Most women agree that they want their wedding dress to make them feel like a princess on their big day. Choosing a dress for your wedding day is a personal choice but it’s one that shouldn’t be made lightly. Regardless of your taste, choosing a dress that suits your style and the tone of the occasion is something you’ll want to take your time doing. There’s a lot to think about!

Your Mother’s Wedding Gown
A lot of women save their wedding dress for their daughter’s big day. If your Mother has done this, this might leave you feeling pressured to use it. Don’t be afraid to decline it. Not all styles are classic enough to be worn decades later and not all styles fit your style. You might choose to use the fabric (if your Mother doesn’t object to having her dress altered) to have a dress made or you might save the dress to make into a christening gown for your own child. For that matter, you might choose to save the dress anyway, even if you don’t plan on wearing it, because of the symbolism and sentiment.

Should You Wear White?
Whether or not you choose to wear white is also a personal decision, depending on many factors. Many women now choose to wear white for a second marriage and / or choose a different coloured wedding dress for their first wedding. It’s a personal choice that only you can make.

Some women cannot imagine wearing anything but a long, white, flowing gown and others have other plans for how the want to look when they’re married. There are varying shades of white, too. You may not believe it now but as you rummage through racks and racks of wedding gowns, you’ll start to see that there are varying shades of white and that the fabric of the dress makes an impact on the look, feel, and comfort level as well.

What about the Style?
When imagining your dream wedding, some women love puffy sleeves and other women see themselves in a strapless dress. Whether you have a full train, a bustle, or both is entirely up to you. Thankfully, you’ll find online galleries and countless magazines filled with photographs of dress designs. You can also find bridal shows to attend to help you as well as boutiques that will take the time to show you bridal gowns as well as accessories and bridal party attire as well

Think of the Venue
If you’re having a destination wedding at a resort or on a beach somewhere, you might have less formal wedding attire in mind for the big day. You might choose to wear a flowing white dress in either case; the choice is all yours.

Think of the Season
Deciding whether to wear something backless or not and deciding on fabric may be impacted by when you plan to have the wedding. You’ll want to think about the type of shoe you choose and whether or not you’ll need a shawl for being outdoors. A fall wedding is breathtakingly beautiful and there’s a definite charm in a winter wedding as well. Season also impacts pricing. Those looking for a budget-conscious wedding might find that buying the wedding dress at the end of the season for the following year can save some money. June weddings are popular in North America because that’s when it’s Spring there but of course Australia’s most popular wedding months tend to be October through December.

Think of the Photographs
Finally, when planning your wedding and your wedding attire, think of the wedding photography. When planning your wedding, consider the fact that the photographs are going to be prominently placed in your home so consider the fact that trends may not last forever and a classic look is more likely to still make you smile (rather than giggle at your own expense) twenty five years from now.

Kristjan Porm is a Sydney wedding photographer who does destination weddings as well as weddings in Sydney.