We all know evening weddings have different dress codes compared to daytime ones. While light fabrics and bright colors gowns are popular choices for the day, gowns with beads, sequins and other sparkles in dark hues are favorite options for the evening. An ideal evening gown for your wedding reception is the one that brings out your best features and tone down those that you’re not particularly proud of, making you feel like a goddess. However, finding “the one” can sometimes become tricky, requiring you to evaluate your options based on a number of different criteria. Here are our 6 valuable tips to help you find the right evening gown for your wedding day:
- Access your body shape first
This is the fundamental factor in finding a gown that works best for you. You should first determine your body shape then find the right silhouette for your body type. In brief, most women fall into one of these categories:
- Apple-shaped: your upper torso and shoulders are wider than your hips and legs
- Pear-shaped: your hip region is wider than the bust
- Hourglass: your bust and hip regions are pretty much the same size and separated by a slender waistline
- Rectangular: your body frame is slender overall and no significant difference between the size of your hips, waist and shoulders
- Petite: your overall height is less than 5’4’’ with a well-defined bust and hip region
Once you have a handle on what your body type is, you can choose the right silhouette that flatters your body shape and make you feel more attractive and confident. Still confused? Find our recommendations to find the right one depend on your body type here.
- Stick to a budget
The price of evening gown varies depending on the amount of details in the gown, the fabric, embellishments and designer collection to which it belongs. Have a ballpark idea of how much you’re willing to spend on evening gown before starting the hunt. This will help you narrow down your choices and find a good dress that is within your budget.
- Choose a gown closest to your actual size
There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all when it comes to evening gown and chances are you can hardly find a gown off the rack that fits you perfectly. It is always recommended that you should have your chosen gown altered to your actual measurements to get the best fit. This is quite easy to do and in order to pay least expenses for alterations; you should pick a gown that is closet to your actual size.
- Choose colors wisely
Colors have the power to enhance your overall look, and yet they can do the opposite. Always remember to look only at colors that match your complexion when choosing evening gowns. Surely you’d rather wear a gown that makes your eyes pop and your skin glow than put on a dress that makes you look pale or sick. Keep this in mind when you hit the bridal salon, so you can stay focused although you may be attracted to a gown in a beautiful color that may not look great on you.
- Don’t always go for the trendiest
Trends come and go in the blink of an eye. Unless you don’t mind wearing a dress that will become outdated in few months, it is a good idea to buy gowns that are not too trendy. Features like specific prints, styles and embellishments can lose their charm after a short time and may not be fashionable in a year’s time. Some safe choices that are always in style such as sweetheart necklines, V-necklines, cap sleeve, A-line silhouette, black, white, navy and gold colors will allow you to use the gown for much longer.
- Choose the right fabric
The way a fabric drapes around your body and its natural flow will affect the overall effect of the dress. Therefore, you should choose fabric that is suitable for your structure and height. If you are skinny, a fabric that clings to you like spandex may make you look even thinner. For bulky brides-to-be, a crisp material like tulle may add extra pounds to your look. Other factors worth taking into consideration are the suitability of the fabric for the weather at the time you will be wearing the gown and how it has to be cared or cleaned.
