Your wedding went off perfectly, your gown was lovely, and the planning is finally done. All you have to do now is drop your dress off at the dry cleaners and you’re off on the honeymoon!

When you return, you will pick up your gown and put it away for posterity. When you get it back, be sure to double check the box. You need to make sure that the dress you bring home is the same dress you dropped off. While most dry cleaners are exceptionally careful with wedding gowns, it is not unheard of to get the boxes mixed up, and if you find out decades later, there is no way to correct the mistake.

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A low neckline flatters a lot of figures, whether you have a lot of cleavage or not so much. It can also make you look taller by elongating your torso. A low vee like this one, which is held together in the front for modesty.

This gown is from Romantic Gowns.

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Many bridal companies would have you believe that for a gown to be lovely, it also has to cost several hundred dollars at a bare minimum, and it is not rare to see gowns being sold for thousands of dollars.

If you have your heart set on an expensive gown, it is your choice to budget for it and make it happen. If you’re just starting your search, though, it pays to look at less expensive options; you may be surprised how many gorgeous options there are for a bride who doesn’t wish to pay a fortune.

For example, the confection of tulle and satin shown here costs only about $80 for a gown made to your measurements. The internet is a great place to start shopping for a gown that fits your budget as well as it fits you.

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Is it okay to have people in black at your wedding? Some brides feel that having anyone in black – the traditional color of mourning – is unacceptable, though it is hard to prevent anyone from wearing their favorite little black dress if they really want to. Still, should your bridesmaids be dressed in black?

Black is considered a slimming and almost universally attractive color, and it contrasts nicely with the bride’s gown. After all, even the groom is usually in black for the wedding. This lovely gown, sold at Light in the Box, is just one example of the classy look that a bridesmaid dress in black can have.

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Of course you want your wedding dress to look fantastic on you, to flatter you, and to show off your tastes, but how important is it to be truly unique?

Most of yours guests will only attend a couple of weddings a year at most, making it unlikely that they will see another bride in the same gown as you even if you choose one off the rack. You can also be sure that even if you did end up wearing the same gown as their cousin Mary, they won’t remember.

While a unique gown can certainly make a statement, it is much more important to find a gown that you love, and even gowns fresh off the rack can be beautiful and flattering.

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For the pregnant bride, fittings can be a pain. You might have to get your dress altered mere days before the wedding in order to have it fitting correctly on your wedding day, and the potential for disaster is frightening. Instead, consider a bridal top with a white skirt or billowy white pants.

A top like this one, which comes from La Fee Noire, is still classy and lovely, and saves you from the agony and frustration of trying to fit your gown and your growing belly into your wedding plans.

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Earth Bitch, creator of this and other beautiful, custom organic wedding gowns, offers something both unique and lovely to the bridal market. Her gowns are created with organic materials, custom made for each bride to provide you with the perfect fit and the perfect natural gown. Her embroidery is amazing, and the gown is exactly the kind of thing you can be proud to pass down to your children, or maybe continue to wear as a semi-formal piece of wearable art for years to come.

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Ever thought about designing your own gown? Wedding Dress Creator may not be a sophisticated program, but it is a fun way to play with design and get a feel for how a color or shape might work for you. Put the pieces together to create the perfect gown, and then print it out and take it to your bridal shop to find out what they can offer you that matches the dream gown you’ve created. The options are not all-encompassing, but are varied enough to allow you to spend plenty of time playing and to get a good idea of what you like. Tip: To see all your options, click on the part you want to change, then use the down arrow on your keyboard to scroll through options rather than trying to select them from the list. This way you get to see things you might have missed otherwise.

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While some women think of wedding dresses and imagine a ballgown that skims the floor even in the highest of heels, others have a more broad interpretation of the length and design of a perfect wedding gown. These dresses are all designs from Priscilla of Boston, and showcase how a short gown can still be formal, elegant, and eye-catching.

Short gowns are cooler for hot months, and allow brides to show off their lovely legs if that is an asset that they are especially proud of. If you want your legs showcased, don’t be shy about looking into a wedding gown that skims your knees instead of the floor.

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While you may be able to find the perfect gown in a local shop, you also might not, and brides should not settle for less than the ideal (within budgetary restrictions). One way to expand your options is to shop online, but there are things you have to consider when you’re not shopping in person.

You will have to leave enough time, not just for shipping, but also for alterations. Keep in mind that it is easier to alter a gown down than it is to make it larger, so if there is any doubt about fit, buy a larger size rather than a smaller fit. You will want to order several months in advance.

You should also be sure to check the return policy of the store you are shopping at online. Since sizes vary so much from brand to brand, you may need to return or exchange a gown that doesn’t fit, and it would be unfortunate to be stuck with a gown that is much too large or small and expensive to alter.

Image credit to Romantic Gowns.

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