Choosing a wedding dress is such an important part of any brides wedding planning experience but if you’re getting married abroad there are specific things to consider in order to make the right destination wedding dress choice.
As an overseas wedding planner I work with brides coming from cool European climates to marry on our warm Mediterranean shores. They often ask me for tips on the style of dress to choose so I’ve put my advice together here in a 10 tip list.
1) Consider the climate of your destination wedding. Overseas temperatures of 30 degrees aren’t conducive to heavily structured numbers with hoops and petticoats.
2) Ideally choose natural fibre fabrics that allow your skin to breathe. You’ll find silk versions of lightweight satin, taffeta, organza, crepe and chiffon ideal. (Same goes for the groom, choose a light weight natural fibre suit. Consider foregoing a jacket all together in favour of a crisp linen of polished cotton shirt. There are some great specialist shirt makers catering for overseas weddings.)
3) Fabrics tend to crease and crumple more in humid climates so try to choose a style that won’t crush too much throughout the day. Get the photos out of the way early so your dress looks its best.
4) Getting married in a warm climate means you’re going to sweat. Harsh but true… If you choose a dress with a fitted sleeve consider underarm dress shields so you don’t stain the fabric.
5) Don’t compromise just because you’re marrying abroad. Knee length understated dresses aren’t compulsory. You deserve the gown of your dreams. As overseas weddings become ever more popular and ceremonies more elaborate, full length dream dresses are quite the norm!
6) That said do try to be a little practical. A dress with an 8ft Cathedral train is going to pose a lot of transportation problems on the flight to your wedding destination.
7) Overseas weddings venues invariably seem less formal so choose your dress with this in mind. An ‘uber’ chic number more suited to the city will look very out of place if you’re bare foot on a beach.
8) Destination weddings are ideal for brides that want something aside from white or cream. Coloured wedding dresses fit quite nicely into an overseas theme and coordinate beautifully with exotic floral plans.
9) Shop around for your gown. Some great on and off line retailers offer ranges of dresses designed specifically for destination weddings. These collections are created with comfort and wear ability in mind, in lightweight fabrics and simple lines that look gorgeous and ‘pack’ beautifully.
10) If your budget is tight don’t worry, destination wedding dresses by the nature of their simplicity become an excellent choice for the price conscious bride. Today’s wedding market place makes quality and style accessible to all budgets.
So that’s my tips on how to choose a perfect destination wedding dress that fulfils all your dreams whilst remaining comfortable to wear.
Two recurrent concerns for a lot of my bridal clients are:-
How do I know what style of dress will suit me? And where can I find a wedding dress I can afford?
Fortunately picking that perfect dress and side stepping extortionate recommended retail prices are favorite topics of mine….
Michele Farrow is an experienced overseas wedding coordinator and webmaster of her info packed overseas wedding mini guide. Learn more about her wedding planning service and share in her wealth of experience.
Article written by © Michele Farrow – all rights reserved