Guide to Wedding Dresses from Brides

Wedding dress shopping should be fun rather than overwhelming and stressful. Over the years, I’ve learned so much about all the different designers, styles, shapes, and colors that wedding dresses come in. Choosing one to wear is a huge decision, since it will be photographed and remembered forever. If you step into a bridal boutique it’s always best to have something in mind. A vision for what type of dress may suit your body the best and ultimately compliment the rest of the theme of your wedding. This blog post covers some different dress styles that looked amazing on camera and what wedding dress shopping was like for a few of my brides. I hope this article and photos from recent brides help alleviate any stress around the idea of dress shopping to help make your search a little easier!

Wedding Dresses: A Wedding Photographer’s Perspective

If you have a theme for your wedding I suggest choosing a dress that compliments that vision. An elegant garden wedding in the summer will likely have a different vibe than a modern fairy-tale wedding would. If you’re unsure what type of silhouette will go with your theme, I strongly suggest bringing a trusted friend or family member with you while shopping.

Always be mindful of the location that you may choose to have your photos taken. Are you planning on frolicking in an open field or staying in an urban and downtown setting? Pictures can be done a lot faster and without any frustrations, if you have a dress that you can move around in.

Types of Dresses

Ball Gown

I’m a huge fan of this traditional style of wedding gown. The ball gown really reminds me of a Disney princess. This type of dress is extremely versatile and can suit so many different body types. I think this type of dress looks amazing in a ballroom setting. It requires a lot of help to move around in but the overall silhouette is quite stunning on lots of  brides.

A-Line

A-line wedding gowns mimic the shape of the letter “A”. I actually wore an A-line gown for my wedding and I personally love how sleek and elegant it looks. This style of gown is really flattering and makes brides look tall and slender. I like this style because it’s easy to move around in. While shooting on a wedding day, in different locations, the A-line gown allows brides to move around quickly and easily. Brides wearing this style can really be seen in so any different ceremony and reception venues. It can be very classy for indoor settings such as churches or even outdoor for summer or destination weddings.

Sheath

The sheath style is perfect for intimate weddings and destination weddings! It’s light with less layers than the average dress. It’s just perfect for a warm destination and a really good party.

Trumpet

The trumpet style gown is absolutely an elegant style. It’s less free flowing and tends to be more fitted. Brides who want to show more of their figure wear this style gown and are absolutely stunning in this style. What I love most about this style is the varying lengths of the train.

Mermaid

I really love mermaid gowns. I’m just a huge fan of how they tend to be a bit more dramatic than a trumpet style gown, but similar to the trumpet style the mermaid gowns are really good for showing off your curves. I think they are so classy and absolutely a beautiful style for the most fashion forward and elegant brides. I’ve seen them look stunning in all settings from vineyards to rustic environments. I think they are so versatile and are just perfect for confident brides. 

What was dress shopping like for SCP brides?

I asked a few of my recent brides the same question. What was wedding dress shopping like for you? Here’s what they had to say…

Alma: Shopping for me was fairly easy, I am the type of person that shops way ahead of time for any given occasion. As such, I had already followed a lot of my vendors on Instagram and all I had to do was contact them, get a quote and voila! It was done. For my dress, I did not go shopping with a crowd of bridesmaids, I just went with one of them, and found a dress that very day and put a down payment. I did not want to spend so much time looking for a dress and that I got confused with the array of choices out there. My advice to any brides is that your should try to be decisive to the best of your abilities to avoid the stress that comes with shopping for a dress. My wedding dress was trumpet style with a sweetheart neckline and tulle sleeves.

Tessa: It took a while for me to find a dress. I knew the style I wanted and knew I would know it when I saw it. One day I happened to stumble across Camelia wedding gown boutique online and the 2nd dress I tried on was the one! My wedding dress was a jewel crusted mermaid style with a long train and gold lace trim. It fit perfectly with our wedding style which was modern with a splash of African Royalty.

Alisha: It was pretty easy. I was open to trying different gowns and that’s what I did. The first store I went to I saw “my dress” and I said to myself I could see myself wearing that dress. The only down fall was I couldn’t try it on because the size was too small. The third store I went to had the dress but not in the color I wanted. I tried on the dress and I said “yes to the dress.” The other thing that helped me picked the dress was time. I was visiting my family in Ontario and I had a sort period of time because I was flying back to Saskatchewan. My wedding dress was beautiful, it had a mix of different colors silver, champagne, ivory, silver, gold lace, tulle, and sparkle! It was also fitted to show off all my curves.

Melissa: I bought my dress in one day! I struggled between two beautiful options but in the end I felt the best in the one I picked and it complimented my venue the best. I didn’t want to get tempted by too many options so I made a final decision rather quickly. My dress is a Blue by Enzoani dress Henley style. It’s vintage and sparkly. It also has a sweetheart neckline with a cathedral length train.

Edna: I never thought I would say this but, now I know and understand how those girls on the bridal shopping tv shows feel. I wanted to please everyone and made sure I got everyone’s approval on the dress.

Shemeka: My wedding dress was timeless and beautiful. It was champaign and had a sweet heart neckline outlined with jewels. One fine detail was the lace and crystal which was embroidered throughout the entire dress from the bust to the end of the train. It was form fitting and elegant. Dress shopping was exciting and at times stressful. Looking for the perfect dress can consume your entire life because it’s such a magical and fun experience. I felt like a princess and could continue to try on dresses forever. But when I found “the one” I knew it for certain and was extremely excited.

Lexi: Dress shopping was a breeze – got it online without any drama – a mermaid style with a sweetheart neckline!

What’s your favorite style? And what style did you wear on your big day and what was wedding shopping like for you? Leave me a comment below. And if you know someone who is currently shopping for gowns, please feel free to share this post with them.

~Sam