Wedding Dress - Where to start your wedding dress journey: Best places to start your search
Your wedding day is a milestone in your relationship, and one of the only days in your life when most of the attention is drawn to you and your partner. Finding a wedding dress os a key component of your wedding day coming together. A wedding dress that is comfortable and well made has the capacity to make you feel confident and glamorous on your day, while the wrong dress can make you feel uncomfortable and take away all the joy from your day. It is essential to find something that represents you, that reflects your style, your body type and the vision you have for your wedding day. We have gather a number of places where you can look for inspiration that are a bit unusual and hopefully will take your dress shipping experience to the next level.
Online Resources to find inspiration for your wedding dress
These days we literatly hold the world’s knowledge in our hands: our phone. I bet the first thing you did when you started contemplating your wedding day, would have been to write in that web browser : “wedding dress inspo” or “wedding day inspo”. The first place to consider when you start looking for wedding vibes and idea, would be social media. There are a number of other ressources that we are lucky to be able to access these days and we have searched high and low to compile this list that will hopefully get your creative juices flowing and make you excited about your wedding day.
Find your wedding dress through social media platforms
The multiple social media networks and apps that we have now a days can be a great source of inspiration, however there are ways you can get more out of it than with a simple search.
How to use Facebook to search for your wedding dress :
Although many think that FB is just for the grandparents and to keep up with the photos of aunty Mary’s gardenias, Facebook can be a great place to find information through GROUPS. There are many communities available, some local like “Melbourne Brides”, others more general like “Australian Brides”. You can also find community groups based on wedding expos and also find wedding groups based on wedding dates like “Brides of 2024”.
How to use Instagram to search for your wedding dress :
This is a great place to find inspo using hashtags and designer names. In no time you will find yourself in a deep rabbit hole. Remember to use the “save” options to be able to reference the things you like later on. Some of the Instagram accounts we think you should follow are: Instagram accounts you should follow for great Inspo: @willowbywatters @sprigandthistle @sparkly.wedding ; @mc2monamour ; @unbeaujour
How to use Pinterest to search for your wedding dress :
The great advantage of this app is the organisation. Through this app you are able to pin to a board all the things you love online. You can use it as a moodboard for your wedding inspo, as well as uploading images to it from your dream vendors.
How to use Tik Tok to search for your wedding dress:
This is a great place to see different dresses from different angles and in different bodies without the glam of the editorial models. You can use Tik Tok to look for dresses a bit further by following the accounts of bridal boutiques, they tend to post wedding dresses in some of their consultants, so you can get an idea of what they look like on “real bodies”. You can also look for wedding inspo using hashtags and locations.
Find your wedding dress through a Wedding blog:
Wedding blogs can be a great source of information. Most wedding blogs provide inspiration with articles and features of the latest trends as well as tips and tricks. Some of them feature vendors and also have directories that can help you find different designers and style if you think that what you have seen locally doesn’t match your vision.
Here is a list of some of our favourite wedding blogs:
Wedding blogs based in Spain:
You might be wondering why you should follow any blogs that are not from your country. These blogs can be very helpful if you are considering getting married overseas. Most of the fashion trends start in Europe and then get adopted by US and Australia, so it’s also a great way to see what trends are coming over the next year or two.
Wedding Blogs based in Italy:
Find your wedding dress by looking at overseas magazines
Most paper magazines now a day also have an online presence (for obvious reasons). They are still very strong publishers and great to provide advice as well as show you great bridal shops.
Our favourite Bridal Magazines available in Australia are:
Together Journal
Nouba
Hello May
Cosmopolitan Bride
Some great American Bridal Magazines are:
Trendy Bride Magazine
The knot Magazine
Dancing with her
Some great European Bridal Magazines are:
Printemps Mariage
Find your wedding dress looking at overseas wedding dress designers:
Sometimes the trends take a bit of time to arrive and be implemented by local designers, this is why sometimes it’s best to keep an eye on overseas designers. Every designer has their own aesthetic and style, that’s why it’s best to research designers to find those that align with you and your own style. Wedding dresses are often made to order and they can take several months to arrive. This is why it’s important to take your time and look around to make sure that your dress will be ready on time for your wedding day. Most designers tend to provide a range of prices, with some dresses being more affordable and others more pricey depending on the material and amount of work needed on the beeding or other details that need to be customised.
Our favourite overseas wedding dress designers are:
Our favourite wedding dress French designers are:
Find your wedding dress by looking at local wedding designers
In Sydney and Melbourne we are very lucky to have a vibrant local designer scene. We have in both cities a wide range of boutiques and designers that offer high quality gowns. Some of the most important fashion shows in Melbourne and places to look for inspiration are the Mercedes-Benz Fashion week and the Australian fashion week. Although some designs can be a bit unusual, most of the cuts can be used as inspiration for your wedding dress.
Our favourite Australian wedding dress designers are:
Find your wedding dress by listening to wedding podcasts.
This must be one of the most unusual places where you think you will look for information on wedding dresses. Although wedding podcasts are new to scene, they offer a wealth of knowledge, and you can listen to them on your way to work or while exercising, without the need to be in front of your screen.
Our favourite wedding podcasts to look for wedding dress inspiration are:
Find your wedding dress by looking at art
Looking for inspiration for your wedding dress and specially your wedding dress can be overwhelming and a daunting experience. As a bride to be you will be bombarded with information and online articles that suggest one thing or another. To me, art has always been for me a peaceful place. Maybe it’s time to grab some art books and look for dresses that you feel would represent the things you like and love.
