Each bride wants to look her most beautiful on her wedding day. But she also wants to look unique. Women ask me all the time how they can distinguish their wedding-day style from their seven other friends who got married that year. This got me thinking about what it means to look different on a day where almost everyone wears a white (or ivory) dress. How can you make your ensemble your own? Here's how to maintain your individuality.
The Dress
The reality is, if you buy your dress in a boutique or store, that same dress will be worn by hundreds of brides around the country. If this idea does not appeal to you, and you want a dress completely of your own design, you should consider having it custom made. There are many custom dress designers that make beautiful one-of-a-kind gowns for the same cost as buying a dress off the rack, if not less. Have a conversation with a dressmaker to learn your options. A word of caution before going down this road: Make sure you are good at visualizing how something will look and describing what you want. If you are not sure you can do that, then you are better off buying a dress in a store where you can try on the finished product.
But you don't have to custom-make your dress to make it special. When buying a dress, it's often possible to make minor changes that can create a different look. For example, you can make a dress with sleeves strapless, or extend the length of the train. Ask the sales consultant to help you, and you'll get ideas of what will look good. If you are feeling unsure, talk to the store manager. She will be able to give you an answer on the best way to go. And if you fall in love with a dress just the way it is, then leave it! Don't make changes just for the sake of having something different.
In the end though, it's the way that you pull your whole look together that defines your wedding day style, not just the dress, and there are many ways to make that style unique. One of my favorite ways is through jewelry. I love when brides incorporate a piece that was their mother's, grandmother's or even mother-in-law's. It is something special that no one else will have, and it also takes care of something borrowed!
Monogramming is a very traditional practice that lends itself well to personalizing your wedding style. I love the romantic symbol of having the bride and groom's initials intertwined and represented on the wedding day. I recently saw this done on a beautiful long veil where the initials were worked into the detailing around the bottom. You can also have accessories, such as your handbag, monogrammed. All of these pieces make wonderful family heirlooms to pass down for generations.
Yet another idea is to incorporate your wedding colors into your ensemble. For example, if you are using blue as one of the colors, you can wear pretty pale blue shoes that add a little surprise when the hem of the dress is lifted. You can also take it a step further and wear a pale blue wrap around your shoulders if you get chilly. The key here is to not overwhelm your wedding day style with color but to add accents that make it special. 