
CONSIDER YOUR PRIORITIES
Do you prefer comfort over style? Do you feel more comfortable knowing that your body looks killer in that dress even if it means you can’t sit down? Is it more important you find a dress that suits your body shape, even if you don’t love the style? Or, would you rather wear the style you love, even if it doesn’t fit the way you expected? I know my body looks better in a mermaid-style dress, but it doesn’t reflect my style.
CHOOSE A COLOUR THAT WORKS FOR YOU
While, in most religions, white represents purity and virginity, the wedding dress was never intended to
represent chastity and innocence. In fact, it was considered impractical and ostentatious to wear a white dress on your wedding day, since it would get ruined and you wouldn’t be able to wear it again. Wearing a colourful dress to ‘shock’ your guests isn’t a good reason, either. Your wedding day is a celebration of two individuals who have decided to commit themselves to each other – it’s not a show. It’s one of our greatest pleasures to make a colourful wedding dress for someone when it reflects who she is.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO WEAR A VEIL
A veil adds a magical air to the outfit – which I love. However, wearing one isn’t a must. If you don’t want to wear a veil, then don’t. If you love it, then do. There are a lot of theories around the veil, and once you do your research, you can decide whether it’s something that resonates with you, and if you would like to incorporate it as a symbol on your wedding day.
IF YOU’D RATHER SAY YES TO A SUIT…
… Wear it! Suits and jumpsuits are great options if you’re looking for comfort. If you want it to look more wedding dressy, consider a detachable overskirt for the ceremony, then take it off for the reception.
DON’T STARVE FOR THE DRESS
This may sound like the opposite of what you want to do, but your special person has already proposed and loves you, just as you are. He doesn’t expect a thinner, more trimmed version of you, so stop with the liquid diets, the pills and the fat freezing. Honestly, you shouldn’t put your body through unnecessary stress and malnourishment for a single day.
MAKE A ‘SOLE’ CONNECTION
Wear shoes that will make you happy. Most people won’t even notice your shoes, but you will know when you step on a piece of broken glass on the dance floor with your bare feet after having taken off your shoes because they were too uncomfortable. And if you wear sneakers all the time, your friends and family may appreciate the fact that you stuck to your own style and wore them on your wedding day. However, let’s veto the Crocs and cowboy boots.