The Renaissance paintings are known for their flowing fabrics and modest cuts. Art can provide inspiration from patterns, to intricate lace design, fabrics used, cuts of the dresses, as well as unique creative ideas that you cuold incorporate to your wedding gown.
Some of the aspects to look at when looking att art pieces are the necklines, the fabrics, details of sleeves and any embroidery on the fabric.
Some ways you can find inspiration through art would be by looking at art books, by visiting museums, or art galleries.
Let your imagination run wild and be inspired by the creativity of the art world to choose your wedding dress.
Find your wedding dress by looking at the clothing of ancient civilisations
Some ancient civilizations have been inspiring fashion designers for a long time. From the flowing fabrics of the greeks to the drapes of the Roman toga, and the ornate jewelry of the Egyptians. Many of the styles have been taken and adapted to modern fabrics and contemporary fashion.
Did you know that the corset has actually it’s roots on the greek and roman civilization? The corset is till used on a great number of wedding dress designs, and it’s a way to provide the body with shape and support.
Find your wedding dress by looking at the red carpet on award night
The glam and glitz of a red carpet can provide inspiration on different shapes and materials used on the gowns. Follow awards like the Oscars and Grammies to get inspired by the latest trends. Even if the actors are not wearing white, try to keep an open mind and try to imagine those gowns in white. Include these images on a folder and take them with you when going dress shopping so you will be able to show the assistant what you are after.
Physical Resources to find inspiration for your wedding dress
Find your wedding dress by getting inspired from previous weddings you have been a guest at.
You may or might have not attended a wedding lately. Next time you go to a function keep your eyes open and try to remember the different styles and dresses that you like. Even if a function is not what you expected or would like for you, it’s still a great way to understand what you like by taking note of what you don’t want. Another great place to find some inspo is the spring carnival and the fashion displayed at the horse racing carnivals on the lead up to the Melbourne cup.
Find your wedding dress by visiting different bridal shops and looking at the local wedding dress designers.
We will go through the ins and outs of visiting local wedding dress shops, but in the meantime, you can arrange appointments and in some cases just walk in if you plan to only look at the gowns as you will need an appointment to be able to try them.
Some of our favourite Melbourne wedding dress shops are:
Find your wedding dress by visiting bridal fairs and wedding exhibitions
Wedding trade exhibitions and bridal expos like One fine day or Melbourne’s annual wedding expo are great places to get inspired and find inspiration for the latest trends and latest wedding dress cuts and models. There is a wide range of designers and bridal related businesses that attend these shows beside wedding venues. We have attended our fair share of bridal expo’s so we have compiled a few tips to make the most of your experience.
A few tips to help you make the most of your Bridal expo experience:
1.- Always do some research beforehand.
Not all the expos are made equally. Some expos are more traditional and others concentrate on unusual wedding venues as well as nin traditional vendors, that are more on trend and edgy. Have a look at the social media of the expo to gauge the type of public the expo is directed to, and if you can double check the list of vendors attending the expo. This will save you a ton of time and effort.
2.- Go once you have determined your style:
It’s very easy to get overwhelmed with the variety of vendors, people, noises and colours. Try to go only once you have worked out the vibes you want for your wedding day. Some of the current trends in wedding dresses are: classic ball gown, minimal, boho chic, lace, fitted mermaid dress, suits and jumpsuits.
3.-Stay open minded:
Sometimes great things happen when we go with the unusual and not the expected path. If you are quite set on the type of the dress you want, maybe try something completely different for a change. There are two possible outcomes when doing this, either you get confident on your decision, or you find an alternative that you didn’t even know was possible.
4.- Ask questions:
Don’t be scared to ask for details on the dresses available, the types of fabric, the amount of time they need to make the dress, the options in regards to payment and if they have a more affordable line, or a luxe line of dresses.
Be ready to spend a day on your feet. Bridal expos are a ton of fun. but be prepared, so you can make the most out of it. Keep these tips in mind and we hope that you find the perfect wedding dress for you.
The most popular bridal expos in Victoria:
Affordable wedding expo Malvern: This expo runs every Feb
Ballarat wedding expo: This expo runs every Feb.
Mornington bridal expo: This expo runs every Feb
Affordable wedding expo Brunswick: This wedding expo runs every Feb
Melbourne’s annual wedding expo: This expo runs every March
Geelong wedding expo: This wedding expo runs every March
One fine day wedding fair: This wedding expo runs every April
Rowville Bridal expo: This wedding expo runs every May
Pakenham Bridal expo: This wedding expo runs in June
Morwell Bridal expo: This wedding expo runs in July
Stawell Bridal expo: This wedding expo runs in August
Find your wedding dress by digging deep into your personal Inspiration
Your wedding will have more meaning if you take a bit of time to think about who you are, the stories you and your partner have shared together. Considering this will make the wedding dress search process more meaningful.
Explore your personal inspiration: think about your story, where do you come from? What materials have your family members used on their wedding day? Is there a family tradition? Would you like to honour someone in your family? Is there a special cultural factor you could consider and add to your choice of gown?
Follow your family tradition: If you come from a cultural or family background that has a particular bridal attire, consider incorporating this to your gown or in your wedding day.
Consider your body shape and comfort: Consider the different options that will flatter your figure and hide your insecurities so you feel confident and comfortable on your wedding dress.
Finally we need to remind you of the importance to try on your dress in the lead up to your wedding at least a few weeks before your event, in case some adjustments are needed. Have a clear budget when you think you are ready to hit the shops and trust your instinct.
As you can see there are a number of places where you can draw inspiration and these days you are not limited to what’s available locally. We encourage you to gather inspiration from a variety of sources so that your final decision reflects you and the image you have in your mind of your wedding day.
