Love Wearing Your Wedding Dress all Day on Your Special Day
Angela’s bridesmaid lacing up her dress. They’d practiced and it showed!
Over the course of photographing hundreds of Sydney weddings I’ve seen every type and style of wedding dress. This post is not about fashion or labels. I just want to offer some advice on the practical side of wearing your wedding dress and so you’ll really enjoy the experience.
Your choice of dress is important as it’s such an essential element to your wedding photos.
It’s also a very practical matter, as your style of wedding dress will influence how easily you can move around so choose a dress that you’ll feel comfortable in all day.
There are no wrong choices when it comes to choosing a wedding dress. Every style, from the frothiest Ultimate Princess number to a simple short cocktail style dress will work.
Go with what you love is always my advice. This is your special day and it’s a chance to express yourself with your dress and live out your dream day.
Tip No. 1: If your wedding dress is heavy, consider a lighter dress for the evening.
If your heart is set on rocking a big dress with lots of layers, consider having a lighter dress to change into before hitting the dance floor. A big dress can be exhausting to wear for a full twelve-hour day and if you have a long train and veil you’re going to need the help of your bridesmaids and your brand new husband to get around.
Often grooms don’t realise how much of an encumbrance a big dress can be and indeed brides don’t either. It’s a learning curve for you as a bride, as this is the first time you’ve really worn the dress for an extended period. You need to get used to the confines of how your dress might limit your movement.
Tip No.2: Spend some time in your dress before your big day.
I recommend spending a couple of hours at least wearing you dress at home, so you can get to know the feel of it.
If your wedding dress has a complicated lace-up bodice or button arrangement, it’s important to practice with the person who’s going to lace you in ahead of of your wedding day. I’ve seen brides and bridesmaids (and mums) getting stressed out as the clock ticks by and they are trying to work out the complications of securing your dress comfortably.
Being able to keep on schedule and not getting into a time-crunch will make your wedding so much more relaxing and enjoyable. In may ways a wedding ceremony is a little like a stage production and no one wants to go on stage without a rehearsal.
Julia and her girls adjusting the fine lace of her dress.
Tip No. 3: Pay particular attention to the front hem of your dress.
Sometimes if a dress has been fitted without your shoes, the dress may be slightly too long. A hem that’s even an extra inch too long can cause you to trip and make walking in your dress needlessly complicated. Make sure to wear your wedding shoes during your final fitting, especially if you are planning to wear heels, so your dressmaker can judge your height correctly and tailor the hem accordingly. With this attention to detail in advance of your wedding day, you will enjoy rocking your dress so much more.
Sophie & Michael flew down the aisle after their ceremony. Sophie could move confidently as the hem of her dress was the perfect length.
Tip No.4: Your secret weapon for walking on grass.
While on the subject of shoes, and high heels in particular, an absolute must-have is a pair of heel stoppers (also known as stiletto stoppers). These are small clear discs that attach to the heel of your shoe. These make such a difference if we are shooting portraits on grass or sand. Heel stoppers will spread the weight of sharp heels and stop you sinking into the ground, making it so much easier to move around.
Tip No.5: Your veil and the weather forecast.
Now a note regarding one of the trickiest guests attending your wedding: The Veil. Sydney couples love to get married close to the harbour or the beach. A ceremony location near the water is likely to have at least a fair coastal breeze and often it can actually be very windy close to shore. I’ve seen veils turn into cartoon characters in the course of a ceremony, whirling around and being a real nuisance and distraction if the wind is strong. If it’s windy, I recommend leaving the veil off for your ceremony. We can then reattach it for your portraits when we get into a more sheltered area.
I hope these ideas are of help. Over fifteen years of photographing weddings I’ve learned a lot about how to make your wedding day as fun and enjoyable as possible. I’m always available if you would like to talk about your plans for your Sydney wedding.
-Brendan