Fashion tips for your honeymoon.

But once the wedding has come and gone, don’t let the fashion ennui set in too fast!

After all, there’s a honeymoon to be had, and looking great is just as important in your first wedded days as it is for the wedding itself.

Of course, what gets packed into your suitcase depends greatly upon where you’re going, but some essential rules apply to everyone who wants to stay stylish as they head out for honeymoon bliss.

Pack smart

Nothing kills a romantic mood like a sheepish “Hey honey, can you handle this 70-ton suitcase for me?” Packing smart means packing light, and getting maximum flexibility out of the clothes you bring along. Mix-and-match resort clothing, and  cocktail dresses or summer designer dresses in neutral shades are go-to outfits for a vacationing lifestyle, allowing you to change up your look with accessories and shoes, and move from outdoors to in, and day to night with relative ease.

Think style

You get more mileage out of one stellar designer dress than you do out of five run-of-the-mill outfits. Why? The all-important style quotient. When stocking your bag for your honeymoon, pick your best pieces, judging each in terms of fashion sense and material quality (latter of which helps immensely when you’re coping with potential wrinkles and are living in fear of buttons lost while on the road).

Designers do one thing: design clothes, and they know how to get the most style bang for your packing buck. So skip on the pack of men’s undershirts, and pull out that snazzy cardigan  you save for special occasions. There’s no time like the honeymoon to pull out the stops and dress in your finest.

Think trends

Honeymoons are the essence of fun travel—freedom to explore or relax with your new spouse in a beautiful place you always dreamed of visiting. Why complicate matters by spending every morning wondering how to dress?

This year’s hottest fashion trends are tailor-made for honeymooners: from easy-to-wear one-piece rompers that make sophisticated dressing simple, to flowing maxi dresses that provide great coverage, and work well both for day and evening wear, the heights of fashion are filled with trends that cater to the need for functional yet stylish clothing. Yes, you read that right: this season, fashion is finally comfort-friendly.  You picked a great year for a honeymoon!

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Don't leave home without these items.

If you haven’t already embarked on the shopping trip of a lifetime, there are a few things you need to be aware of before you go.

First things first, don’t plan on finding your dream dress right away. Schedule at least three trips to your bridal salon.

Our list of essentials with have you well on your way to discovering the perfect fitting gown.

We suggest packing a bag of the following 12 essentials to help make a shopping trip more successful.

Take note ladies!

A Bride Should Carry

1. Photos from magazines or websites of four or five gowns she loves.
2. A list or an idea of what she wants and needs in a gown, including ideal color, the level of formality, and which physical features she’d like to play up or disguise.
3. “Brideworthy,” white underwear; a strapless bra, with or without pads; control-top pantyhose or other body-slimming garment.
4. Shoes with the same height of heel she plans to wear on wedding day.
5. The veil or headpiece she plans to wear if the decision already has been made. (For instance, if the bride chooses to wear her grandmother’s headpiece, she should bring it on every shopping trip.)
6. Grooming aids, including a hairbrush, clips or other accessories to pull the hair up. Avoid wearing excessive makeup, especially lipstick, and jewelry because they can damage a dress.
7. Contact lenses instead of glasses if that’s what the bride plans to wear on her wedding day.
8. Reading glasses, if needed, to make out the fine print on contracts.
9. A camera if the bridal salon allows it.
10. A bottle of water or non staining beverage.
11. Paper for notes and a pen.
12. Tissues.

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The Perfect Fit

Some dresses that look great on the models may not flatter your unique body characteristics.

Finding the perfect fit can be challenging if you have a large bust, a thick waist, a tall, slender figure, or if you’re plus-sized or petite.

Believe me, I was there and I know exactly what you’re going through right now.

That’s why I’ve put together some great tips for choosing wedding dresses that will compliment every body shape and size.

For a Large Bust

To minimize a large bust, consider styles that draw attention to your face. Opt for a keyhole or open neckline and avoid bodices with heavy beadwork.

For Wide Hips

Try a horizontal or square neckline. This widens the shoulders. Draw attention to your upper body. Consider an empire waist and a decorated bodice. Keep the skirt plain.

For a Thick Waist

Avoid wedding dresses that have a fitted waist. Bring attention away from the waist with a unique neckline. Try a flowing gown or an a-line cut.

For a Tall & Slender Figured

Try a bodice with a lot of decoration. This brings attention away from a small bust. Choose an off-the-shoulder neckline to show off nice shoulders and arms. A wide sash can draw attention away from a long torso. Consider a sheath style. If you want a full skirt, try an a-line or bias cut.

For a Plus-Sized Figure

A basque waist style, characterized by low waistlines, gives the illusion of an hourglass figure. Other flattering styles include an a-line, which starts with a fitted bodice and gradually widens and also a ball gown with a flared skirt. Avoid sleeveless or strapless gowns if you are self-conscious about your arms. Avoid shiny gowns. These dresses create the illusion of being heavier.

