Dress for your shape

I’ve been mulling over this entry for a long time. For most brides, choosing a wedding dress is the first and sometimes, the most thrilling part of planning her wedding. Even the most pragmatic bride has probably envisioned herself in the dress of her dreams.

As photographers, part of our job is to really look at people. I’ve noticed that some brides really seem calm and comfortable on their wedding day–others not so much. Being comfortable in her wedding dress seems to play a pretty big role on how a bride looks in her photos. It’s hard to look radiant when you are constantly tugging up the top of your 12 pound strapless dress.

Of course, the tone of your wedding ceremony and the formality of your venue should play the largest role in what kind of dress to wear. For example, you wouldn’t want to wear a long beaded train at your simple beach ceremony. Likewise, you’d probably feel under dressed in a chiffon slip dress at a Catholic church. Beyond matching the style of your dress to the tone of your event, I think there might be a couple more strategies to help you find the perfect dress.

If you are busty

you’ll probably want to wear a bra. A deep V-neck keeps a dress like this from looking too covered up. Likewise, a halter style dress can look plenty bare, while still allowing you to wear a supportive and pretty halter style bra.

Consider strapless if

you are pretty darn thin and your arms and shoulders are fabulous. To stay put, the bodice of a strapless gown needs to be snug, snug, snug. Even the skinniest girl can find herself with some poochy bits near the armpits and back. If you are soft and squishy like me, think about something with straps for a smoother look.

Strapless alternatives

There’s a reason strapless gowns are so popular–they are so pretty. But let’s say you refuse to be tugging on your top all day long. Here’s a couple examples of dresses that are near to strapless. The advantage is that you’ll look bare and pretty, without all the structure of a strapless bodice.

If you’re hippy

And really, lots of us are. Two great shapes for your figure are A-line and Empire. Both of these silhouettes will glide over your middle parts and make your hips and thighs virtually disappear. Consider an A-Line if your waist is small, and Empire if not. Each of these examples above are strapless, but you’ll find A-line and Empire waisted dresses in a large number of styles.

Focus on shoulders or back

Let’s say your best features are your shoulders or your back. Here’s a few other dresses that look stylish, soft and very feminine. The dress on the right would be a great choice if you were on the flat chested side–the ruching adds a little extra oomph in the bust area. The dress on the left would be perfectly suited to a small chested girl would can go braless or for a b-cup with some stick on silicon cups.

And if you’ve got a rockin’ bod

Lucky girl! Or maybe you’ve been working out like crazy. Whatever reason: this is the va-va-va-voom dress. On some girls, the mermaid cut looks demure. On other girls, it can look super sensual. Some versions have a train, which, when bustled, make the dress even more spectacular.