Here Comes the Bride

How to Wear Your Wedding Dress on the Big Day

As your wedding day draws near you are bound to be feeling excited, anxious & nervous about what the future holds. But before you can begin the next chapter in your life you have to put on the performance of a lifetime at your wedding.

The bride is probably the most important person during a wedding. She is the person everyone will be looking at, scrutinizing & talking about long after the day has ended. You have to look radiant, elegant & not in the least bit nervous! You also have to be at ease in your dress, able to glide down the aisle in it & look comfortable all day long. Likewise you will need to be able to spend most of the day in your shoes, be able to walk in them & not fall flat on your face during the first dance!

In the run up to the wedding, you are likely to be very stressed, panicking about every little detail, worried that you have forgotten something or that everything is going to go horribly wrong. But if you are well prepared everything will run smoothly & you should take this last few days to try to relax, pamper yourself & practice your makeup, hair & walking in those shoes!

A relaxed bride will have a healthy glow about her on the day, so here are a few tips to help you de-stress, relax & get prepared.

Avoid over doing the fake tan

If your tan is too dark it can distract from your dress & you could end up looking more orange than blushing bride. If you are really pale & want a sunkissed look then go for a light tan which will give you a healthy glow. Just remember to err on the side of caution - less is more, as they day.

Practice your posture

With all eyes focused on you throughout the day, good posture is a must. Practice at home by sitting cross-legged on the floor, relax your shoulders & raise your neck upwards. Roll your hip bones forward, hold in your stomach muscles & breathe. An alternative posture exercise is to stand on one foot & try to keep your back straight for 20 seconds. Put on your wedding shoes & practice walking slowly & gracefully in them.

Cover your tattoos

Many brides may become conscious of their tattoos when they put on their wedding dress. Tattoos can be a distraction, especially if they are on your back so consider covering it for your wedding day. Try some cover up makeup in different shades to find one which give the best coverage.

Give your dress the once-over

About a week before the wedding take your wedding dress out & inspect it. If you discover any flaws, marks or imperfections that weren’t there when you bought it take it straight back to the bridal store to get it fixed or cleaned.

On Your Wedding Day

The most important thing on your wedding day is to try & stay relaxed & stress free. Delegate anything that crops up to other members of your wedding party & don’t let any little problem ruin your day.

Your breakfast on the morning of your wedding is vitally important. Don’t be tempted to skip it because you’re nervous or worried that you will feel bloated & your dress won’t look right. Your wedding day will be extremely long & will feel even longer between breakfast & your reception. Eat something healthy & which will release energy slowly, such as porridge. The last thing you want is to faint at the altar because of a lack of food. And don’t sup too much of the celebratory bottle of champagne either!

After breakfast inspect your dress. If you see wrinkles get it pressed straight away with a dry iron. If your veil is wrinkled hang it up in a steamy bathroom & they will all drop out. When it is time to get dressed put your garter & shoes on first, then have your make up done before you put your dress on. After your hair has been done then attach your headpiece/tiara & veil.

Just in case something does go wrong, make sure you pack a bridal emergency kit & entrust it to a member of your wedding party. As you travel to the ceremony, try to walk carefully & slowly & if at all possible try not to sit on the back of your dress.

When the time comes to walk down the aisle, walk slowly & gracefully - don’t rush. Hold your bouquet level with your naval (belly button) so your guests can see the beautiful bodice of your dress. Holding your bouquet to high & with white knuckles will make you appear nervous & tense as well as hiding your dress. And don’t forget the most important part - smile!

When you reach the altar stand up straight, all that posture practice will have paid off when you stand at the alter looking taller, leaner, more radiant & full of confidence. Try not to fidget! If your dress is strapless, resist the temptation to keep hoisting it up. This looks just as bad as pulling the skirt out of your behind! If you have bought the right foundation garments you shouldn’t have problems.

At the reception avoid drinking anything which may stain your dress, such as red wine, coffee & dark colored sodas. Stick to champagne, white wine & water. You maybe able to knock back bottles of beer with the best of them, but on your wedding day avoid bottles & drink from the glass instead.

Above all on your wedding day, make sure you are radiating happiness, keep smiling, stay positive & don’t allow anything to spoil your day. If you are happy your guests will be happy & your wedding photographs will be enchanting!