Your Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wedding - Dec/Jan 2019 (Issue 80)

HE L LO, 1. Choose your wedding dress early. Wedding dress shopping is not quite the same as shopping for a regular dress. Traditional boutiques only stock sample gowns in store with a delivery timescale of around 12 – 16 weeks or more. When the dress arrives, it will almost certainly need a few tweaks to get it fitting perfectly and this could take up to six weeks or more during peak season. Should you decide to choose a bespoke or custom-made wedding dress, the time frame is pretty much the same, although the methods will vary; at our atelier, for instance, you would work closely with the designer from start to finish. 2. Context is everything. Choosing a dress style that will look stunning against the backdrop of the wedding venue means that you shouldn’t be tempted into purchasing your dress until you have agreed on the venue and the time of year. If, on the other hand, you have your heart set on a particular look, then you will need to find ways of bringing all the options together so that your overall theme is seamlessly beautiful. 3. Choosing your veil and hairpiece. Making decisions about hair styles, hair accessories and veils is best done within your dress shop at the final dress fitting. The most common mistake brides make is to purchase a veil in advance or without their dress and then find that not only is the shade wrong for the dress but also the length. 4. Simple yet chic. If you have chosen to wear a stunning statement dress, then a less-is-more approach is probably best. Experiment with simpler, looser hairstyles perhaps with a small jewelled hair band to complement the dress rather than compete with it. 5. Day-to-night glamour. It will be a long day! Not every bride wants to change out of her dress into a second dress. Explore bridal bodice and tops that can be switched around for the ceremony and for the evening celebration, consider wearing a detachable overskirt over a slinkier fitted gown, and try changing your daytime lipstick for a statement colour for the evening celebrations 6. Be your best self. It is so tempting to want to emulate the images that are all over the internet and social media. But unless you can make them work for you, it’ll be no use and you won’t be happy with your pictures. Be yourself and be true to who you are. THE B R I DE From the bride and groom to the maids and the men, our local experts advise on how everyone can look their big-day best gorgeous mattandkizzyweddingphotography.com maxeenkimphotography.com yllweddings.com yllweddings.com evaralephotography.co.uk Bridal advice courtesy of Cynthia Grafton-Holt, ouimadam.com ▶ LOOKING YOUR BEST 79