For a Petite Figure

Choose a style that gives the illusion of height. Try princess shapes, sheaths or empire cuts. Avoid large decorations on the dress as they can be overpowering on a small frame. Try a gown with a wedding collar that circles the neck. This can lengthen a short torso.

And Remember…
Wedding dresses often run small. Even though you might be a size 10 in casual attire, you’ll likely need to purchase a size 12 wedding dress.

Don’t buy a dress that is too small for you in the hope that you’ll lose weight. It is much easier to take a dress in than to let it out.

Choose a wedding dress that compliments your personal style and personality. That way your guests won’t only be talking about your beautiful gown, but also about how beautiful you look in it.

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Love is beautiful.

There are a myriad of designers and retail bridal shops to choose from, not to mention an endless range of wedding gown designs.

Couture, the made to measure option, has alluring advantages, and yet for some, off-the-rack has its appeal also.

There are quite significant differences between the two, though, and knowing these differences will help you to make an informed decision.

There are several very knowledgeable bridal salons in St. Louis, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone or shoot them an email if you have any questions regarding these two types of gowns.

Production

The first major difference between couture and off-the-rack is obvious – couture is made to measure, while off-the-rack is mass-produced. Many girls prefer the off-the-rack option, basically because you can try it on, and if all is well, you can buy it and walk out the door, end of story.

So it certainly can be quite simple, once you have found the gown you love. Having your gown made to measure, though, means it will be made individually for you. This involves a great deal more than the off-the-rack option. The process of having a couture gown made begins with a consultation, followed by a series of fittings, and finally picking up the finished gown.

Fit

The next important difference between couture and off-the-rack is fit. An off-the-rack dress will simply not fit you the way a made to measure gown will. Off-the-rack dresses are made to standard sizes, and while they may fit reasonably well if you are within the standard size range, they can only offer an “average” fit. The couture gown, however, will be made exclusively to fit your curves and shape, thus ensuring the best possible fit. In fact, fit is an art in itself, and skilled couturiers (that is, designers) pride themselves in their ability to mould and sculpt a gown to a girl’s body, like a glove.

Design Options

Another major difference is the number of design options available to you. With off-the-rack dresses, your selection is limited to the designs available for sale. Usually if you want to alter a gown by adding lace, beading, or changing the neckline, a retail bridal shop may not offer these options. It’s normally a case of “what you see is what you get.” Thus finding the wedding gown of your dreams off-the-rack can be limiting.

On the other hand, having your gown made to measure opens up a world of design options to you. Once the design is established, you have a wide selection of fabrics, colors, and trims to choose from, which are simply not available with the off-the-rack option.

Quality

The quality of couture gowns compared to their off-the-rack counterparts is also quite significant. Most off-the-rack dresses are produced with the cheapest and most economical fabrics, which are usually synthetics. By contrast, couture gowns are usually made from the finest quality fabrics available, such as silks, which are natural fibres. The difference between fabrics is usually evident in the look and quality of the finished gown.

Workmanship

The next difference between couture and off-the-rack, perhaps the most important difference of them all, is that of workmanship. Couturiers invest vast amounts of time perfecting their skills in crafting superb gowns. The hallmark of a couture gown is in the finish – a perfectly made gown should be so well finished that it could be worn inside out. The seams should be smooth, and skim over the body perfectly; the hem should be hand-finished and invisible on the outside; and beads should be sewn on, one by one, and with meticulous care.

This work obviously takes a great deal of time, and many people are simply unaware of how much time it actually takes to complete a couture gown. On average, a couture wedding gown can take around 40 – 50 hours to produce, depending on the amount of beading and detail involved. Off-the-rack dresses are in a completely different boat here, as they are mass-produced, and thus the quickest and most economical methods of construction are employed.

For example, gluing on beads, instead of sewing them on; machine-sewing hems, rather than hand-sewing; and leaving out some internal items, such as boning or canvas, which are integral parts of the couture gown. Off-the-rack dresses can be produced in around ten hours.

Price

Of course, this leads to the last main difference being price. On average, an off-the-rack dress will cost around $1500. By contrast, the couture gown can be around $2500 to $4000, or even more for some gowns. When you consider all the differences mentioned in workmanship alone, the higher price of the couture gown is more than justified.

Ultimately, the decision whether to buy your wedding gown off-the-rack, or have it made by a couturier, is one that only you can make. But the differences between the two are as night and day. Essentially, off-the-rack is ordinary; couture is extraordinary. Off-the-rack is standard; couture is superb. Off-the-rack is boring; couture is glamorous. The off-the-rack dress is a purchase; the couture gown is an experience.

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