The Wedding Dress | Part 1
The feeling of amusement that accompanies flipping through old photo albums and glimpsing old styles of fashion and hair is familiar to most of us, whether the photos are of younger versions of ourselves or of our parents and grandparents. But some photos are more important than others, and every bride wants to ensure that her wedding photos will be timeless — something others can look at years down the line and sigh with admiration. An important part of achieving the kind of look that will be admired both at the wedding itself and decades later is selecting the right gown.
image by M.Kruter
All eyes are on the bride during the wedding, but a bridal gown is more than just an outfit that the bride wears for a day; it becomes a part of the memories of one of the most special days in a couple’s life.
The first decision a bride and her family will have to make is their budget. While brides often end up going over their budget when they find a dress that suits them perfectly, it is still helpful to begin the search with at least some sort of budget in mind.
The price tag of a wedding dress may vary greatly. At Bridal Secrets of Cedarhurst – a popular destination for wedding gown shopping, dresses range from $599 – $2,500 and up. Many brides spend upwards of these amounts.
Ruth Jankowitz of Beauty and Beyond in Baltimore on the other hand, suggests spending as little as possible on the wedding dress since it will most likely be only worn once.
Another option that brides have is renting a wedding dress. Although it is tempting to buy a dress and keep it for the memories, it is not necessarily the most prudent decision. Rebecca, a recent bride we spoke to, encourages brides to rent a dress instead of purchasing one. “You don’t need it as a keepsake,” she said. “You have a million other wedding memories.”
Once a bride establishes her budget and decides whether to rent or to buy, the next step is to actually select a dress. One of the decisions the bride will have to make then is how much to follow the current trends. While it may be tempting to wear a gown that fits the current trends, it is important to also consider how a certain style will look a few years from now in wedding photos. Fortunately, selecting a gown that is both trendy and classic does not have to be a contradiction with the continued popularity of styles such as eye-catching ball gowns, regal A-line princess gowns, and vintage-looking slim gowns made of or embellished by lace.
image by SimchaVision
Brides are also finding ways of combining the classic and the trendy. Miriam, one of the brides we spoke to about the experience of selecting a wedding gown, bought one that she described as classic but with a “modern twist” which was added by its high collar.
“The bride’s choice of gown always projects her image on the day of her wedding,” – says Joy Lieber of Bridal Secrets – “That may be influenced by her age, her body type and her self confidence. She may want to look Sophisticated, Demure, Whimsical or Fashion Forward.”
Ultimately, choosing the wedding gown is up to the bride and should therefore reflect her own tastes and preferences instead of simply being an expression of the current trends.
{Stay tuned for Part 2 where we will discuss some of the current trends in more detail.}
About The Author:
Hannah is a freelance writer and a blogger. Her articles have appeared in a number of journals and publications including The Jewish Press.
